BOT votes to move Business Analytics and Information Systems degree to new course code, program formatting

Changing the Business Analytics and Information Systems degree code was necessary to meet the demands of the current workforce, according to Interim Dean of the Muma College of Business Gert-Jan de Vreede. ORACLE PHOTO/ALEXANDRA URBAN

Members of the Board of Trustees (BOT) met Tuesday morning to change the code of the current Business Analytics and Information Systems degree.

The meeting, which took place on Microsoft Teams between 9 and 10 a.m., was attended by all 11 board representatives, who first approved tenure for two members of faculty.

Interim Dean of the Muma College of Business Gert-Jan de Vreede then joined the conversation to present his proposal to change the CIP code of the current Business Analytics and Information Sciences program for business students.

Assessing the state of the College of Business’s current Business Analytics and Information Sciences program, which falls under the code of CIP 52.1201: Management Information Sciences – General, Vreede said it has long been successful at informing students on areas of market interest, such as cost and accounting information systems, management control systems, personnel information systems and data storage and security,

However, given current trends in the workforce, an alternative program will be needed to maintain the competitiveness of USF’s business students once graduating from college, according to de Vreede. Taking into account increased demand for business management, he said designating Business Analytics and Information Sciences with a new code, CIP 52. 1301: Management Science – General – will maintain the title and curriculum while catering to the academic needs of the students.

Under CIP 52.1301, de Vreede said the Business Analytics and Information Sciences education will be expanded to statistical modeling, data warehousing, data mining, programming and forecasting.

Students admitted to and intending to graduate from the current CIP 52.1201 Business Analytics and Information Sciences program will be able to finish the major according to the curriculum and catalog in place as the time they entered, according to de Vreede.

Those entering USF that choose to pursue a Business Analytics and Information Sciences degree under the new CIP 52. 1301 code will not notice a difference in curriculum, faculty, graduation or learning requirements, Vreede wrote.

“The major itself is a critical program for Muma and for USF at large. It’s very popular, and there is an incredible demand. We did a sample and at the moment in the Tampa Bay region, there are over 24,000 openings across Florida … (and) there are almost 90,000 openings in this area,” he said.

“Across the nation, there are over 1.6 million openings, so students have a bright future. At the moment, we offer this program in Tampa and St. Pete, but the new major in the new SIP building also extends to the students that have their homes on Sarasota-Manatee.”

EDITORS NOTE: A previous version of this article stated the Business Analytics and Information Systems degree had been disbanded. This article has been updated to reflect the most recent developments.