Decision Analytics (DAPT)

DAPT 611. Analysis and Design of Database Systems. 2 Hours.

Semester course; 2 lecture hours. 2 credits. Focuses on relational databases for structured data and includes entity relational diagram and extended entity relational diagram and transformation of ERD and EERD into relational schema. The course will give students competence in SQL and other search techniques, data validation and data cleansing.

DAPT 612. Natural Language Processing and AI for Unstructured Data. 2 Hours.

Semester course; 2 lecture hours. 2 credits. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Decision Analytics weekend program. An in-depth exploration of unstructured data leveraging advanced NLP/NLU and generative AI techniques. Topics include data extraction, topic modeling, semantic search and applying large language models for actionable insights.

DAPT 613. Visualization Tools for Business Intelligence. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour (delivered face-to-face or hybrid). 1 credit. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Decision Analytics weekend program. Provides techniques for leveraging real-world data to support decision making using modern data visualization software. Topics include data preparation, visualization best practices, dashboard design and analytics workflows. Students will use dashboarding and reporting software extensively for data preparation and visualization.

DAPT 614. Advanced SQL. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Prerequisite: DAPT 611. This course is designed to prepare students for multiple table queries using structured query language and will provide advanced training in the application of SQL to real data problems.

DAPT 615. Data Platforms. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour (delivered face-to-face or hybrid). 1 credit. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Decision Analytics weekend program. Focuses on cloud data platforms and modern data engineering, including lake house architectures, ETL/ELT, streaming, orchestration, governance, cost management and security on platforms such as Databricks and Snowflake.

DAPT 617. Analytics Computing I. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Decision Analytics weekend program. This is a hands-on analytics programming language course, focused on the core skills of data exploration, manipulation and visualization.

DAPT 618. Analytics Computing II. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Decision Analytics weekend program. This is a hands-on Python course, covering fundamental concepts, best practices and practical applications.

DAPT 619. Analytics Computing III. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Prerequisite: DAPT 618. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Decision Analytics weekend program. In-depth Python programming course equipping students for advanced analytics projects.

DAPT 620. Building Workflows with AI. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour (delivered face-to-face or hybrid). 1 credit. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Decision Analytics weekend program. Explores building end‑to‑end workflows with generative AI, including agentic patterns (tool use, planning, memory), orchestration, guardrails and evaluation. Students design and implement AI‑augmented processes that reliably automate business tasks.

DAPT 621. Statistics I. 2 Hours.

Semester course; 2 lecture hours (delivered face-to-face or hybrid). 2 credits. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Decision Analytics weekend program. Covers single variable and multivariable statistical techniques, using commercial computer packages. Students will learn when different techniques are warranted, conceptually how techniques function, how to perform the analysis, and interpret the program outputs.

DAPT 622. Statistics II. 2 Hours.

Semester course; 2 lecture hours (delivered face-to-face or hybrid). 2 credits. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Decision Analytics weekend program. Continues an emphasis on data visualization and statistical modeling for different types of variables, including relationships between multivariable variables.

DAPT 624. Building Workflows with AI II. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour (delivered face-to-face or hybrid). 1 credit. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Decision Analytics weekend program. Advanced, project-based course on designing, deploying and monitoring production-grade generative AI workflows. Students implement AI-augmented processes that integrate with real APIs and data platforms, add human-in-the-loop review, instrument workflows for observability, and document risk, governance and change-management considerations for enterprise deployment.

DAPT 630. AI Foundations. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Decision Analytics weekend program. Provides a broad overview of artificial intelligence, including its history and evolution to current state and outlook. The course describes the most highly used and emerging fields within AI, and how it is rapidly becoming a factor in all industries, functions and domains. Students will learn how AI is influencing products and experiences, enabling new capabilities at an unprecedented rate, creating opportunities and risks, and how business leaders can and should incorporate AI into their strategies and business models. Provides a foundation for students to build on in subsequent courses.

DAPT 631. Data Mining and Machine Learning. 2 Hours.

Semester course; 2 lecture hours (delivered face-to-face or hybrid). 2 credits. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Decision Analytics weekend program. Introduces core data‑mining tasks—classification, regression, clustering, association analysis and anomaly detection—with implementation in software and interpretation of results. Emphasis is on applying pre-existing numerical and analytical software libraries.

DAPT 632. Forecasting Methods and Implementation. 2 Hours.

Semester course; 2 lecture hours (delivered face-to-face or hybrid). 2 credits. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Decision Analytics weekend program. Methods include moving averages, exponential smoothing, seasonality modeling, ARIMA and forecast aggregation. Emphasizes building and implementing forecasting systems in organizations using modern programmatic analytics tools and automation.

DAPT 633. Introduction to Marketing and Customer Analytics. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hours. 1 credits. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Decision Analytics weekend program. Examines how firms make use of analytic tools to target advertising, improve customer response and service, and improve financial performance. The course will apply quantitative tools students have already seen (statistical analysis, simulation and regression analysis) to marketing and customer-response decisions.

DAPT 641. Simulation Methods. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour (delivered face-to-face or hybrid). 1 credit. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Decision Analytics weekend program. Introduces Monte Carlo and discrete‑event simulation; random variable generation; verification and validation; analysis of outputs; decision‑making via simulation. Includes synthetic data generation to test designs and policies. Includes Monte Carlo methods for uncertainty modeling and decision support. Students will generate synthetic data to test models and policies.

DAPT 642. Decision and Risk Analysis. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Presents a formal methodology for prescriptive decision-making under risk and uncertainty. Decision analysis applies to hard problems involving sequential decisions, major uncertainties, significant outcomes and complex values. The course includes building and solving influence diagrams and decision trees; modeling uncertainty with subjective probabilities; the value of information; and modeling risk preferences with utility functions. Decision and risk analysis applications in business and government are considered.

DAPT 643. Optimization Models. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour (delivered face-to-face or hybrid). 1 credit. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Decision Analytics weekend program. Introduces optimization modeling and interpretation to support decision‑making: linear, integer and nonlinear models; applications include allocation, scheduling and portfolio optimization.

DAPT 650. Communication and Change Management in Modern Organizations. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour (delivered face-to-face or hybrid). 1 credit. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Decision Analytics weekend program. Covers effective business communication, integrating audience-centered presentations with interpersonal skills in personal, team and organizational settings. Focuses on audience awareness, listening, nonverbal behavior, communication barriers, teamwork and meeting management, with practice using presentation technologies and behavior-based assessment through practica and simulations.

DAPT 651. Data, AI and Analytics Product Management. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour (delivered face-to-face or hybrid). 1 credit. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Decision Analytics weekend program. Application‑based course on Agile product development. Covers the practice of developing, launching and overseeing products that publish artificial intelligence, analytics and data capabilities to the enterprise, focusing on the entire product lifecycle from conception to post launch.

DAPT 652. Professional Presentations: Strategy, Delivery and Technology. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. This is an application-based course involving the audience-centered design and application of effective oral presentations. The focus will be on the development and enhancement of public presentation skills in different types of formal and informal public situations. Further ability in appropriate presentation technology will be provided and assessment will be behavior-driven. A variety of practica and simulations will be used during this course.

DAPT 653. Data, AI and Analytics Program Leadership. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour (delivered face-to-face or hybrid). 1 credit. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Decision Analytics weekend program. Develops leadership skills for data, AI and analytics programs. Topics include strategy and operating models, data governance, change management, talent and team structures, portfolio management and executive communication for alignment.

DAPT 654. Written Communications: Strategy, Structure and Connection II. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Continues topics and lessons from DAPT 653.

DAPT 661. Cases in Analytics. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Decision Analytics weekend program. This course is offered in the program's first semester and consists of a real sponsored analytics case project that focuses on exploratory data analysis and some data mining. Students will work independently and collaborate within their cohort to address the questions posed by the sponsoring organization. Students will gain experience with a framework for analytics projects and exploratory data analysis and present results in a written report and oral presentation to sponsoring management.

DAPT 670. Analytics Problem Formation. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. An introduction to problem formulation and the decision-making process that must precede the application of analytics. Topics include objectives generation, structuring objectives, decision diagrams for risk and uncertainty modeling, and qualitative approaches to decisions under risk and value tradeoffs.

DAPT 671. Data, AI and Analytics Project Management. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour (delivered face-to-face or hybrid). 1 credit. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Decision Analytics weekend program. Focuses on Agile project management methodologies for data, AI and analytics: scrum/kanban, sprint planning, backlog management, delivery cadence, quality, compliance and stakeholder communication.

DAPT 681. Analytics Practicum I. 2 Hours.

Semester course; 2 lecture hours. 2 credits. Enrollment is restricted to students in the Master of Decision Analytics professional track. This course will allow students to apply the concepts, theories and skills learned in other courses to a real analytics project from a sponsoring organization. Teams of students will formulate a problem based on discussions with management of the sponsoring organization; query the sponsor’s and/or public databases for appropriate data; perform required statistical analysis; and present results in both a written report and oral presentation to sponsoring management.

DAPT 682. Analytics Practicum II. 2 Hours.

Semester course; 2 lecture hours. 2 credits. Continues project from DAPT 681.

DAPT 691. Topics in Decision Analytics. 1-3 Hours.

Semester course; 1-3 lecture hours. 1-3 credits. May be repeated for credit. Study of current topics in decision analytics. Topics may vary from semester to semester.