The Institute for Advanced Analytics prepares data savvy individuals for leadership in a digital world. Our mission is to produce the world’s finest analytical practitioners — data scientists, analysts, and consultants — who have mastered complex methods for large-scale data modeling, who have a passion for solving challenging problems through teamwork, who are guided by intellectual curiosity, honesty and integrity, and who strive to attain the highest level of professionalism through continuous self-improvement.

The goal of analytics is to derive and effectively communicate actionable insights from a vast quantity and variety of data. It covers a broad spectrum of activities, including data management and quality, mathematical and statistical methods for data modeling, and techniques for visualizing data in support of enterprise-wide decision making. Driving analytics is the unprecedented amount of data available today. There is a pressing need for professionals with strong quantitative skills coupled with an understanding of how analytics can be applied with speed, accuracy and creativity to the critical challenges facing organizations.

Founded at North Carolina State University, the Institute is housed in modern facilities located on the university’s picturesque 1,200-acre Centennial Campus. It serves as the focal point for a university-wide, interdisciplinary collaboration among a large number of faculty. The Institute’s flagship program is the nation’s first Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) degree. The MSA is an intensive, full-time, 10-month learning experience with an innovative curriculum developed exclusively for students in the program. It is NC State’s leading master’s degree measured in terms of student outcomes and its graduates are among the university’s most sought-after and highly compensated. Benchmark studies place the MSA in the ranks of comparable master’s degrees at the nation’s most prestigious universities. The success of the MSA has made it the archetype for scores of other programs across the country.

Admission to the MSA program is highly competitive. The Institute accepts as few as one-in-eight applicants, with a current enrollment of 120 students annually. In addition to being NC State’s most selective graduate program, it is also one of the largest and fastest growing. Among 100 fields of study, the MSA ranks in the top-5 in terms of the number of graduate degrees awarded annually by the university.

As with all accredited graduate degrees at NC State, the MSA is granted under the auspices of The Graduate School. With an enrollment of more than 30,000 students, NC State is the largest university in North Carolina and one of 16 institutions constituting the multi-campus University of North Carolina system. NC State is a member of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, the American Council on Education, the Council of Graduate Schools, the National Commission on Accrediting, and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

The Institute gratefully acknowledges the generosity of Dr. James Goodnight, co-founder of SAS Institute, who provided a gift to the university in 2006 to support curriculum development by our faculty. The Institute works closely with many employers across the country to enhance our curriculum and maintain its practical relevancy.

Interested individuals of exceptional talent and strong motivation are invited to apply for admission.

Employers seeking to hire analytics professionals are welcome to contact us. We will be glad to work with you.

The Institute is led by its founding director, Professor Michael Rappa.