A new certificate program offered by OU’s SBA, in partnership with Altair Engineering Inc., goes a step beyond standard certificate programs by incorporating a key principle of the SBA — experiential learning — into the curriculum.
Integrating hands-on learning through a required on-site internship means professional education students, just like SBA undergraduate and graduate students, have the opportunity to apply the new skills they’re learning in the classroom in the real world. At press, internship placements were in progress to support advertising, alternative energy and finance projects.
The new Business Intelligence and Data Mining Certificate program offers students practical, marketable skills in this growing area providing them a skill set that is useful in multiple industries, including emerging sectors such as health care and information technology.
“By the end of the program, students will know how to turn research into a valuable resource,” says Charbel Saleh, an Altair employee and coinstructor. “They’ll have the necessary knowledge and tools to sort, analyze and identify emerging trends, which a company can use to profit in a cost effective, time- and resource-efficient manner.“
The program is a first for OU and, quite possibly, the first of its kind on any college campus.
“OU stood out as a leader in this area,” says Chris Elkins (CAS ‘86, SBA Accounting/Finance ‘96), a student in the course. He researched numerous colleges and discovered no one offered anything like it. “The fact I’m earning certification through this program and not merely taking a class gives it credibility. The internship proves to potential employers that I can put my knowledge into practice.”
By Kathy Pomaville Pate, CAS ‘90
This article appeared in the Summer 2010 issue of SBA Insight
A new certificate program offered by OU’s SBA, in partnership with Altair Engineering Inc., goes a step beyond standard certificate programs by incorporating a key principle of the SBA — experiential learning — into the curriculum.