Level I Program Form
I Summary of Proposed Changes
Management Information Systems
Department/program
This form defines a new interdisciplinary certificate in Big Data Analytics, with
Summary
participation from Computer Science, Mathematics, and Management Information
Systems. The certificate is scalable and is designed to accommodate courses and
students from additional departments, if they should decide to participate in the
future.
II Endorsements and Approvals
Please obtain approval from the Program Chair/Director, the Dean and the Associate Provost.
Requestor:
Phone:
_____________________________________
___________________________________
Signature
Date
Deans’ Signatures
Date
Program Chair/Director: Management Information
Systems
___________________________________
_____________________________________
Initial Review in Provost’s Office
date
Signature
Date
Other affected programs: Mathematics
_____________________________________
____________________________________
Signature
Date
Faculty Senate Review
date
Computer Science
_____________________________________
___________________________________
Signature
Date
Provost
date
Management and Marketing
_____________________________________
Signature
Date
Are other departments/programs affected by this
Please obtain signature(s) from the Chair/Director of
modification because of
any such department/ program (above) before
(a) required courses incl. prerequisites or corequisites,
submission
(b) perceived overlap in content areas
(c) cross-listing of coursework
III Type of Level I Proposal (please check the appropriate space)
(a) Re-titling existing majors, minors, options, or certificates
(b) Eliminating existing majors, minors, or options. (submit with BOR program termination
checklist)
(c) Adding new minors or certificates where there is a major*
(d) Adding new minors or certificates where there is an option in a major*
(e) Departmental mergers and name changes
(f) Program revisions –for minor modifications use the program modification form*
(g) Distance delivery of previously authorized degree program
(h) Adding option within an existing major or degree *
(i) Eliminating organizational units such as departments, divisions and colleges or schools *
(j) Consolidating existing programs and/or degree *
(k) New certificate of 29 or fewer credits
X
*Requires BOR Curriculum Proposal Form submitted to the Provost’s Office (refer to
http://www.umt.edu/provost/policy/curriculum/default.aspx)
IV Catalog Language
If you are proposing a change to an existing program or
major, please cut and paste the requirements as they
appear in the current catalog below.
www.umt.edu/catalog 
Please provide the proposed copy as you wish it to
appear in the catalog. 
Interdisciplinary Certificate in Big Data Analytics
The Big Data Analytics (BDA) certificate provides students with the tools necessary to compete in the Big Data space.
Students will use currently available big data tools to capture, analyze, and present Big Data. They will explore a variety of
applications where Big Data tools can be applied, and they will complete a Big Data project.
To obtain the BDA certificate, a student must
(1) Complete the requirements for a UM major;
(2) Meet with a BDA advisor;
(3) Complete BMIS 326 (Introduction to Data Analytics – New) and BMIS 482 (Big Data Project), or M 467 (Data Analytics
Projects - New) (each course must be completed with C- or better);
(4) Complete two of the following: CSCI 444 (Data Visualization), CSCI 447 (Machine Learning), CSCI 448 (Pattern
Recognition), CSCI 464 (Applications of Mining Big Data – New), CSCI 480 (Applied Parallel Computing Techniques –
New), BMIS 465 (Real-Time Data Analytics), M 461 (Practical Big Data Analysis – New), and BMKT 440 (Marketing
Analytics) (each course must be completed with C- or better)
;(5) Complete the Certificate in Big Data Analytics application;
(6) Achieve a combined GPA of 3.0 for the above courses.
Please explain/justify the new proposal or change. 
Traditional methods of capturing, analyzing, and storing data have become inadequate for processing the
massive amounts of data produced by today’s global businesses and organizations. Stock markets, social media,
software logs, web transactions, GIS sensors, and similar applications can produce data sets that have outpaced
the capacity of ordinary statistical packages and relational databases. Many organizations warehouse a wealth
of data that they simply cannot process fast enough in order to use the information as a basis for timely
business decisions.
Big Data tools, on the other hand, have the capability of processing zettabytes (a trillion gigabytes) of data,
which might be at rest or in motion, and may be structured or unstructured data. Big Data tools give a variety of
types of organizations the capacity to analyze huge quantities of data, some of it arriving in high volume, and to
make decisions based on that data in real time.
A recent article in InformationWeek* explores the demand for people trained in Big Data:
In the U.S. alone, a McKinsey Global Institute report predicts that demand for deep analytics
experts and big data professionals will exceed the supply by up to 190,000 positions by 2018 if
current trends continue. What's more, U.S. enterprises will need 1.5 million more managers and
business analysts who can ask the right questions and consume the results of the analysis of big
data.
This certificate is designed to provide students with the tools necessary to compete in the Big Data space.
Students will use currently available big data tools to capture, analyze, and present Big Data. They will explore a
variety of applications where Big Data tools can be applied, and they will complete a Big Data project.
*http://www.informationweek.com/software/business-intelligence/big-data-talent-war-10-analytics-job-tre/232700311?pgno=1
What other programs are affected by your proposal?
Computer Science, Marketing, and Mathematics
Obtain signatures as requested below.
V Department Summary Required if several proposals are submitted. In a separate document list program
title and proposed change for all proposals.
VI Copies and Electronic Submission After all signatures have been obtained submit the signed
original, and electronic file to the Faculty Senate Office, UH 221.
Revised 7/13