Introducing a new Engineering Data Analytics Undergraduate Certificate

Preparing Pitt Undergraduates for Industry 4.0

The world is awash in data. From personal devices like your cell phone to hospitalization records, supply chains, and navigation, data is collected, stored, transferred, sold, and translated. People who can manage, interpret, and utilize that data are among the most sought-after by employers. To meet the growing global demand for these professionals, the Department of Industrial Engineering program is introducing a new Engineering Data Analytics Undergraduate Certificate.

The curriculum will prepare students to advance engineering applications using the acquisition, management and analysis of data, including using new machine learning and artificial intelligence methods for manufacturing, materials, systems, and engineering. The certificate will be offered by the Swanson School of Engineering to any Pitt undergraduate.

“The curriculum is designed to provide students with fundamental knowledge and skills in statistics and programming applied to the acquisition, management and analysis of engineering data,” said Karen Bursic, professor and undergraduate program director of industrial engineering. “This will allow our students to pursue careers in these areas that are critical to so many industries that want to be globally competitive.”

Data science skills are increasingly in-demand by employers, but according to a McKinsey Global Institute survey of companies, hiring top talent is the “biggest hurdle” to incorporating data analytics in their existing operations. Salaries for these positions pay an average of $105,000 for data scientists, $114,000 for machine learning skills, and $117,000 for data engineering jobs.

According to Paul Leu, associate professor of industrial engineering at Pitt, the Swanson School’s data analytics certificate will also better prepare students for the workforce in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0. This paradigm shift is focused on how the global production and supply network integrates connectivity, AI, robotics and other new technologies.