UC Irvine Extension Presents Webinar on Power & Politics of Predictive Analytics and Big Data

IRVINE, CA--(Marketwired - Feb 10, 2016) -  The use of predictive analytics has been seized by companies of all types of industries, governments, law-enforcement, hospitals and many other institutions to improve business operations and other outcomes. With all of the useful data gained through predictive analytics, challenges have risen for certain industries with a focus on national security. The University of California, Irvine Extension announces a free webinar titled, "The Power & Politics of Predictive Analytics and Big Data" in which noted author, Dr. Eric Siegel will reveal how the power and politics of prediction relates to political issues pertaining within the industry. Formerly a Columbia University professor, Dr. Siegel is the founder of Predictive Analytics World and author of Predictive Analytics (revised and updated Jan. 2016). The webinar will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 24 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. PST.

"Having the ability to leverage a variety of 'data' can be what sets a successful business apart from the others," said Dave Dimas, Ph.D., director of engineering, sciences, and information technology at UC Irvine Extension. "That success is also dependent on knowing how and what channels to navigate around in order to find that 'data.'"

UC Irvine Extension offers a Predictive Analytics Certificate Program in a focused comprehensive online setting. Designed for a working professional in this high growth field, participants will learn how to better understand the customer needs and business processes related to predicative analytics and big data. Spring courses available include:

• Introduction to Predictive Analytics - (March 28 - May 15) - Gain a fundamental understanding to improve business performance. This hands-on required course will cover the key concepts necessary for building powerful predictive models that can be deployed to increase profitability.
• Defining Business Goals for Predictive Analytics - (March 28 - May 8) - This required course covers the framework to identify which decisions can be improved and how to build business support for predictive analytics efforts, scope them appropriately, and develop a plan for successful implementation.
• Effective Data Preparation - (April 11 - May 29) - This intensive hands-on required course gives participants the skills necessary to extract stored data elements, understand what they mean in the company and derive new relationships among them to produce a dataset suitable for analytic modeling.
• Business Intelligence/Data Warehouse - (March 28 - June 8) - This elective course will help you learn how to make better business decisions, use fewer resources, and improve a company's bottom line through the use of a data warehouse.
• Deploying and Refining Predictive Models - (May 16 - June 19) - As a required course, participants will gain a fundamental understanding of predictive model deployment and how it is essential for business objectives.

To register or to learn more about the webinar, visit "The Power & Politics of Predictive Analytics and Big Data." Registration is now open. For further information on this webinar, courses or the certificate program, please contact Julie Pai at Julie.pai@uci.edu or 949-824-6333. 

About UC Irvine Extension: University of California, Irvine Extension is the continuing education arm of UC Irvine, serving adult students online, at the UC Irvine campus, and at employer sites nationally and worldwide. Since 1962, UC Irvine Extension has offered open enrollment learning opportunities to the Orange County community, providing open access to the resources of the university, through Certificate and Specialized Studies programs (found here) and free, open educational resources (http://ocw.uci.edu/). Connect with UC Irvine Extension on the institution's social media channels. 

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 28,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. Located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities, it's Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $4.8 billion annually to the local economy.