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SAS Academic Program University Newsletter - Summer 2006 Edition
Competitive job market - SAS Skills in Demand It will come as no surprise for those currently monitoring the job market that competition for interesting positions is intensifying. Graduates need to demonstrate greater differentiation, through skills that are immediately relevant to business operations. As an employer, and also as a software and services supplier to virtually every major organization in the world, SAS constantly strives to equip graduates with sought-after SAS skills - ranging from programming via reporting and analytics to high-level business intelligence. To address this job market trend we decided to put the spotlight on SAS Certifications and SAS Certificate Programs - two different approaches that: In this newsletter you will see references to both Certification and Certificates, so we thought we would explain the difference. Certification refers to a designation widely recognized within the IT industry for professionals who can demonstrate an in-depth understanding of a particular technology by passing an exam. SAS offers five such certification exams, which are administered by Thomson Prometric, a global leader in testing services for the IT industry that offers exams in over 140 countries. The SAS Certified Professional Program manages the certification credential and is described in greater detail in this newsletter. SAS also recognizes many certificate programs, whereby the certificate documents completion of an extensive course of study covering required topic areas approved by SAS. Two examples are certificates in data mining, which are offered around the world at many schools (most commonly at the post-graduate level), and a new offering - a certificate in data analysis and programming using SAS®software - at the bachelor's level at the University of Memphis. Enjoy the read and join the world of SAS certified professionals and/or sign-up for one of the certificate programs at your university! Your Global Academic Program Team
SAS Certification - Putting You a Step Ahead of Your CompetitionWith graduation looming and a competitive job market on the horizon, University of Missouri-Columbia graduate student, Prakash Gurumurthy had to find a way to differentiate himself from the competition and show prospective employers he had mastered the SAS skills they required. Professional certification from SAS seemed to fit the bill perfectly. "Though I had done a number of SAS programming projects during my masters program, the whole experience of preparing for and then passing the certification examination gave me enough confidence to apply for SAS analyst jobs with some of the top companies in the world." While many of his peers spent a year or more looking for a job, Gurumurthy noticed a difference in the level of interest he received from prospective employers almost immediately. "After I secured my certification, the number of interviews I received increased dramatically," Gurumurthy exclaimed. Within a month of passing the SAS Base Programming exam, Gurumurthy landed a job as a Research Analyst for a Los Angeles based media and publishing company doing statistical modeling using SAS and writing macro code to automate some of the company's most critical tasks. "My present job is fascinating because it is all about data analysis and modeling for entertainment industry job," said Gurumurthy. "Certification certainly helped me reach this goal." As is evidenced by the level of interest employers showed toward Gurumurthy, the need for the SAS professionals with validated skills is on the rise. "Employers are desperate to hire top-notch analytical employees with SAS expertise," says Michael Hardin, professor of statistics at the University of Alabama's Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration. The necessity is further confirmed in a recent issue of InfoWorld: "Staffing needs are shifting, as more staff with analytical, statistical, and business domain experience are required." (InfoWorld, August 2005). As the demand for SAS expertise increases, employers across the globe rely on an objective measure of people's capabilities as a distinguishing factor in hiring decisions. SAS credentials provide employers with a valid and reliable benchmark of SAS knowledge. Hiring managers such as Graeme McDermott, with the AA (the United Kingdom's largest motoring organization), support SAS certification. "It is clear that this is the most relevant qualification for a SAS professional, the most important thing for an experienced SAS analyst to have on their CV". [Source: SAS® Certification drives productivity and job satisfaction at the AA. Read the full story here ] With credentials offered within SAS programming and data warehousing and others on the horizon the program offers SAS users several opportunities to set themselves apart from the crowd. SAS Certification tracks are offered to test the following skill sets: SAS® Programming The SAS Certified Warehouse Architect is responsible for designing and deploying data warehouse solutions. The SAS Certified Warehouse Development Specialist is responsible for implementing and maintaining the warehouse. Becoming a SAS Certified Professional affords candidates several professional and personal rewards. Certification represents an opportunity for users to increase their career opportunities and marketability to employers by demonstrating their advanced level of knowledge. Certification also enhances their credibility as technical professionals in a field of rapidly increasing competition. Finally, it allows candidates to earn global industry recognition for their knowledge. As the program moves forward, SAS will provide even more opportunities for users worldwide to leverage their expertise by offering credentials which focus on data mining and business intelligence. As the demand for professionals with strong analytical skills continues to arise there has never been a better time to become a SAS Certified Professional. To learn more about becoming a SAS Certified Professional, visit http://support.sas.com/certification
Get Prepared for the SAS Certification Programming ExamsIf you are considering taking one of the SAS Certification Programming Exams there are several valuable self-paced preparation tools to help you succeed: Here are the courses and practice exams available now for the Programming Exams for SAS®9 (corresponding with the newest versions of our Certification exams): Academic discounts are available, as is free access to selected products for professors. SAS Learning Edition The Self-Paced e-Learning courses require that you have access to SAS software. If you don't have convenient access to SAS software, though, SAS Learning Edition can provide that for you. It is a personal learning version of SAS that comes on a CD-ROM and gives the option of using the SAS Enterprise Guide point-and-click interface or writing and modifying SAS code through the SAS Program Editor. Professors can request a free evaluation copy. "In today's job market I knew that being SAS Certified would give me that extra competitive edge. Even though I had 13 years of experience and numerous reference documents at home, SAS Learning Edition and the SAS Self-Paced e-Learning online course and practice exam really helped me prepare for the exam. Not only did those materials help me brush up on old skills, they also taught me a lot of new ones!" If you plan to take the SAS Base Programming Exam for SAS®9 and you prefer book-based preparation to e-learning preparation, you can choose SAS Certification Prep Guide: Base Programming for SAS®9, the only guide authorized by the SAS Certified Professional Program. This comprehensive guide covers all of the objectives tested on the exam. Major topics include basic concepts, producing reports, creating and modifying SAS data sets, and reading various types of raw data. Each chapter provides a quiz on the chapter's contents. Included in the guide are answer keys, a free CD-ROM with tutorials, practice data, and sample programs. Exam Preparation Options For your convenience there is a comprehensive list of preparation options for all SAS Certification Exams, including instructor-led training as well as self-paced training.
Certificate in Data Mining ProgramBecause SAS is the world's leading developer of business intelligence analytical software and the market leader in data mining, individuals with strong SAS skills are in great demand. To better assist universities develop a curriculum incorporating SAS data mining expertise, the Higher Education Consulting group at SAS works closely with institutions to develop certificate programs in data mining. The certificate, which documents students' course work utilizing SAS' award winning data mining technology, has given students a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Both the university and SAS believe this knowledge will enable them to have an immediate impact in the business world. Although the institutions administer the programs, they must meet certain requirements to earn SAS co-sponsorship. Designed using pre-existing courses, or ones developed in consultation with Higher Education Consulting, SAS will co-sponsor the certificate, provided the program meets certain requirements. For more information about the specific requirements, please click here. As the first of the collaborative certificate programs, the University of Central Florida's department of statistics established a Data Mining Certificate Program in the fall of 2000 and started its master's degree in data mining in the fall of 2001. "The Data Mining Certificate provides students with the statistical knowledge and SAS programming experience they need to make an immediate impact in the world of business. It provides prospective employers with a benchmark for measuring data mining skills in the analytical world." The University of Alabama awarded its first graduate a SAS Data Mining certificate in the spring of 2004 and has since graduated a total of 57 students with the certificate. "UA's Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration has teamed with the SAS Institute, a market leader in business intelligence and data warehousing, to create a four-course, credit-carrying sequence in data mining, which many observers think may be the next 'hot' area of business analysis," says Dr. Michael Hardin, professor of statistics in the department of information systems, statistics and management science, who was influential in bringing the program to the university. "I have been working in the area of data mining since 1995 and have observed the tremendous need for individuals who could assist business and industry in successfully building predictive models and other data mining tasks. Such skills must be developed by hands-on experience with large data sets and leading-edge technology," Hardin says. Universidad Anáhuac (located in Mexico City, Mexico) launched its certificate program in September, 2005. The initial offering was so popular that the course was repeated in November and is now being offered for the third time in 9 months. It has already graduated 44 students, some of whom were recognized in graduation ceremony at the school. Oklahoma State University graduated its first class in the Spring of 2005 and has now a total of 50 certificate holders from its first 3 classes. At Warsaw University, in the Faculty of Economics, a comprehensive "SAS Data Mining Certificate Program" is being offered. Students experience a theoretical as well as practical modular course. The Data Mining Certificate is granted to students who successfully attend the 9 modules which in total sum up to 210 hours of SAS education. This Program started 1.5 years ago and allow in a maximum number of 25 students a year. Usually the demand is three times as high as students can be accommodated in the class. "Our customers in Poland are very happy about this certificate initiative offered through the Academic Program, because hiring graduates with these kind of skills helps them to immensely minimize the recruitment costs", says Lukasz Kociuba, Academic Program Manager Poland. Other programs offering a data mining certificate using SAS include the University of Louisville, the University of Denver and Texas Tech University.
Bridging the gap between France and Germany An interview with Romain Doré on his internship experience at SAS Institute's European Headquarters in Heidelberg Germany Romain, tell us a little bit about you and your academic background: Why did you choose SAS for your internship and why did SAS select you as an intern? How did you find out about the internship at SAS' European Headquarters? Were SAS skills required to apply for the internship? Were you familiar with SAS before you started your internship? Was it difficult to learn SAS? Tell us a little but about the project you are currently working on for SAS. From what you told me in the interview it seems like you really enjoy yourself at SAS in Heidelberg. Romain, what will happen next in your life? Have you lost your heart in Heidelberg?
SUGI - SAS Global Forum Student Ambassadors The SAS Student Ambassador Program recognizes and supports student researchers who use SAS in innovative ways to benefit their respective industries and fields of study. This year marks the program's debut in Latin America, Canada and the United States; it has run continually in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific since its launch there in 2002. Students selected from Latin America, Canada and the United States present their research at SUGI (now known as SAS Global Forum) and students from Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific present their research at SAS Forum International. The Student Ambassadors represented many different disciplines, and they all presented to a full audience. They also attended a "Birds of a Feather Session" to discuss how academia, research and business can partner to create the next generation of SAS users. Other conference attendees were impressed with their presentations and selection for this competitive program. They also were very glad to see a strong student presence at the conference! Uzma Raja, one of the Student Ambassadors, won "Best Contributed Paper" award in Data Mining. We would light to put the spotlight on one of the 5 Americas Student Ambassadors: For more information about the Student Ambassador Competition, click here.
Next generation at SAS Forum International SAS Forum International - held in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 16-18, 2006 and featuring some 140 customer presentations - saw a strong and high-quality academic presence. This year the 5th annual Student Ambassador Competition was celebrated at SAS Forum International. As in the previous four years, five students earned the opportunity to present their innovative and business-relevant SAS research project to the business audience at SAS Forum International. Maria T. Salazar from Edinburgh University, UK - one of the Student Ambassadors - described her conference experience like this: "Being a Student Ambassador has given me the opportunity to discuss and defend my research 'head-to-head' with top level executives and managers in a very relaxed atmosphere: an incomparable situation. Actually, that opportunity of exchanging views with others has opened me the doors of one of the largest UK financial services providers to start a research project. What else could I ask for?"Student Ambassador Hemant Pratab Khatwani who was selected from the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow stated : "SAS Forum International was a matchless experience for me in many ways. It gave me an insight into real life business applications of SAS. The phrase 'business intelligence' is often overused and sometimes misused by companies to market their software tools. However, the presentations at the Forum clearly outlined how SAS can be used to realize business objectives. One of the best presentations that I had the opportunity to attend was by a company called Dettica. They showed how SAS can be used to detect networks of fraudsters in the insurance industry. This was a truly unique application of a software tool I have seen until now".The The Student Ambassador presentations were attended by a high number of SAS customers looking for insights into the latest academic research developments in the area of Finance, Customer Intelligence, Telecommunications, and Life Sciences - both from the perspective of interesting content and possible new employees. Frank de Vries from Utrecht University, Netherlands also used SAS Forum International as a recruitment platform: "At SAS Forum International, I met many friendly, interesting people from all over the world. I have learnt about new applications of SAS software. I received two invitations for informal talks about possible future employment."Krzysztof Stepien from the Warsaw School of Economics, Poland engaged in a lively question and answer session after his presentation and concluded SAS Forum International: "was a great adventure, a lot of fun, and a valuable business experience all in one piece."The goal of the Academic Program is to "bridge the gap between academic and business" - for Davide Bernardini from the University of Padova SAS Forum International brought both worlds together: "As a student being able to dip into the business world I had the opportunity to experience hands-on what I studied in my research, knowing people that put it into practice every day."The 2006 SAS Forum International Student Ambassadors were:
An Open SAS WorldThe Scholars Digital Library of Analytics Read More
Announcement: TrainingFourth Annual SAS Data Mining Training for Educators The event provides attendees an opportunity to hear from a number of colleagues who are currently teaching data mining using SAS Enterprise Miner software and to take advantage of the latest analytical training from SAS. At each session there will be two tracks. Track 1 is an introductory "training" session designed for those who do not have an extensive history of using SAS Enterprise Miner software in the classroom. Track 2 is a more advanced training session for professors with more experience using SAS Enterprise Miner, including those who attended the program in past years. In previous years over 170 attendees have traveled from across the US and from Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, South Africa, and the West Indies to attend this training.While this program is free of charge, it is by invitation only. If you or a colleague might be interested in attending or if you have questions about the program, please contact Sue Walsh at 001 - (919) 531-7187 or Lori Rothenberg at 001 - (919) 531-5163.
News: University of MemphisUniversity of Memphis Launches First Undergraduate Certificate Program Beginning this fall, the University of Memphis (located in Tennessee in the United States) will offer an undergraduate certificate in data analysis and programming using SAS® software. This program is the first undergraduate certificate program in SAS to be offered in the Americas. Open to all undergraduate majors at the university, the program consists of three newly developed three-credit-hour courses and one statistics prerequisite. The new courses - Introduction to Data Structures and Cleaning; Programming Concepts and Techniques; and Data to Information - will provide students with the SAS skills they need to turn large volumes of data into information that can be used to make decisions. "In every industry around the world, there's a dire need for more employees with SAS expertise," said Mark David Milliron, Ph.D., Vice President of the SAS Education and Medical Practice and a lifelong educator. "We are ecstatic that the University of Memphis not only recognizes this need, but that it's pioneering this effort to provide the global marketplace with a steady stream of graduates who know SAS." "Employers increasingly are seeking employees who know how to transform data into information," said Julie Heath, Ph.D., Chair and Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Memphis. "This program will give our graduates the competitive edge they need to succeed in today's turbulent job market. More than 25 companies in Memphis alone use SAS to handle their analysis needs." Housed at the university's Fogelman College of Business and Economics and sponsored by the economics department, the program also offers benefits to students who are considering attending graduate school, as many disciplines use SAS as their analytical tool of choice. Completing this certificate program likely will give students an advantage in the rigorous competition for graduate assistantships. Additional details are available online at the university webpage.
News: University of Philippines initiative with Globe Telecom
University of the Philippines equips statistic graduates with complete SAS skills and Training Read More
News: Upcoming eventAcademic Conference in Asia: SAS India formally announces to host the Academic Conference in Asia for 2006 The event will be on Thursday October 5th, 2006 at Saroj Sadan, Alkesh Dineh Mody Institute, University Kalina Campus, Santacruz(E) - Mumbai.
News: Successful events in ThailandSAS Thailand recently hosted three events which were attended by universities nationwide 1) Academic Knowledge Technology Seminar with Thammasart University during May 24th-26th. Attended by 200 persons from 30 universities, the event focused on discussion of importance of statistics education within university curricula. 2) "Experiences and SAS Intelligence in the University for Data Warehouse, Data Mining and Balanced Scorecard" on June 2nd. The event consisted of presentations on research at Universities and Commission of Higher Education as well as discussion on measurements of a successful implementation on Balanced Scorecard for university administration. 3) Academic Event with Silpakorn University and Commission of Higher Education during June 21-23. Focus on SAS Enterprise BI server, Data Mining and new technologies of point and click interfaces.
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