Program Details – SAS and OSU Data Mining Certificate Program

In order to qualify for the SAS and OSU Data Mining Certificate, graduate students must complete at least 12 credit hours of courses, including two core courses and two elective courses. Full-time students seeking a career in data mining and analytics are strongly advised to take as many of these courses as possible in their first year plan of study so that they can apply for internships in summer, participate in conferences by writing papers in their second year of study. Students have the flexibility to select different combinations of core and elective courses to complete the certificate program. Here are just a few examples of many possible customized coursework sequences.

• For those seeking entry-level positions such as SAS programmer, SAS Analyst, Data Miner or Data Analyst: Recommended course sequence in your first-year of study is MKTG5983 (in Fall), MKTG5963 (in Spring) and MKTG5883 (in Summer via distance-learning). You must have base SAS programmer certification (MKTG5220 prepares students for this certification or you can do this on your own by using study guide from SAS). In addition, students are strongly advised to achieve the advanced SAS programmer certification (MKTG220 prepares you for this certification).
• For those with some experience and seeking junior-level consultant positions: Recommended course sequence in your first-year of study is MKTG5983 (in Fall), MKTG5963 (in Spring) and MKTG5883 (in Summer via distance-learning) and MBA5500 (2 hours in Summer and 1 hour in Fall). You must have base SAS programmer certification (MKTG5220 prepares students for this certification or you can do this on your own by using study guide from SAS). In addition, students are strongly advised to achieve the advanced SAS programmer certification (MKTG220 prepares you for this certification).
• For those with significant experience, seeking mid to senior-level consultant, analyst or researcher positions: Recommended course sequence in your first-year of study is MKTG5983 (in Fall), MKTG5963 (in Spring) and MKTG5883 (in Summer via distance-learning) and MKTG6413 (in Spring of even numbered years via distance-learning). You should have base SAS programmer certification (MKTG5220 prepares students for this certification or you can do this on your own by using study guide from SAS).

Core Courses

All students must take the two core courses (MKTG5983 and MKTG5963). The exception is that we will allow students to replace MKTG5983 by either BADM5513 or, MKTG6413 or, both STAT5063 and STAT5073.

MKTG 5983 – Database Marketing

Usually offered in the Fall semester
This course covers basic probability and statistical concepts (including p-value, tests for differences in means, sampling techniques/concepts), statistical modeling (Multiple Regression, Logistic Regression, Principal Components Analysis), experimental designs (ANOVA). The focus of this class is on hands-on learning of how to use statistical techniques to solve business problems. This class uses mostly SAS Enterprise Guide and some Base SAS.

BADM 5513 – Fundamentals of Business Analytics
(Take either this course or MKTG5983, not both)

Usually offered in the Fall semester
This overview course introduces the basics of data management, decision trees, logistic regression, segmentation, design of experiments and forecasting techniques to those who want to become business analysts. Students will be expected to use state-of-the-art industrial strength analytics software (SAS Enterprise Miner, SAS Enterprise Guide and JMP) to analyze business data and make strategic recommendations for managerial actions.

MKTG 5963 – Data Mining and CRM applications

Usually offered in the Spring semester
This course covers all topics related to data mining applications in CRM contexts (such as data manipulation, data exploration, Neural Net, Decision Trees, Cluster analysis, Sequence analysis, Association Models, Two-stage modeling, etc.). The focus of this course is hands-on learning of how to use non-statistical (algorithm-based) techniques to solve business problems. This class uses SAS Enterprise Miner extensively. This course also prepares students to take the SAS Certification Exam in Predictive Modeling. It is strongly recommended that students complete MKTG5983(or, Fundamentals of Business Analytics, BADM 5513) before enrolling in MKTG5963.

Elective Courses

Choose any 6 credit hours from the following courses

MKTG 5243 – Base SAS Programming for Database Marketing

Usually offered in Fall and Spring semesters
This course is for persons who want to learn how to write SAS programs; read various types of data into SAS data sets; read, manipulate, and combine data in Base SAS; create SAS reports; and use SAS SQL and SAS Macros. This course prepares students for certifications of SAS Base Programmer for SAS 9. Taking this course will get you familiarized with SAS and will also help you in MKTG5983 and MKTG5963 courses. This course is strongly recommended for those who want to pursue BASE SAS certification.

MKTG 5220 – Advanced SAS Programming for Database Marketing

Usually offered in Spring semesters (prerequisite: Base SAS programming for database marketing or having passed Base SAS certification exam)
This course is for persons who will prepare data for analysis; control memory and CPU resources; advanced data set combinations; data set sampling; and use SAS SQL and SAS Macros more comprehensively. Taking this course will expand your technical SAS skills and consequently will help you become a more efficient SAS programmer. Also, this course is strongly recommended for those who want to pursue the SAS Certified Advanced Programmer for SAS 9.

MKTG 5883 – Advanced Data Mining Applications

Online course only – usually offered in Summer semester – prerequisite must have completed MKTG5963
Advanced customer segmentation models, Advanced predictive models such as Two-stage models, Survival (attrition) models, Advanced Neural Network models and other advanced data mining models in the context of customer analytics and management.

MKTG 6413 – Advanced Marketing Research

Offered every even year in Spring semester
This course covers advanced multivariate statistical tools and models for analyzing business and research data. The topics covered include MANOVA, Multiple Discriminant Analysis, Factor and Principal Components Analysis, Conjoint Analysis, Multidimensional Scaling, etc. Students must have good ideas about ANOVA and multiple regression (topics covered in MKTG5983) before taking this course. (Note: students may use STAT5513 to replace MKTG6413).

MBA 5500 – Strategic Digital Business Management

2 Credit hours. Offered in OSU Tulsa during Summer using a compressed format (a few weeknights and one weekend)
The course uses a powerful and comprehensive business simulation game to teach the principles of strategic management. In the simulation teams of students play against each other as they try to manage their digital businesses in a fast-paced competitive environment. Students learn how to use customer preference data to design new products, forecast sales, manage sales and marketing programs, manage production scheduling, manage cash flow, etc.

MBA 5500 – Creating Value through Digital Marketing

1 Credit hour. Offered in OSU Tulsa during Fall using a compressed format (one weekend)
This course addresses how companies create value for its customers using digital technologies. Students learn topics such as web 2.0 tools, web analytics, social-media marketing etc. (Note: The above two MBA 5500 courses fit and complement each other. However, these courses can be taken in any sequence)

MSIS 5633 – Business Intelligence Tools and Techniques

Usually offered in the Fall semester
Technical and managerial issues involved in the evaluation, acquisition and implementation of advanced technologies, such as decision support systems, expert systems, artificial intelligence, executive information systems, neural networks and others.

MSIS 5643 – Advanced Database Management

Usually offered in both Fall and Spring semesters)
Advanced theoretical and practical foundations of database systems. Brief review of classical issues surrounding design, analysis, and implementation of databases. Overview and use of modern database systems. Current and emerging issues in the database field. (Note: MSIS5643 may be replaced by IEM5723 – Data, Process and Object Modeling (usually offered in Spring semester)

MSIS 5123 – Enterprise resource Planning

usually offered in the both Fall and Spring semesters
Resource planning for today’s global business organizations. Integrated data flow and computer software for enterprise resource planning. Integration of transactional analysis, fundamental accounting practice, financial planning, and supply chain analysis forming the basis for study in this integrated approach to enterprise resource planning. (Note: MSIS 5123 may be replaced by STAT5063 or STAT5513 – Multivariate Methods or Multivariate Analysis)

IEM 5013 – Introduction to Mathematical Programming

usually offered in the Fall semester
Survey of optimization in operations research covering linear optimization, integer optimization, network optimization and convex optimization. Emphasizes effective formulation techniques, basic mathematical and algorithmic concepts, and using SAS/OR to solve large-scale optimization problems that arise in the application of prescriptive analytics to real-life problems.