Sep 01, 2014 03:38 PM EDT By J Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

Ottawa University has added a bachelor of science degree in Data Science and Technology to its online degree offerings this Fall 2014 semester.

The online program was designed to meet the need for "qualified data scientists in virtually every sector of the economy." Although a few students have enrolled, courses are still being developed and school officials don't expect large-scale interest until at least the spring semester.

"I don't think we're going to be overwhelmed with thousands of people coming forward because a lot of people don't know what data science is," Dennis Tyner, dean of applied sciences at Ottawa University, told The Topeka Capital-Journal.

Data Science is the study of the extraction of knowledge from data. The field incorporates varying elements and builds on techniques and theories from many fields, including signal processing, mathematics, probability models, machine learning, statistical learning, computer programming, data engineering, pattern recognition and learning, visualization, uncertainty modeling, data warehousing, and high performance computing with the goal of extracting meaning from data and creating data products.

The program will train students to find the answers" to complex questions, such as whether a company should expand into a new market," The Topeka Capital-Journal .reported

According to Aruna Rao, lead faculty member in the data science program at Ottawa University, investors expect to see data before they buy into a plan. However, Analyzing it is getting more complicated "due to the proliferation of numbers and their storage on servers around the world," she told The Topeka Capital-Journal.

"Any statement you make, you have to back it up with data," Rao added.

Tyner said a lot of people have data but don't know how to use it.

Targeted ads on websites - based on large amounts of data a company has collected on their customers -- are the most-familiar way data is used. However, "it isn't so straightforward to go from data to actions meant to better serve customers and make more money," Tyner explained.

Despite data science being an "emerging" field, relatively few people have the skill set for analysis. Students could expect to make $50,000 to $60,000, on average, as a starting salary.

 "Data is not going away," Tyner said. "There's only going to be more demand in the future."

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