The University of Arkansas and North Arkansas College have agreed to align their respective data science curricula and allow Northark graduates who earn an associate degree in data science to transfer to the UA to complete their bachelor’s degree in the subject.
“Given that data science is one of the fastest growing career fields in the nation, creating a multidisciplinary data science program was a great way to advance our land-grant mission of service to our students and our state,” UA Provost Terry Martin said.
“As we established our own data science program, the idea of partnering with other institutions to further increase access to data science training took hold. We are grateful that North Arkansas College agreed to develop this program with us, as they have created a wonderful model for other two-year institutions to follow.”
The agreement is part of a statewide effort to bolster Arkansas’ data science workforce. The Data Analytics That Are Robust and Trusted program is funded by a $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research and $4 million in support from the state of Arkansas.
“Having this opportunity for our students to have a destination and assurance in place when they graduate Northark is such a positive for our students and our program,” Northark President Rick Massengale said.
The UA in 2020 launched a first-of-its-kind data science program involving the College of Engineering, the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and the Sam M. Walton College of Business. It will serve as one of the DART program’s three “hub schools,” alongside the University of Central Arkansas and Arkansas State University.
The four-year hub schools will partner with Arkansas community colleges to establish a common data science curriculum and create affordable pathways for Arkansans to enter the high-demand field, according to a news release.
North Arkansas College is a public two-year community college.
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