Course Shows How to Put Data to Work

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Do you ever have difficulty explaining what you do when speaking with friends and family?  If so, this course might be for you.

Data Analysis and Presentation, a for-credit graduate course offered by The Center for Graduate Life, is designed specifically for people pursuing technical careers. Led by Dr. Julie Goodliffe of the Graduate School, the course helps participants learn creative ways to use data in Excel and Tableau to make better decisions and turn that data into convincing presentation material.

“Researchers sometimes find it difficult to break down scientific information to a level where a non-technical person can understand it,” Goodliffe said.  “One day those non-technical people will be the ones who will determine if your project gets funded or whether you deserve a promotion.”

In Goodliffe’s class, students learn to gather and organize data to “make decisions and convince others of your decisions,” she said.  The analysis includes hypothesis testing with basic statistics, predictions, sensitivity analysis and decision-making.

Best of all, the course is customized based on the skill level and interests of participants.

Register for GRAD 6040 and GRAD 8040 at my.uncc.edu