Overview
Every day, humanity generates roughly 2.5 quintillion bytes of data, an astonishing volume that continues to grow as sensors, smartphones, and online systems capture nearly every aspect of modern life. This explosion of data has created a demand for professionals who can collect, organize, analyze, and interpret information to improve decisions and efficiency.
Big data analytics is the process of examining massive and complex datasets to uncover hidden patterns, relationships, and insights that drive innovation. Industrial engineers are uniquely suited for this field, combining skills in statistics, optimization, computing, and systems thinking to transform raw data into actionable knowledge.
Career prospects in big data analytics are excellent and continue to expand across nearly every industry, including healthcare, manufacturing, finance, supply chain, retail, and technology. Graduates from this focus area often pursue roles such as:
Data analyst – transforming data into dashboards and reports that inform business decisions.
Business intelligence engineer – building systems to collect and visualize performance metrics.
Operations research analyst – applying modeling and optimization to improve complex processes.
Data scientist or machine learning engineer – developing algorithms to extract predictive insights.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects strong double-digit growth in analytics and data-related jobs over the next decade, reflecting the central role of data in modern organizations. Many analytics and data-related roles are projected to grow in the 20- to 40-percent range over the next decade — well above the average across all occupations.
Statistics minor
By choosing STAT:3210 as their math science elective, students who take this focus area qualify for a minor in statistics.
| Required for statistics minor | SH | Equivalent for IE majors | SH |
|---|---|---|---|
| STAT:2020: Probability and Statistics for Engineering and Physical Sciences | 3 | Required by IE major | 3 |
| ISE:3600: Quality Control | 3 | Required by IE major | 3 |
| STAT:3210: Experimental Design & Analysis | 3 | Take as math/science elective as part of focus area | 3 |
| STAT:4540: Statistical Learning | 3 | Take as part of focus area | 3 |
| STAT:4580: Data Visualization & Data Technologies | 3 | Take as part of focus area | 3 |
| Total hours required: | 15 | Total hours required: | 15 |