For students in healthcare analytics, earning a SAS Academic Specialization demonstrates an individual has attained the highest level of knowledge and skill in statistical analysis.
This designation can also give professionals a competitive edge in the job market. Earners receive a digital badge that allows them to share their achievements on social media platforms, including LinkedIn and Facebook. The image contains verified metadata on their qualifications and how they earned the badge, giving employers and peers verified evidence of their SAS skills.
Those who earn a Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Analytics from the University of South Florida fulfill requirements for a Tier 3 SAS Academic Specialization. That places the program, offered 100% online through the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, in the top tier of SAS-affiliated programs in the country.
It’s also the first program of its kind offered 100% online through a medical school in the United States.
Students who earn the USF certificate and SAS specialization demonstrate they have developed high-level skills around data dashboards, data mining, data preparation, data visualization, descriptive statistics, healthcare data, predictive analytics, SAS Studio, SAS Visual Analytics and SAS Viya.
What Is SAS?
SAS stands for Statistical Analysis Systems. The SAS Institute created these systems in 1976 to analyze agricultural research at North Carolina State University. It has since expanded to become a key industry player in data analysis, providing systems used by analysts across every industry, including pharmaceuticals and healthcare.
SAS focuses on better use of data, shortening the gap between the collection of data and gaining insights. The company takes a proactive approach, looking to eliminate barriers between data analysis and the outcomes organizations seek.
Many companies incorporate SAS programs to create more complete, consistent and reliable data. SAS in healthcare has created new ways to report and visualize data, including measuring treatment effectiveness or comparing a physician’s practice patterns with industry standards.
SAS and Education
To support students in learning the latest strategies in working with data, SAS partners with academic institutions that meet the company’s rigorous standards for providing an education in analytics. Those that meet the criteria are considered for partnership and may integrate SAS into their curriculum.
SAS collaborates with academic programs to bridge the gap between supply and demand for analytical talent. Schools integrate SAS software into programs in ways that allow students to develop further skills in applying analytical concepts to current problems using real-world data.
Such a partnership offers students more knowledge and another edge in the competitive analytics job market. Tier 3 status is available only for the most advanced programs.
Healthcare Analytics Certificate Program Learning Outcomes
The Tier 3 SAS Academic Specialization enhances the 100% online USF Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Analytics program in that it gives students the latest knowledge and skills in the collection, organization and analysis of healthcare data throughout the analytics life cycle.
Graduates leave the program prepared to immediately take a key role in health informatics teams. They learn statistical analysis concepts and strategies in collecting, analyzing and presenting large datasets to gain insights into trends and patterns that can support better, data-driven healthcare decisions.
Healthcare analytics have become a central factor in how medical operations address consumer demand for high-quality, safe and affordable healthcare. Those who work in healthcare analytics provide key insights through data that can make operations more efficient while also improving patient outcomes.
Students in the USF Health Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Analytics program master data collection and analysis. They also learn how to develop problem-solving skills and take a lead role in making data-driven decisions. These skills are in demand in hospitals and clinics, as well as with managed care organizations, health information system vendors, consulting companies and government agencies.
Students can complete the program in as few as eight months. Core courses in the graduate certificate program include:
- Introduction to Healthcare Analytics – A comprehensive introduction to the current state of healthcare analytics science and practice.
- Statistics for Healthcare Analytics – An in-depth look into statistical analysis topics applicable to healthcare data and application of statistical methods to real-world health data.
- Healthcare Data Mining and Predictive Analytics – Students are introduced to data mining concepts and algorithms, including classifiers, clustering and association analysis applicable to healthcare data.
- Health Data Visualization – Students learn the techniques and methodologies used for the exploration and presentation of health data to facilitate data-driven healthcare decisions.
