Program Overview
College of Education and Behavioral Sciences
The purpose of this certificate is to prepare professionals in the analytical and communication skills needed to use data for making informed institutional or programmatic decisions in various educational, health-related, or social/behavioral science settings. The required courses in qualitative methods, applied statistics, statistical computing, database management, and survey methods provide a solid foundation in the methods commonly used in data-informed decision-making positions. The capstone course, SRM 665: Data Analysis for Decision-Making, offers students the opportunity to participate in an applied data analysis project for which they will be required to design the data collection and analysis plan, conduct data analyses, and prepare/deliver both a written report and oral presentation for relevant stakeholders. In addition, students will select 3 elective credits from courses in geographic information science, public health methods, business analytics, or higher education assessment.
Prerequisites: Admission to the University as either a degree-seeking or non-degree seeking graduate student and completion of SRM 600 (or equivalent). It is also assumed students will have completed introductory coursework in statistics through the equivalent of SRM 603 before enrolling in SRM 625, though students may begin the certificate program without such coursework.