Central Connecticut State University’s Online Master’s in Data Mining Approved by Board of Governors
Central Connecticut State University’s program for a new online master’s degree in data mining was approved today by the Connecticut Board of Governors for Higher Education. Aimed at meeting a growing national need for skilled information technology professionals who analyze database information crucial for business decision makers, the CCSU program is nearly unique.
“Our is the first such program in the world to be offered completely online,” said Dr. Pearl Bartelt, CCSU’s provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Its concentration on case studies and real-world problems and its use of state-of-the-art software like Clementine further distinguish CCSU’s extraordinary new program.”
Offered through the Connecticut State University’s virtual classroom, OnlineCSU, the program “puts Connecticut in the forefront of information technology education,” said Dr. William J. Cibes, Jr., chancellor of the CSU system. “Data mining is an exciting and evolving field of study, and we believe the cutting-edge programs developed by CCSU’s faculty will prepare students exceptionally well to apply data mining expertise in the workplace.”
Many businesses use data mining for developing targeted marketing programs, analyzing economic trends, detecting credit fraud, and forecasting financial markets. According to the highly respected Information Week, “data-mining expertise is the most sought after among information technology professionals.” In Connecticut, data mining talent is in high demand. “The state’s Department of Labor has forecast that by 2008 Connecticut’s demand for information technology workers will grow by nearly 20,000, according to Dr. Daniel T. Larose, associate professor of mathematical sciences and the director of the new program. KDnuggets, an online information source, reports that nearly 30 percent of data-mining professionals earn $100,000 yearly.
The online master’s program was developed by CCSU faculty under the direction of Dr. Larose. Other members of the team are Dr. Joan Calvert, associate professor of computer science and chair of the Computer Science Department, Dr. Chun Jin, associate professor of mathematical sciences, and Dr. Daniel S. Miller, professor of mathematical sciences.
Dr. Larose expects CCSU’s program to attract students and employees from across the state, nation, and around the world. “We have received e-mail queries about the program from Tunisia, Egypt, Australia, and India,” he said. “Clearly the need for this online master’s program is strong and widespread. Thanks to online technologies, students will be able to ‘attend class’ at their convenience?whether it’s 3:00 a.m. or 3:00 p.m. and whether they live in Connecticut or Hawaii, Boston or Beijing. We will help them overcome the barriers of space and time to deliver our expertise to them.”
For more information about the program, please contact Professor Daniel T. Larose at (860) 832-2862; larosed@ccsu.edu, or visit the CCSU’s web site at www.math.ccsu.edu/dm. For information about the OnlineCSU distance learning program, contact Rebecca Kaput at (860) 493-0039.
Rebecca L. Kaput
Marketing
OnlineCSU
Connecticut State University System Office
39 Woodland St.
Hartford, CT 06105-2337
P: (860) 493-0039
F: (860) 493-0120
