The Martin Tuchman School of Management at the New Jersey Institute of Technology has unveiled a new concentration in business and sports data analytics that will be available to undergraduate students starting in the fall. This concentration aims to equip students with the data science knowledge needed to succeed in the booming sports industry, with a particular emphasis on professional and Division I collegiate teams in the New York metropolitan area, including NJIT’s own 17 Division I programs.
Courses that focus on advanced analytics, including artificial intelligence, are already part of several other concentrations in the School of Management, such as accounting systems, finance, innovation/entrepreneurship, management information systems, and marketing. Dean Oya Tukel explained that creating this new concentration was necessary to provide students with more specialized knowledge in this growing field. The emphasis will be on interpreting data and deriving insights for decision-making rather than simply crunching numbers in spreadsheets.
Lenny Kaplan, Athletics Director at NJIT, expressed excitement about the potential for collaboration between Highlander teams and students in the business and sports data analytics concentration. He emphasized that using analytics is crucial for gaining a competitive edge in sports, even with limited resources compared to other programs. By leveraging tools like heart monitors and sleep trackers, coaches can make informed decisions that may lead to strategic changes in gameplay and ultimately impact the outcome of a game.
