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FROM STAFF REPORTS

MONTEVALLO – The University of Montevallo’s Stephens College of Business has changed the name of its Computer Informatics Program to the Data Analytics Program.

Dr. Amiee Mellon, interim dean of the Stephens College of Business, said the change was made to reflect the program’s curriculum more accurately.

Dr. Milad Jasemi, assistant professor of data analytics, and Dr. Shafqat Ali Shad, assistant professor of data analytics and cybersecurity, said the name computer informatics did not give students the exact idea about what the program is.

“With computer informatics, the word itself is too complex for people to understand,” Shad said. “So, the main point of changing this is to help them understand what the major is about.”

“The computer science major offers something similar in a data science program, which is more in-depth computer science,” Shad said. “When people hear computer informatics, that’s often what they think of. What we’re offering is data analytics, which is different in that it is about solving business problems using state-of-the-art technology and tools in the current market. It’s more business-centered.”

Other than the program name, nothing else will change. The program will remain the same high-quality program it has always been.

“Data analytics is helping core liberal arts culture at Montevallo, where entry-level courses can be taken by a diverse community of students regardless of their major and background,” Shad said.

Mellon said the Data Analytics Program is looking for students with problem-solving mindsets who are interested in using “big data” in strategic ways to solve business problems.

Possible career paths in this area include data analyst, data engineer, machine learning engineer, business intelligence and data strategist. Employment of computer information research scientists is projected to grow 22% in a 10-year period from 2020 to 2030, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Learn about the Stephens College of Business at Montevallo.edu/academics/colleges/college-of-business/.