Atlanta HBCUs Join Forces for Data Science Initiative

The Atlanta University Center Consortium is getting a major investment from the UnitedHealth Group to prepare students for jobs in the data analytics field.

With the number of data professionals in the U.S. expected to grow to 2.7 million by 2020, the Atlanta University Center Consortium is launching the AUCC Data Science Initiative to provide students with technical classes on data science and data analysis in order to give them a competitive edge in the jobs marketplace. The institutions involved in this initiative are Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine and Spelman College.

This collaborative effort is being funded by a $8.25 million investment from UnitedHealth Group, a healthcare company based in Minnesota. The Data Science Initiative will provide 9,000 students with the ability to learn more about data analytics through coursework. Certificate programs focused on data analytics and data science will also be developed.

“Many universities have refocused existing programs or developed new efforts to respond to the need for this, yet these responses are still insufficient based on projected demand,” said AUCC executive director Todd Greene. “The UnitedHealth Group funding will help to establish the base for this broad initiative, including hiring an accomplished director.

More information about the work of the AUCC can be found here.

About the Author

Sara Friedman is a reporter/producer for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe covering education policy and a wide range of other public-sector IT topics.

Friedman is a graduate of Ithaca College, where she studied journalism, politics and international communications.

Friedman can be contacted at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @SaraEFriedman.

Click here for previous articles by Friedman.


Featured

  • data professionals in a meeting

    Data Fluency as a Strategic Imperative

    As an institution's highest level of data capabilities, data fluency taps into the agency of technical experts who work together with top-level institutional leadership on issues of strategic importance.

  • stylized AI code and a neural network symbol, paired with glitching code and a red warning triangle

    New Anthropic AI Models Demonstrate Coding Prowess, Behavior Risks

    Anthropic has released Claude Opus 4 and Claude Sonnet 4, its most advanced artificial intelligence models to date, boasting a significant leap in autonomous coding capabilities while simultaneously revealing troubling tendencies toward self-preservation that include attempted blackmail.

  • university building with classical architecture is partially overlaid by a glowing digital brain graphic

    NSF Invests $100 Million in National AI Research Institutes

    The National Science Foundation has announced a $100 million investment in National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes, part of a broader White House strategy to maintain American leadership as competition with China intensifies.

  • black analog alarm clock sits in front of a digital background featuring a glowing padlock symbol and cybersecurity icons

    The Clock Is Ticking: Higher Education's Big Push Toward CMMC Compliance

    With the United States Department of Defense's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification 2.0 framework entering Phase II on Dec. 16, 2025, institutions must develop a cybersecurity posture that's resilient, defensible, and flexible enough to keep up with an evolving threat landscape.