“Businesses have gone data crazy,” declared a recent trend-predicting article from Forbes.com, adding, “You can’t blame them. Streaming, real-time data analysis promises to bring the type of predictability that cuts costs, solves problems and grows sales.”

Early this year, Forbes went on to list big data expertise as number one on its list of technical skills with exploding job demand, with an astonishing 3,977 percent increase from 2011 to 2015. And according to CIO.com, the continued shortage encompasses more than the data scientists, data engineers and data analysts, but also the organizational leaders who must interpret and use the resulting data for business decision-making.

The University of Delaware’s Certificate in Analytics: Optimizing Big Data program, now in its fifth year, provides in-depth coverage of the computational, analytical and communication skills demanded by this field. The course introduces the tools and techniques needed to analyze large datasets, focusing on how to translate the results into informed business decisions and improved business performance. The upcoming spring program begins Feb. 2.

“This program is designed to give participants the fundamental skills to deliver more value to their organizations or to transition into this growing field,” explained certificate program director and lead instructor Carmen Traxler, who has over 30 years’ experience in integrating process improvement methodologies with statistical tools.

Course topics include importing data into analytics software, performing graphical and data analysis, building analytics models using tools like multiple regression and decision trees, finding the best model to explain correlation among variables, and learning how to control and assess data variability to better meet customer requirements.

The program is directed at professionals in any field who must study, analyze or evaluate large amounts of data. This also includes business, marketing, and operations managers; financial industry professionals; and other managers and business professionals who wish to learn the tools for creating data-supported solutions to business questions. There are no prerequisites to enroll in the program, but a college-level background in mathematics or statistics will be helpful.

The class meets Thursday evenings from Feb. 2 to May 11 at Arsht Hall on the University of Delaware’s Wilmington Campus located at 2700 Pennsylvania Avenue, Wilmington. Students will complete the certificate program in approximately three months.

The Certificate in Analytics: Optimizing Big Data program is offered through UD’s Division of Professional and Continuing Studies. UD students and UD alumni are eligible for a discount when enrolling. Other discounts include a military/veterans discount, and a group discount when two or more individuals from one business or organization register for the program.

For more information about the Certificate in Analytics: Optimizing Big Data program, including a detailed curriculum description, visit the website, write to continuing-ed@udel.edu or call 302-831-7600.