Title: Matching effort to challenge in interdisciplinary graduate program development for data analytics - the use of business process modelling to ameliorate planning bottlenecks

Authors: Jesse Smith; Ann E. Stapleton; Cem Canel

Addresses: Cameron School of Business, University of North Carolina Wilmington, 601 S. College, 28403, Wilmington, North Carolina, USA; Department Head of Quality Control, The Roger Bacon Academy, 3610 Thaddeus Lott Lane, Leland, 28451, North Carolina, USA ' Department of Biology and Marine Biology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, 601 S. College, Wilmington, 28403, North Carolina, USA ' Department of Business Analytics, Information Systems and Supply Chain, Cameron School of Business, University of North Carolina Wilmington, 601 S. College, Wilmington, 28403, North Carolina, USA

Abstract: The need for business process modelling in higher education is increasing as the complexity of degree programs grows to accommodate new fields in the business market. This is evidenced in the field of data analytics, which is interdisciplinary in nature and severely lacking in professional talent. This paper explores the T-shaped skills desired by businesses seeking graduates with an analytics degree and the challenges that universities face when developing interdisciplinary programs. We apply business process modelling in a university setting by mapping out the current processes involved with starting and sustaining a new graduate degree program. Through this approach, a roadmap is developed as a tool for university domain experts, which highlights areas of inefficiency that can be further streamlined to allow improved flexibility and evaluation of all graduate programs.

Keywords: business process modelling; graduate program development; university program approval; interdisciplinary graduate program.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIOME.2018.098096

International Journal of Information and Operations Management Education, 2018 Vol.6 No.3/4, pp.253 - 271

Received: 28 Dec 2017
Accepted: 17 Mar 2018
Published online: 04 Mar 2019 *

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