In a world where we are inundated by data, how do we make sense of these large swaths of information? “Analytics: The Power of Data for Businesses” will lead you on a journey of discovery through cutting-edge trends in data analysis today. You’ll learn how to leverage data to unlock insights that can be used to solve real world problems in business and beyond.
UPCOMING START DATES
September 2, 2024
September 16, 2024
September 30, 2024
October 14, 2024
October 28, 2024
November 11, 2024
November 25, 2024
December 9, 2024
December 23, 2024
FORMAT AND COURSE LENGTH
Combined coursework of recorded lectures, readings, and assignments is approximately 20-25 -hours to be completed at the student’s own pace. Students are expected to complete the course in two to four weeks.
ELIGIBILITY
Students must be at least 14 years old or older and enrolled in a high school or secondary program.
Recent high school graduates, students taking a gap year or time off from college and are older than 18 can request an exemption to apply by emailing precollegeonline@usc.edu and include a short paragraph (no more than 200 words) stating your interest and how this program will add value to your academic or career plans.
TUITION
$1990 USD
$35 application fee
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Data is a powerful tool that can transform your understanding of the world. It’s the fundamental toolkit for anybody wanting to be competitive in the modern day — especially in the world of business.
Throughout this course, students will learn what data is and how to organize it in a way that’s easy to access and analyze. Then students will explore how to draw insights from data by finding value in things that no one else can see.
This course will look at the latest trends in classifying data through supervised and unsupervised learning, and then they’ll get a preview of where the future of data is headed, including some of the most exciting advances with neural nets and artificial intelligence.
Through hearing from industry experts and examining real world data sets and case studies, students will see how different businesses and industries are unlocking the power of data.
By the end of the course, students will earn a certificate of completion that can set them apart when applying for college, but they’ll also be inspired by the exciting possibilities of how they might use data to change the world for good.
Featured Topics
- The Power of Data
- Tools for Finding Insights in Data
- Supervised Learning: How Businesses Learn from Data
- Classification
- Unsupervised Learning: Analyzing Challenging Data
Learning Outcomes
By exploring how to organize and draw insights from data, students will learn how different businesses and industries utilize data to make strategic decisions, gain a competitive edge, and transform the world around us.
Upon completing the course students will gain a deeper understanding of:
- What is data and why we analyze it
- Tools for visualizing data to see trends
- Best practices for cleaning data
- The differences between supervised and unsupervised learning
- Approaches to classifying data
- How businesses learn from data
Format and Course Length
The course consists of recorded lectures, demonstrations of data analysis, industry connections, and exercises. Each topic focuses on specific approaches and the latest trends in gaining insights from data. Students will apply their knowledge from each of these topics to the world of business through related activities. Combined coursework is approximately 20-25 -hours to be completed at the student’s own pace over the course of the program dates.
FEATURED FACULTY
Charlie Hannigan is a professor in the Data Sciences and Operations Department at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business. His research is primarily focused on jail and judiciary systems, with the goal of increasing efficiency and reducing injustice. He is also concerned with people’s utility over time, and how that utility influences their choices and system dynamics. Charlie has earned a bachelor’s in mathematics from the University of Texas at Dallas, and his MBA and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis. Applicants who submit a completed application can expect an admission decision within 3 – 5 business days.
- Include basic contact information from you and your parent(s) or guardian.
- Tell us why you want to take the course and a little about yourself through a short-answer essay.
- Share a piece of writing, video or social media content that reveals something about yourself (optional).
- Submit the $35 application fee.
- Students must be at least 14 years old or older and enrolled in a high school or secondary program.
INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS
In addition to the requirements listed above, international applicants are expected to be proficient in English. International students who successfully complete an online course will receive a digital Certificate of Completion and by request a USC Pre-College Program transcript at no additional cost.
PROGRAM START DATE AND APPLICATION DEADLINES
| PROGRAM START DATES | APPLICATION & TUITION DEADLINE |
|---|---|
| Monday, September 2, 2024 | Wednesday, August 28, 2024 |
| Monday, September 16, 2024 | Wednesday, September 11, 2024 |
| Monday, September 30, 2024 | Wednesday, September 25, 2024 |
| Monday, October 14, 2024 | Wednesday, October 9, 2024 |
| Monday, October 28, 2024 | Wednesday, October 23, 2024 |
| Monday, November 11, 2024 | Wednesday, November 6, 2024 |
| Monday, November 25, 2024 | Wednesday, November 20, 2024 |
| Monday, December 9, 2024 | Wednesday, December 4, 2024 |
| Monday, December 23, 2024 | Wednesday, December 18, 2024 |
CANCELLATION AND REFUNDS
Application fees are nonrefundable. All course cancellations requests must be made in writing to precollegeonline@usc.edu. Any tuition paid to the university will be refunded, not including fees, if requested no more than three (3) days past the course start date. Requests to drop the course more than three (3) days after the start date will not be eligible for a refund.
The university will not refund tuition for Pre-College Online Exploration courses for students who are removed from the program due to a violation of our Letter of Understanding for Online Participation and our Student Code of Conduct.