Mu Sigma Launches Certification Program for Decision Scientists

CHICAGO, IL, May 6, 2013. Mu Sigma, one of the world's largest Decision Sciences and analytics firms, today announced the world's first Certification Program for decision scientists. The Program is offered through Mu Sigma's training arm, Mu Sigma University (MSU), and is aimed at providing a validation for aspiring decision scientists with the requisite interdisciplinary training in business, applied math, technology and behavioral sciences required for efficient client engagements.

While most companies refer to their analytics professionals as 'data scientists,' Mu Sigma prefers 'decision scientists' - because the company is focused not just on creating analytics models, but also on helping companies make better decisions.

"Decision scientists are not just number crunchers," said Dhiraj Rajaram, CEO of Mu Sigma. "They are individuals who require an interdisciplinary approach that helps turn data into context-specific, objective insights that can foster better, quicker decision making throughout an organization. This is where real value exists. We hope that our Decision Scientist Certification will become widely accepted as a standard across the industry."

Mu Sigma designed the Certification Program to address several industry deficiencies, the two most prominent being:

• The lack of standard qualification criteria for analytics and decision science professionals in terms of the requisite interdisciplinary skills and experience; and
• The lack of defined career paths for decision science professionals.

The Program is available only for Mu Sigma employees. There are three levels of certification:

• Decision Scientist - Beginner (minimum 18 months of classroom and field experience, plus other criteria),
• Decision Scientist - Practitioner (minimum 33 months experience), and
• Decision Scientist - Manager (minimum 42 months experience).

Unlike university degrees, Mu Sigma's Decision Scientist Certification Program incorporates significant amounts of practical experience in client engagements covering a variety of business problems and domains. The Program will not only certify, but also establish an industry-wide gold standard for qualified Decision Scientists. Additionally, the certification will help define a career path for the right professional.

Visit www.mu-sigma.comfor more information.

Read more.