Marian University to offer Business Analytics, Public Health majors

INDIANAPOLIS, June 8, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Marian University (www.marian.edu) is launching three new bachelor's degree programs this fall to address two of the fastest growing career segments in the state and nation.

To address the growing need for 'big data' specialists in business, Marian University's Byrum School of Business has launched a new Bachelor of Science degree in Business Analytics. The degree aligns with the school's fundamentally different approach to preparing students for the business world by combining its unique, experiential business core with focused coursework in computer science, information technology and a full-time, semester long internship.

The university also announced that it will now offer Public Health as a major through its Department of Sociology. Students can earn either a Bachelor of Science degree with a focus on Environmental and Community Health, or a Bachelor of Arts degree with a focus on Social, Behavioral and Community Health. The Department of Sociology resides in the university's School of Liberal Arts.

Russ Kershaw, dean of the Byrum School of Business, said feedback from the Byrum School's many corporate partners led to the decision to launch the of the new Business Analytics major.

"The demand for business analytics professionals is substantial and on the rise," James Meer, Vice President, Worldwide Controller at Appirio, said. "Business analytics graduates are needed to assist companies with data interpretation and decision making, which links to competitive advantage, innovation, and profitability." A report from the McKinsey Global Institute estimates that by 2018, U.S. businesses will need an additional 1.5 million analytics professionals. Appirio was recently named Tech Company of the Year at the 2016 Mira Awards.

"The Byrum School has a responsibility to develop data-savvy future business leaders in a way that will allow them to add immediate value to companies upon graduation," Kershaw said. "Our program is distinctive in that it provides students with not only quantitative skills to frame and interpret complex data in a variety of contexts, but also allows them to apply this knowledge to actual business problems during all four years of their education." The Byrum School's 98 percent job placement rate is just one metric that demonstrates how Byrum School graduates are valued by prospective employers.

Last month, Marian University broke ground on a state-of-the-art building to house the growing enrollment in the Byrum School of Business. The new facility is designed to facilitate the delivery of the distinctive program where students interact with the business community and engage them to analyze issues, solve problems, and create new opportunities for innovation and growth.

Marian University's rationale behind offering Public Health as a major is also based on the current and future job market. Statistics indicate that public health is one of the fastest growing segments of the U.S. economy and workforce. Recent health care initiatives reflect an increased focus on social determinants of health, studying and changing health education and working with local communities to improve health. These areas of research and competency require social approaches to health and illness. 

Students majoring in Public Health at Marian University will develop a variety of employable skills in coursework and internships. The proposed program will prepare students to work in clinical health settings to help connect patients to social, legal and environmental series that impact patents' health, plan and evaluate the health care services and outcomes in communities, educate, and administer interventions. Public Health graduates are uniquely qualified for a variety of career fields, including health education, population and community research, management and policy, and governmental health and services.

About Marian University Indianapolis
Marian University (www.marian.edu), founded in Indianapolis in 1937, is the only Catholic liberal arts university in central Indiana. It serves a student body of nearly 3,000 through dedication to excellent teaching and learning in the Franciscan and liberal arts traditions. Marian University is one of Indiana's 31 independent colleges and one of 244 Catholic colleges and universities nationwide.

Since 2001, Marian University has been led by President Daniel J. Elsener, whose vision and leadership are transforming the university. In 2013, Marian University opened the Michael A. Evans Center for Health Sciences, home to its College of Osteopathic Medicine. Marian University has amassed 33 national championships in cycling, captured the NAIA Football National Championship in 2012 and 2015, and won the NAIA Women's Basketball Championship in 2016.

Contact: Mark Apple
317.955.6775
[email protected]

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