Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence

Track Journey: Data Analyst / Decision Scientist

What this track is about

The Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence track is for students who want to use data to drive better decisions in business and technology settings. This pathway focuses on analyzing complex data, building structured models, and turning insights into clear recommendations that influence strategy, operations, and product decisions.

Students in this track learn how to move from raw data to real impact by combining technical analysis with business context and communication.

The role this track prepares you for

This track is commonly aligned with roles such as Data Analyst, Business Intelligence Analyst, Decision Scientist, Financial Analyst, or Data Scientist, depending on prior experience.

In these roles, professionals support leadership teams by providing evidence-based insights that guide decisions across functions.

What this role looks like in real life

Someone working in a data analytics or decision-focused role typically spends their time doing the following:

  • Cleaning and organizing large datasets from multiple sources

  • Analyzing trends, patterns, and anomalies in data

  • Building dashboards and reports to monitor performance

  • Developing models to forecast outcomes or compare scenarios

  • Presenting insights to stakeholders who may not be technical

  • Recommending actions based on data rather than intuition

This role requires both analytical rigor and strong communication skills.

Skills you use every day in this role

Professionals in analytics roles rely on a core set of skills:

  • Data analysis and modeling to extract insights from complex datasets

  • Decision frameworks to evaluate tradeoffs and scenarios

  • Data visualization and storytelling to communicate findings clearly

  • Business context awareness to connect analysis to real decisions

  • Stakeholder communication to influence outcomes

How this track builds those skills

The courses in this track are closely aligned with how analytics work is done in practice.

  • Decision modeling courses teach structured problem-solving and scenario analysis used in real business decisions.

  • Data visualization courses focus on communicating insights clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.

  • Advanced topics in AI and analytics explore how data science and AI are applied in real organizational settings.

  • The consulting or industrial practicum provides hands-on experience applying analytics to real business problems with real stakeholders.

Together, these experiences reflect how analytics teams operate in industry.

Course offerings in this track

Students following this pathway often take a combination of the following courses:

  • EGRMGMT 580: Decision Models

  • EGRMGMT 587: Data Visualization for Engineering Managers

  • EGRMGMT 590.05: Advanced Topics in AI and the Future of Work

  • EGRMGMT 590.09: Advanced Topics in Managing AI in Business

  • EGRMGMT 556: Consulting or Industrial Practicum

Course selection may vary based on individual goals and prior experience.

Where graduates go after MEM

Graduates from this track work across industries that rely heavily on data-driven decision making, including:

  • Technology

  • Consulting

  • Finance

  • Healthcare

  • Operations and supply chain

  • Analytics-driven startups

While job titles may differ, the underlying analytical skills remain highly transferable.

Resource site for Duke MEM students

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