Successes, failures and lessons learned from developing Data Analytics programs within Business Schools in multiple countries, one of which won a national award

Demand for business data analysts is outstripping supply. However, one industry report states that less than one-third of analytics projects result in actionable insights. I believe university education in data analytics can play a big role in improving this concerning figure. In this presentation, I share insights drawn from developing data analytics programs in the UK and Australia, both with embedded industry projects using real-world data. We at Bangor Business School recently launched an MSc in business data analytics with a BSc to soon follow, but the Bond Business School in Australia started a move into analytics in 2015. Starting with key modules and a specialisation, it quickly grew into undergraduate, postgraduate and research programs; the first of their kind in Australia. With me as the team leader, our innovations were recognised with a prestigious 2021 Australian Award for University Teaching (AAUT) Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning. The citation read “For designing data analytics programs that foster authentic learning experiences focussed on solving industry problems to produce graduates with technical proficiency and practical business acumen.” Employer feedback includes, “I have consistently found that their data analytics programs have created job-ready and commercially savvy graduates.” I believe a program should balance teaching technical data analytics proficiencies, developing business acumen and the ability to apply analytics in a real-world setting. I also offer reflective comments on flipped classrooms, interactive online material, short large-scale micro-credentials on external/internal platforms, popular software and consultancy-style capstones and published case studies.