Graduate Certificate in Institutional Research

Ball State University

Universities and colleges use institutional research (IR) to support decision making and planning. The field involves a number of functional areas in higher education, such as enrollment reporting, enrollment projections, retention, graduation, time-to-degree, student learning, student engagement, student satisfaction, instructional cost and productivity, faculty compensation, faculty and staff job satisfaction, faculty and staff turnover, campus climate, athletics, development, and space utilization. Institutional researchers typically initiate and evaluate a variety of surveys as well as analyze data from student, human resources, and financial information systems. IR supports institutional and unit strategic planning, budgeting, accreditation, program review, and accountability efforts. Successful institutional researchers must not only have excellent technical and analytical skills, but also knowledge of higher education management and a deep understanding of their institutions. IR is a dynamic and fast-paced field with strong demand for skilled professionals.