In the News: Carbonara Discusses Popular Data Science and Analytics Program

Joaquin Carbonara, Buffalo State College professor of mathematics and chair of the data science and analytics master’s program, spoke with Buffalo Business First reporter Lian Bunny about the popularity of the college’s advanced degree program for a story that ran July 21.

“Colleges Reveal Which Advanced Degrees Are the Most Popular” looks at what’s popular at area colleges in terms of graduate offerings, and why. Speaking about the data science and analytics master’s degree at Buffalo State, Carbonara said the program offers something to a vast number of professions, including business, industry, health care, finance, and education.

“Being in a place where you can share the work with people that are different than you and you have a goal in common has been a lot of fun, very revealing, and also is a way to show people that we can go beyond just multidisciplinary,” he said of the eclectic mix of students enrolled in the program.

The program’s collaborative nature and usability among different professions has led in part to its growth, Carbonara said. It’s one of the most popular advanced degrees being offered at Buffalo State, with nearly 40 graduate students enrolled in the spring 2022 semester.

The Covid-19 pandemic may have also worked to push an already-growing program, Carbonara said.

“Now every single student is familiar with digital tools,” he said. “Once they’re in place, you can start collecting more data. Once you do that, you can use it to make better decisions. You need data science to do that.”