Admissions to the Data Analytics for Decision Making Capstone Certificate have been suspended as of fall 2023 and will be discontinued as of fall 2025. If you have any questions, please contact the department.
The iSchool offers an online Data Analytics for Decision Making capstone certificate. Students will learn to collect, analyze, and communicate data.
This capstone certificate provides students with entry-level knowledge of data analytics methodologies framed within the context of practical organizational decision-making and strategic planning. The capstone certificate meets the growing demand for data-savvy managers who can mobilize analysis, visualization, and communications techniques to support data-driven decision-making in various sectors of the economy. Students can complete the certificate entirely online, within one calendar year, conducive to balancing education, work, and life.
How to Get in
Admissions to the Data Analytics for Decision Making Capstone Certificate have been suspended as of fall 2023 and will be discontinued as of fall 2025. If you have any questions, please contact the department.
Admissions
All applicants must:
- Have completed a bachelor’s degree (any subject area is relevant)
- Have a minimum undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale in the last 60 credits of that degree; Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are not required
- Not be enrolled in another University of Wisconsin undergraduate or graduate program while completing our ADM Certificate program
- Submit official post secondary student transcripts
- Submit a maximum one-page statement of interest: Why are you interested in analytics for decision making and what do you aim to get out of the program?
- Non-native English speakers submit a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 92 (Internet version) or better
Online Application System
Complete the online application for admission as a University Special student, selecting UNCS Capstone Certificate and the program: Data Analytics for Decision Making
Need help? Email us at jgreiber@wisc.edu.
Application Checklist:
To apply to the program, you must complete the following two steps:
- Fill out the online application (see above).
- Select spring term (there are no summer or fall admissions)
- Choose Capstone Certificate—Analytics for Decision Making for your Special Student Type
- Please provide your statement of interest in the academic plans statement field
- Have your official transcripts sent to:
ADM Certificate Program
4217 HC White Hall
600 N. Park Street
Madison, WI 53706
c/o Certificate Coordinator Ms. Jenny Greiber
Information Especially for International Applicants
International students are encouraged to apply for and enroll in the certificate program; however, at this time they are not eligible for educational visas due to the part time and online nature of the program.
International students who desire to study in the US should complete the ADM certificate in their current location, and in that same year, apply to a campus-based UW–Madison master's program.
Further Information
- The iSchool master's degree will accept all the credits from the ADM certificate toward an iSchool master's degree if students are granted admissions to that program.
- Contact us at jgreiber@wisc.edu, and we will help you develop a plan to achieve your educational goals.
Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| L I S/COM ARTS 705 | Introductory Analytics for Decision Making 1 | 3 |
| L I S 706 | Data Mining Planning and Management | 3 |
| L I S 707 | Data Visualization and Communication for Decision Making | 3 |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
- 1
L I S/COM ARTS 705 MUST be taken first.
Minimum Requirements for Capstone Certificate Completion
- Students must earn a minimum grade of C in each course used to meet Capstone Certificate requirements.
- Courses in which a student elects the pass/fail or audit option will not count toward completion of Capstone Certificate requirements.
- All of the Capstone Certificate credits must be earned "in residence" (which includes on campus and distance-delivered courses) at UW-Madison.
- All of the Capstone Certificate credits must be earned while enrolled in the Capstone Certificate program.
Individual Capstone Certificate programs may have additional requirements for completion, which will be listed above as/if applicable.
Learning Outcomes
- Students can formulate questions related to existing organizational goals or challenges, identify sources of data to answer those questions, and design and implement a data analysis plan to answer the questions.
- Students will demonstrate competency with a range of data collection and analysis techniques and tools appropriate to organizational decision making and assessment including the basics of data mining and visualizations.
- Students can effectively communicate the rationale for a data project and the results of their analysis across different types of media and using best practices of textual and visual communications.
- Students can articulate the possible information value and the limitations of data and analytics projects based on understanding of data quality, data availability, metadata functionality and other data management issues.