The Omaha Data Science Academy (ODSA) recently received accreditation from the Nebraska Commissioner of Education. Leaders of the Omaha-based trade school said this new recognition further enhances their graduates’ credibility and makes them stronger candidates to employers and other educational institutions around the state.
Accreditation has opened up additional pathways to expand the academy’s reach and impact in Nebraska and beyond, according to ODSA leadership.
ODSA received its initial license under the Nebraska Department of Education in 2022, and offers curriculum, internship networks and career guidance to support the state’s data science workforce. Leveraging connections and relationships formed through its parent company Contemporary Analysis, ODSA Executive Chairman Nate Watson said the academy has been able to hire computer scientists and professionals currently working in the field to lead classes and lend their expertise.
“The data guy who teaches data visualization…that’s what he does from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday,” Watson said. “Our curriculum (comes) directly from job descriptions.”
ODSA President Krystal Rider said 84 graduates have completed the program and earned a total of 127 certificates since 2022, with more than 80% of graduates identifying as women or nonbinary.
From establishing governance structures to making sure programs and faculty met state standards, Rider said the ODSA’s multi-year accreditation process was worth it to help graduates stand out among job and additional schooling applications.
“We’re going to start seeing a lot more certifications popping out because AI can create anything for anyone in just a few seconds,” Rider said. “They deserve credentials that really carry the weight, will open doors and show the world they were trained at a really great, accredited data science school.”
“It helped us mature as an organization in ways that we never dreamt we needed,” Watson said. “But in the end, after all the hours and all the gray hair, accreditation makes you a better organization.”
ODSA programs approved under the accreditation include:
- Data Visualization Certificate
- Business Intelligence Certificate
- Data Engineering Certificate
- Machine Learning Certificate
- Fundamentals of Data Science Certificate
- Data Science Management Certificate
Looking to the future, ODSA leadership said they’re pursuing multiple goals for the organization:
- To gain accreditation in other states, such as Iowa and South Dakota
- To tap into the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to give service members — such as those from Offutt Air Force Base — the opportunity to use GI Bill benefits for ODSA programming
- To offer continuing education credits to those with professional certification requirements
- To offer an associate’s degree with the same level of credibility of other educational institutions
The next round of ODSA classes begins Sept. 15. Learn more about its offerings and how to apply by going to the academy’s enrollment web page.
