Content area
Graduate programs in data analytics differ not only in content but also in how they frame the purpose of analytics education. This study investigates whether business and non-business programs exhibit distinct curricular framing orientations. It hypothesizes that business programs emphasize outcome-oriented framing, presenting analytics as a tool for decision-making and value delivery, while non-business programs emphasize mastery-oriented framing focused on technical depth and methodological rigor. To evaluate this distinction, the study analyzes 1,972 course descriptions from 109 graduate programs using natural language processing techniques capable of identifying semantic similarities in instructional language. The results reveal significant differences in how programs describe the role of analytics, with statistical and validation analyses supporting the hypothesized framing distinction. These findings position framing orientation as a structural feature of curriculum design and provide practical guidance for educators, curriculum developers, and academic leaders seeking to align analytics programs with institutional goals and workforce expectations.
Details
1 Information Technology and Cybersecurity, College of Business, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, USA