How studying a data and innovation degree can increase your earning potential

Sponsored by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore 

There are many different types of data and innovation degrees: data science, data analytics and innovation and technology management, to name a few.  

Each of these degrees are highly respected by graduate employers and can drastically increase your earning potential, presenting a variety of job opportunities. 

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore offers several data and innovation master’s programmes, each targeted towards a specific sector.  

As STEM subjects, these degrees will help build a strong knowledge of mathematics and statistics, while also focusing on business and management skills. This combination of skills will set data and innovation degree graduates apart from those who studied other STEM subjects. 

Read on to discover more about the different types of data and innovation degrees available and what a data and innovation degree can do for your career.  

What are the different types of data and innovation degrees? 

Data analytics degrees 

Data analytics is the science of examining raw data using advanced computing technologies. It is a very technical degree that will help you tackle complex problems in a variety of business environments. 

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore's two-year Master of Science in Data Analytics for Business is a two-year degree targeted towards graduates looking to work in the business sector. In this programme, students learn how to prepare businesses for unexpected changes, helping them identify potential risks and developing solutions to these problems.  

Data science degrees  

Data science degrees offer students a detailed background knowledge in mathematics, statistics and computer science. It uses scientific methods to extract knowledge and insights from data. Data science graduates are highly valued by graduate employers across a range of industries. 

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore offers two data science programmes: the one-year Specialising Master in Data Science for Management based in Milan, and the two-year Master of Science in Applied Data Science for Banking and Finance, based in Brescia. These programmes help students build the specific skills and knowledge required to work in those sectors.  

Students are able to personalise the curriculum to focus on subjects they are less familiar with. This enables them to become all-rounders, having strengths in both the financial and management aspect of the sector, as well as the technological side.  

Innovation and technology management degrees 

An innovation and technology management degree is designed for students with a technical background who are looking to develop innovation, technological and engineering skills.  

Throughout this programme, students develop the project management, marketing and commercial knowledge needed to lead innovative projects.  

How can a data and innovation degree improve your career prospects and earning potential? 

When hiring, businesses look for prospective candidates who can demonstrate both business and analytical skillsets, according to PWC. A data and innovation degree helps students develop both. Consequently, demand for graduates with data and innovation degrees is rising.  

Data and innovation degrees are focused on improving graduate career outcomes and will teach you the skills and knowledge needed to be successful in business. The degrees are often partnered with a number of prestigious companies in relevant industries.  

For example, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore's two-year Master of Science in Innovation and Technology Management programme is based in Milan. The course is partnered with several international companies, including IBM, Comau, Accenture, Siemens and Adecco to help students develop practical management experience, with a sound knowledge in engineering. 

What can you do with a data and innovation degree? 

Jobs with a data analytics or a data science degree 

Graduates with a degree in data analytics or data science are well suited to fill a variety of data-driven career opportunities. Graduates may work in a variety of industries, from ICT, consulting, and banking to finance and insurance. 

These degrees equip graduates to take on data analyst and business analyst roles across a variety of industries. Graduates have the skills to contribute to companies and institutions operating within a data-driven framework. 

Typical careers that you might pursue after graduation include business analyst, financial data scientist or a data analyst.  

Jobs with an innovation and technology management degree 

An innovation and technology management degree aims to prepare graduates for management positions in both large enterprises and small businesses, supporting business change processes and developing product and market analysis.  

Graduates with an innovation and technology management degree find work in ICT firms, science-based start-ups and energy sector businesses, but also in less traditional sectors, such as banking, insurance, manufacturing and health.  

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If you’re considering studying abroad, Italy is a popular study destination to study a data and innovation degree.  

At Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, most of the data and innovation programmes are based at its Milan campus. Milan is widely known as Italy’s start-up capital, with 15 percent of the national start-ups beginning in the city, meaning that there are plenty of internships available for students throughout their degree. Milan is also a hub for tech companies, with HQs of international companies based there, such as Samsung and Microsoft. 

The university’s two-year MSc Applied Data Science for Banking and Finance is based in its new campus in Brescia, a city in the northern Italian region of Lombardy. Brescia is a historic city, spanning across the Roman, Medieval and Renaissance periods, and the city is a thriving tourist attractive with an active economy. This makes it the perfect location to study a degree in data and innovation.