Big Data Analytics – a new highly relevant master’s degree programme at Arcada

Starting autumn 2018 Arcada offers a new master’s degree programme for engineers in Big Data Analytics – a field with a drastically increasing demand for newly educated experts. With its cutting-edge expertise Arcada educates programming-proficient students, who can find patterns in and manage the enormous amounts of data generated by computers and users today.

Software has become an integrated part of our society, and every passing hour sees vast amounts of data generated in computer systems all over the world. This data offers invaluable insights and opens for more fact-based decision-making, not least within the business sector, as long as the competence is there to identify challenges and opportunities, and to manage, visualize and benefit from the flow of information.
With a new English master’s degree programme in Big Data Analytics, Arcada and external experts open the doors to a highly relevant field of study, to say the least.
“This master’s degree programme answers to the huge demand for programming-proficient experts in this field, and plays an important role since no similar education has been offered in Finland so far. It’s clear that the business world already has realized that the importance of analytics continues to grow, which means that the future awaiting graduates from this programme is bright,” Degree Programme Director DI Magnus Westerlund says.

An education in high demand
Two years ago Arcada introduced specialization studies in big data analytics on a master’s level, which has given the UAS valuable experience when launching this new degree programme. Even though specialization studies don’t lead to a formal degree, they’ve shown how sought-after these competences are and also just how willing employers are to support employees who choose to return to studying.
“Analytics within the business sector and academia have not always been able to benefit from each other. We are proud to offer a master’s degree programme where these two traditions meet, and to educate experts who will learn to see the possibilities in this field, to ask the right questions and also have the technical knowledge to develop services and realize new solutions.”

On the cutting edge of digital development
The Department of Business Management and Analytics at Arcada has spent many years on the cutting-edge of digital development. e example is that Arcada now ranked fifth on the Ministry of Transport and Communications’ yearly “digibarometer”, which this year focused on artificial intelligence, placing higher than many large universities, companies and research institutes. Within the field of big data Arcada has worked for many years to attract leading experts and expertise. A bachelor’s degree programme in Information Technology focusing on analytics was introduced already in 2014.
Eligibility to apply to the Master’s Degree Programme in Big Data Analytics requires an engineering degree (or similar) on a bachelor’s level, as well as three years of work experience in programming or software development. Candidates with bachelor’s degrees in other fields can also apply to the programme, as long as they have at least 30 ECTS credits in analytics. The application to the programme opens during spring and the studies begin in September 2018.

Further information:
Magnus Westerlund, Degree Programme Director Big Data Analytics, +358 (0)294 282 540, E-mail: magnus.westerlund@arcada.fi.