The rapid growth and proliferation of cloud-based computing infrastructure, mobile apps, social media, data-gathering sensors and connected devices has led to increased levels of connectivity at the infrastructure, social, economic and policy levels. The sheer amount of data created and gathered in this increasingly connected world has resulted in a demand for skilled professionals who understand new paradigms for enterprise computing and have the ability to design, configure and manage modern digital enterprise and cloud computing environments.
The School of Information Studies (iSchool) today announced a new master’s degree program in Enterprise Data Systems (EDS), a degree that will prepare graduates to design, support and optimize the infrastructure and processes that power the new digital and data-centric enterprises.
Carlos Caicedo
“This degree will provide our graduates with the business and technical perspectives of how data and infrastructure work in an enterprise, and give them the knowledge and skills to build, automate and support these new environments,” says Associate Professor Carlos Caicedo, curriculum lead for the new M.S. in enterprise data systems degree.
“The iSchool offers an excellent blend of business- and management-related skills as well as technical knowledge and skills,” Caicedo says. “We’ve been successful with this balance with our information management program, and now we’re translating that success to enterprise data systems.”
“The iSchool has always been a leader in information systems, and in the importance of understanding how people work with information,” says iSchool Dean Elizabeth D. Liddy. “It’s more than ensuring that the data gets to the right places, it’s understanding what people will do with the data, what they need from the data and how they do their jobs. Our graduates will be able to design and implement systems with the goals of the end user in mind.”
Recent reports from IT research and advisory firm Gartner predict additional growth in the infrastructure space as adoption of cloud-based technologies increases. The additional demand from migration of infrastructure from traditional enterprise systems to the cloud, and increased demand from more intensive workloads, such as artificial intelligence and analytics, are helping to drive this growth.
“Cloud computing, and the revolution it is causing in the way information is shared, could be one of the most disruptive technology trends to impact business,” says Darren Orzechowski, senior director of cloud management at cloud and virtualization software and services company VMWare, and member of the iSchool’s Board of Advisors. “This master’s degree positions iSchool students on the leading edge of this trend, with a next-generation, differentiated skillset that will be applicable for years to come.”
“The iSchool has strong relationships with companies that are leaders in the cloud computing, computer networks, and data management technologies industries,” explained Caicedo. “Representatives from our industry collaborators provide their time, talent, and business expertise along with access to curriculum, leading software packages and hardware configurations.”
These industry relationships will allow students in the EDS program to obtain hands-on experience and apply classroom learning to real-world scenarios in an environment found only at the iSchool.
“The blend of technical skills and information management knowledge that our students will receive makes them ideal candidates for positions opening up in the growing number of companies seeking to manage or implement infrastructure to gather and obtain value from data,” says Caicedo. “Employers are seeking people who not only have technical expertise, but who can also communicate with the boardroom in everyday language. EDS graduates will be able to articulate their recommendations, solutions and strategies to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.”
The EDS master’s degree is a campus-based program that requires fulfillment of 36 credit hours. Students will take core courses in subjects such as cloud management, information policy, information security and data science. Students will also select a secondary focus area from the curriculum, choosing from cloud and virtualized environments; data science infrastructure and applications; enterprise IT infrastructure management; and mobile services and applications. Students may also create a custom secondary focus area in consultation with their faculty advisor.
In addition to the new EDS degree, the iSchool offers degree programs at the master’s level in information management; library and information science; and library and information science with a school media specialization, a Ph.D. program in information science and technology, and a B.S. degree in information management and technology.
Applications for the EDS degree will be accepted for fall semester enrollment. For more details, visit the degree program page.
