K-State Salina introduces applied data science and machine learning program for working professionals
Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021
A free webinar on Kansas State University Salina's new certificate program in applied data science and machine learning is set for noon CST Nov. 10. | Download this photo.
SALINA — Kansas State University Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus continues to be at the forefront of the technology industry by offering a new online high-tech certificate program in applied data science and machine learning for working professionals beginning in spring 2022.
This new program will be taught by industry leaders and is fully online, allowing working professionals to fit courses in their schedules and learn from instructors with years of industry experience. The program teaches how to programmatically analyze enterprise data, implement open-source machine learning libraries and create consumable data visualizations for diverse organizational audiences. Students will gain a firm understanding of how to design and develop data for their companies and can implement what is learned during the course directly into their companies' information flow.
Kirsten Zoller, director of professional education and outreach for K-State Salina, said the new program will serve professionals already in the workforce by giving them the skills needed to advance in their chosen fields.
"This new professional training program is one step further in advancing our campus's role as a leader in serving the aerospace industry, in addition to the many diverse industries that serve our region," Zoller said. "Leveraging the expertise of our new machine learning and autonomous systems degree, this certificate program serves working professionals who need specific skills in data science and machine learning that they can apply right away in their organizations."
Early or mid-career technology professionals serving as software developers, data engineers, database administrators, project managers or system administrators who are new to data analytics could all benefit from this program. No prior experience or knowledge is required; however, individuals from a technical or computer background will be an ideal fit.
After gauging the current scope of the job field, K-State Salina developed the applied data science and machine learning certificate to respond to industry needs. The goal of the program is to give working professionals the training and education necessary using K-State Salina's compressed courseware, which allows professional industry learners to apply these new in-demands skills within months rather than years.
"Participants will have tangible skills and knowledge to better their organizations by capitalizing on their data," Zoller said. "We have had success in taking the collective knowledge of our degree programs and formatting into condensed industry training. This is another example of how we are being responsive to industry needs and providing the learning they need at the time they need it."
The program begins on Feb. 1, 2022, with the course Introduction to Data Science, followed by Introduction to Machine Learning on April 4.
A free Zoom webinar is scheduled through K-State Salina for students interested in the applied data science and machine learning or machine learning and autonomous systems degrees at noon CST Nov. 10. The webinar will explore machine learning and identify if an organization is ready to apply and implement data. The webinar is free, but registration is required. Details and registration are online at salina.k-state.edu/applied-data-webinar.
For more information about the applied data science and machine learning certificate contact K-State Salina Professional Education and Outreach email at profed@k-state.edu or visit salina.k-state.edu/applied-data.
