Masters in Data Management

One of the most important things we hear in today’s mechanical world is “data”. Data is an essential key for any business to grow. Everywhere everyone is talking about data and its importance. But what is data? Why is it almost impossible to avoid this term “data” nowadays?

Data is basically a set of information (a collection of facts such as numbers, words, measurements etc) which has been transformed into a form that can be processed by the computer. Once this data is collected, it needs to be processed, researched and interpreted before it can be used for insights. When this field has so much to provide, how can you resist to pursue a career in it. Here we would tell you everything about Masters in Data Management and how you can find the best university to study for your dream job.

What is Masters in Data Management?

Data Management is a process where data is ingested, stored, maintained and organized and collected by an organization. Data Management helps the companies to gather data and provide better customer services. Data in the IT industry works as an asset that can be used to make better and informed business decisions, optimize business operations, and improve marketing campaigns. The goal is to increase profit and revenue by utilising these data. 

Okay, so now we know Data Management is essential for the smooth functioning of any firm. But what happens when data is not properly retrieved and managed? Yes, a lack of proper data management can hamper the growth of an organization. The incompatible data would stop their ability to properly run business intelligence (BI) and analytics applications or in some cases it may lead to faulty findings. This would be a nightmare for any organization, hence they hire the best applicants with a Masters in Data Management for this job. For that you’ve to find the best course in the best university to become the best applicant and we are here to help you.

A few facts about Masters in Data Management

• Many database management careers are growing faster than the national average.
• By 2026, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that there would be an 11% increase in database administration jobs.
• A master’s in database management also benefits graduates financially.
• According to the BLS, computer and information systems managers enjoy a median annual salary of nearly $140,000.
• Data is becoming a monetised business asset since as of 2018, 95% of C-level executives believe that data is an integral part of forming their business strategy.
• Data management is becoming increasingly popular because most organizations believe that about 33% of their existing data is actually bad data or is redundant in nature.
• 89% of C level executives also agree that bad data harms customer relationships severely. 

Here we’ve compiled a list of the best colleges which offer Masters in Data management. Before that, check what a Masters in Data Management course offers and why you should do it. 

Why Should I do a Masters in Data Management?

If you always wanted a career in information technology, then this course is perfect for you. Moreover, most of the institutions do not require an undergraduate in the same degree for you to enroll in this course.  

A Masters in Data Management would impart you with important transferable skills, such as project management, critical-thinking and problem-solving, and open up opportunities across industries as data managers, data consultants, consumer and market knowledge managers, chief data officers, big data architects and business and marketing analysts.

Career Options Available

We are living in the 21st century. Everything is controlled by data and information now. The world has a huge number of people who wish to make a career out of data and excel in this field.

Talking about career, yes Masters in Data Management can work as an entry point to jobs depending on your future works and area expertise such as:

1. Analytics Engineer

The job of an Analytics engineer includes writing production quality ELT code with an enhancement on performance and maintainability. They also must mentor analysts and data scientists on the best practises of software engineering. They must lead teams that build the software tools that help scientists and analysts work more proficiently, optimise and arrange data more efficiently. 

2. Analytics Manager

Data Analytics managers basically provide direction and guide the team of data analysts in an organisation or firm. They must supervise upon the work of the analytics department within a company and ensure that the process and results are accurate. 

3. Big Data Engineer

Big Data Engineers play an extremely important role within a firm that deals with data primarily. They are ones who create and realise the ideas of a Data Architect. They build data systems and develop, maintain, test and evaluate the solutions pertaining to big data within an organization. A person aspiring to become a Big Data Engineer must garner sufficient experience in software engineering before they can move to this field. 

4. Business Analyst

The Business Analysts actually play the roles of a bridge within an organisation. They are the ones who work effectively with the Information Technology department and the business side of an organization and close this gap with the help of data analytics. They must work effectively to process, determine the necessary future requirements, and deliver recommendations and solutions for the future course of action of the organization to all the executives and stakeholders of the firm. 

5. Data Architect

Data Architects play a major role in the development of the data structure within the firm. They are the ones to ideate and come up with innovative designs for newer structures. Their job requires them to maintain a company’s database by identifying the solutions to their structural and installation problems. They also work with administrators of databases and analysts to secure easy access to all requisite data that is usually kept confidential by a firm. 

6. Data Analyst

The work of a data analyst, in layman’s terms, involves collection and analysis of data, as the name of the role suggests. The data that they collect involves sales numbers, market research, logistics, linguistics, or other behaviour. They are technical experts who are immensely well versed with the usage of programming tools for the procurement of raw data and arranging it properly. They can then work on the effective representation, categorisation and analysis/scrutiny of this data. They present the data in a way that is easier for the people who are not very well versed with it, to read and understand what it is trying to tell.

7. Data Engineer

Data Engineers are the ones whose work involves developing, constructing, testing and maintaining architecture created data architects pertaining to databases that store a large amount of data and other large scale data processing systems. Data engineers deal with raw data that is usually administered by humans, machines or other suitable instruments and may contain a number of errors. They are also usually expected to recommend and implement ways for the improvement of reliability in data, its efficiency and quality. Hence, they must be able to operate in a number of computer programming languages in order to be able to combine various systems together and acquire newer data. 

8. Data Scientist

A data scientists job requires immense knowledge and skills that are an amalgamation of computer science, mathematics and statistics. They are the ones to analyse and process both structured and unstructured data and conclude important results from them. They also analyse these results to come up with effective solutions that are required by the problems posed. Their work mainly involves working with data that is difficult to fit within a pre-structured database. This data is raw and hence needs experts to make sense out of. Aspirants must also have taken courses in machine learning to be a data scientist in a reputed company/organization. 

9. Data Visualisation Specialist

The job description of a data visualisation analyst is extremely interesting. They are ones who must break down large data sets and make them meaningful to a commoner so that it can be interpreted by people who are not very well versed with the back details. They represent data using charts, graphs, infographics and other pictorial diagrams. They also help combine the results of the data arrangement across multiple sources. This role can also be termed at data federation. Data visualisation analysts are also expected to have excellent analytical skills, an ability to work with less information and visualise the bigger picture, written and oral communication skills, critical thinking and excellent concepts in mathematics and statistics. 

10. Business Intelligence (BI) Architect

A Business Intelligence Architect is required to build and develop a data structure that fits data and helps in implementing it effectively for the end users within a business. They must understand components of data and information management thoroughly and must organise data and also apply technology so that the data collected represents important information. Selecting the right data in this case is extremely important and one must do so by following the given criteria: form of the data (structured/unstructured), quality of the data and the authenticity of the source of the data, hence obtained. 

Best Online Masters in Database Management Degrees

Note: In the following list, you’d hardly find a course only dedicated to Data Management. This course comes up with other disciplines also. However, we’ve tried to prioritise our focus on those courses which primarily deal with Data Management.

1. Boston University, Massachusetts

You really don’t need an overview for why to do this course in Boston University. Everyone knows about its prestige and respectable history that reaches back to 1839. 

Course Detail: They teach students industry-relevant SQL tools like Oracle and other database management systems. Generally, students complete the 40-credit-hour program in about 18 to 24 months, however the online format allows for some flexibility.

The curriculum consists of five core courses, a specialty course in Java or Python, and then five courses in the database management concentration. 

Some main courses include: 

• Data Analysis and Visualization
• Advanced Database Management
• Data Mining
• Quantitative Methods for Information Systems

Note: Students in this program enjoe one-to-one attention from 13 faculty members.

2. University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida

Founded in 1956, this University holds a very strong position as the fourth-largest University in Florida. It contains three separate campuses within its system.

Course Detail: The University of South Florida offers an online Master of Science in Information Technology, with highlight classes in Database Management. 

This degree requires 30 credit hours and draws from undergraduate experience and prerequisites in IT database systems and basic data structures/algorithms. (This means you need a background degree in an IT database system in order to pursue this course).

However, University of South Florida offers a non-thesis format, students take a 3-credit-hour practicum that requires you to tackle a real-world problem in a database system. The database management classes include:

• Advanced Database Administration
• Data Mining
• Statistical Data Mining
• Enterprise Information Systems Management 

3. Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Florida

Known for its research activity, this is another University based in Florida. 

Course Detail: At Florida Institute of Technology, the online Master of Science in Information Technology features a specialization in Database Administration.

The course requires 33 credit hours and you’ll experience a blend of information technology courses and business management courses.

Generally students finish the program in two years. The capstone project—Advanced Management of Information Systems—comes at the end of the program and prepares you for jumping directly into a database management position.

Some of the highlight courses (each spanning eight weeks) include:

• Database Systems Management
• Topics in Advanced Database Management
• Corporate Finance
• Global Information Technology Management

4. University of West Georgia, Carrollton, Georgia

Established in 1906 as an agricultural and mechanical institution, this university is now granting doctoral degrees that cater to 13,000 students both in-person and online.

Course Detail: The online Master of Science in Applied Computer Science at the University of West Georgia features a number of courses related to database management while emphasizing project-based classes in software development. 

The program is designed to be completed in two years, with students taking two classes (6 credit hours) each semester. Some of the core areas of focus in this program are:

• Program Construction
• Web Technologies
• Database Systems
• Software Development

5. University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Course Detail: The program takes the form of 34 required credit hours in both core courses and advanced courses, all giving you a focus in managing and implementing database systems. 

Students have the option of completing their degree with a master’s thesis option or an independent study of their choice of topic. Some of the database management-related courses in this program include:

• Management Information Systems
• Database Management Systems
• Introduction to Data Mining
• Readings in Advanced Structured Systems Design 

6. New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey

Course Detail: They offer two speciality tracks: Databases/Data Mining and Networking. Moreover, you can also earn graduate-level certificates in Data Mining and Software Engineering, Analysis, and Design alongside your master’s degree. 

The 30-credit-hour program—designed by industry leaders and software business partners of NJIT—consists of 10 classes that are divided into core, speciality, elective courses. You can expect to take some of the following classes:

• Data Management System Design
• Data Structures and Algorithms
• Operating System Design
• Data Mining

7. Colorado Technical University, Colorado Springs

More than 90 percent of CTU students attend classes via online mode for courses like information technology, criminal justice and business. 

Course Detail: The program specifically focuses on software engineering, security, and database management systems. However, CTU also offers a unique specialization in Database Systems; the 48-credit-hour program is divided into 28 core credits and 20 credits related to a concentration. Some of the database-specific courses include:

• Database Design
• Database Administration
• Data Warehouse
• Distributed Databases

8. University of Illinois in Springfield

Okay, its online program was established in 1999, and they offer 40 degrees online.

Course Detail: They offer a Master of Science in Management Information Systems, which is offered either in person, completely online, or as a hybrid program.

The 36-credit-hour degree hones in on the essentials of managing large-scale data systems and design teams. The degree culminates in a thesis paper or a capstone project. Along the way, the curriculum is packed full of rewarding database management classes such as:

• Management of Database Systems
• Data Communications and Networking
• Data Warehousing
• Managerial Decision Support Systems

Ranking: According to US News and World Report, its rank is 63 in “Best Regional University in Midwest”.

9. Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois

It is a global academic centre with an online division in Qatar, Chicago, San Francisco and other places.

Course Detail: It takes an interdisciplinary approach to database management through its online Master of Science in Information Design and Strategy.

It draws from a number of different fields to encourage their graduates to be open-minded managers and astute strategists in the field of IT. Their Data Science and Analytics specialization is where the rubber meets the road in database management. Some of the classes involved in this 48-credit-hour degree include:

• Data Management Principles
• Data Visualization
• Data Collection and Analytics
• User-Centered Design

10. Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester, NH

Course Detail: The online Masters of Science in Information Technology program at Southern New Hampshire University offers seven unique concentrations within the degree to give students optimal flexibility and freedom to specialize in their area of expertise. Two of the concentrations—Database Analytics and Database Design—address the core principles at the heart of database management. 

They make it possible for masters students to finish this program in just 15 months. Some of the stand-out classes in this program include:

• Database Application Development
• Information Technology Project and Team Management
• Principles of Database Design
• Data Warehouse Concepts and Design

Ranking: The Southern New Hampshire University is ranked a solid 92 among Regional Universities in the North by the US News.

Jobs and Salaries After Masters in Data Management

Since the jobs within this field has been discussed in detail in one of the previous sections, we will tend to focus on the organisations and the salaries that these people will be working with. 

Various coveted technological firms require data scientists and hence hire graduates in data management as well. Some of these companies include the following tech giants: Microsoft, IBM, Amazon and Google among many others. 

Investment Banks and other primary data banks that collect information to release economical reports also demand for data management graduates. Some of the most popular ones include McKinsey and Co., Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Deutsche Bank, etc., among others. 

International firms that primarily work on data such as the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Asian Development Bank, among others, also hire these graduates. 

While it is extremely difficult to ascertain the exact salary figures for these graduates due to the variability of jobs and the huge scope for a relatively large number, we can still try to determine a possible range.

• While data analysts earn anything between $83,750 – $142,500, salaries for data administrators range between $79,250 – $160,500.
• Database developers earn anything between $101,250 and $172,750 annually.
• Data modellers and data scientists earn between $80,750 and $180,250.
• Business Intelligence Analysts earn salaries within a range of $87,500 and $185,500.
• Database managers and data architects earn huge salaries that range between $111,250 and $193,250.
• Data Warehouse Managers are the ones who are responsible for looking after data storage facilities. They earn anything between $80,000 and $160,250.
• The highest paid professionals in the field of data management are undoubtedly the Big Data Engineers. They earn a whopping salary within a range of $130,000 and $222,000.
• As we can clearly see, this field of data management gives its employees generous salaries for the work that they do. This clearly shows and lays much emphasis on the importance of data in the 21st Century. 

Conclusion

Data is clearly the future of the world. With the rise in population, newer firms and the amount of transactions being done on a daily basis, the amount of data that people within an organisation deal with is constantly rising. The world functions largely on data and hence requires talented individuals who work diligently in this field and offer the best accurate results. Major economic and business decisions are made on the basis of past data and hence we must ensure that reliability and accuracy the data thus obtained for these purposes is extremely high.