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Graduate Certificate in Big Data

Earn your Graduate Certificate in Big Data

This certificate helps professionals understand massive datasets by having the analytics skills needed to work in this high demand field. Organizations need to manage Big Data as they continue to capture, store, search, share, visualize and analyze massive, unstructured, and complicated data sets. In response to the growing demand to manage Big Data across all sectors (private, public, government and academic), the Graduate Programs in Software department has created the Graduate Certificate in Big Data.

Students have the option to use the coursework from their graduate certificate to continue in a Master of Science degree program offered by Graduate Programs in Software.

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How to earn a graduate certificate

Graduate Certificate in Big Data Requirements

To complete the Graduate Certificate in Big Data, you must complete the following four courses (12 graduate semester credits) with at a GPA of 2.7 or better. Students will be expected to have a prior background in Python or take SEIS 603 Foundations of Python I:

Four Required Courses:

  • SEIS 630 Database Management Systems and Design
  • SEIS 631 Data Preparation and Analysis
  • SEIS 732 Data Stores and Feature Design
  • SEIS 745 Data Lake Engineering

View the Graduate Programs in Software course catalog.

Graduate Certificates that Work for You

Convenient Schedule

Classes are offered in-person and online weeknights from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m., Monday – Friday.

View Our Course Schedule

Course Delivery Mode

All programs in the Software Engineering and Data Science department at the University of St. Thomas are offered in CoFlex mode, i.e. the student has the flexibility to attend classes either in-person or online.

Inclusions and restrictions:

  • CoFlex course delivery mode is available to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and students on work visas.
  • International students or students receiving certain scholarship benefits are ineligible to take the online option and must attend classes in-person.
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Get the Facts

Attend an Information Session

Attend an online information session to learn program details. Our programs serve working professionals with busy lives. Set your own pace and start fall, spring or summer. Classes are offered in-person and online weeknights from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m., Monday – Friday. We look forward to meeting you.

Register For A Session

FACULTY

All full-time tenured faculty hold Ph.D. degrees and offer extensive industry experience. Adjunct faculty are selected based on professional experience and educational credentials.

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Asher Chaudhry

Asher Chaudhry is a Senior Director of Technology at Target where he leads high performing Big Data Platforms and Product Engineering teams. Prior to Target, Asher held leadership roles at UnitedHealth Group and Blue Cross Blue Shield where he directed teams in both Data and Software Engineering.
ASHER CHAUDHRY
Dr. Chih Lai

Dr. Chih Lai

Before joining the Graduate Software faculty, Dr. Chih Lai was a principal software engineer, working on a collision avoidance system. Lai received three U.S patents and three European patents. Lai also worked with Medtronic and has pending patents on monitoring and evaluating Parkinson patients.

Dr. Chih Lai
Dr. Manjeet Rege

Dr. Manjeet Rege

Dr. Manjeet Rege is an Associate Professor of Graduate Programs in Software and Data Science and Director for the Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence. He is also the co-host of the "All Things Data" podcast, interviewing data scientists, technologists, business experts and futurists which averages over 60,000 listeners.

Dr. Manjeet Rege