NEW YORK, Oct. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Fordham University today launched the new Center for Digital Transformation at a symposium organized by Fordham and IBM (NYSE: IBM) on the future of business analytics education. The center will bring together leading industry and academic experts to conduct research and develop curricula about business analytics.

Fordham University also unveiled two new master's degree programs: Master of Science in Business Analytics and Master of Science in Marketing Intelligence, both pending approval by the New York State Education Department.

The symposium and center are part of the two organizations' ongoing work to help students develop the skills needed for jobs of the future. As the volume of data on the planet continues to grow, businesses that can capture this information and make sense of it are strategically positioned for success.

Students, business leaders and entrepreneurs require an understanding of how analytics will transform the way businesses work. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that there will be a 24 percent increase in demand for professionals with management analysis skills over the next eight years.

"Our goal is to promote an open dialogue and transfer of knowledge about the role of analytics in solving key business issues," said David Gautschi, Ph.D., dean of Graduate School of Business Administration at Fordham University.

"With the Center for Digital Transformation, we hope to foster innovation and provide our students with the opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge to the advancement of society," added Donna Rapaccioli, Ph.D., dean of the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham.

By organizing and managing a collaborative community of scholars, executives, society leaders and students, the new center seeks to educate, enlighten and advocate the key role of digital technologies as a driver for organizational effectiveness and the betterment of society. The goals of the Center for Digital Transformation are:

Individual transformation to create effective human capital in a changing global environment

Business and industry transformation to promote competitiveness, productivity, innovation and growth in the global marketplace Societal transformation to build a sustainable global society.

"IBM and Fordham University have a long-standing relationship, founded on our deep commitment to preparing students with the skills needed to become successful business leaders," said Mark Hanny, vice president, IBM Academic Initiative. "There's no disputing that analytics skills are in high demand, and with this new program, we are taking the next step in ensuring students are prepared to use technology to solve complex business challenges."

Fordham is collaborating with IBM on the Business Analytics degree program. IBM will also contribute to new degree program curricula. R.P. Raghupathi, Ph.D., professor of information and communication systems, recently won a Smarter Planet Faculty Innovation Award from IBM for his groundbreaking work in business analytics, and these new programs and the center are a natural progression from his work.

For more information on the Fordham's Center for Digital Transformation, visit: http://www.fordham.edu/CDT.

For more information on IBM's University Programs, visit www.ibm.com/press/university.

Founded in 1841, Fordham is the Jesuit University of New York, offering exceptional education distinguished by the Jesuit tradition to more than 15,100 students in its four undergraduate colleges and its six graduate and professional schools. It has residential campuses in the Bronx and Manhattan, a campus in West Harrison, N.Y., the Louis Calder Center Biological Field Station in Armonk, N.Y., and the London Centre at Heythrop College in the United Kingdom.