MIAMI, May 19, 2020 – Miami Dade College (MDC) has inaugurated its new Business Innovation and Technology (BIT) Center, a state-of-the-art hub to explore the role of technology in digital transformation, process automation and analytics in the ever-changing business landscape. The BIT Center, an initiative of MDC’s Miguel B. Fernandez Family School of Global Business, Trade & Transportation, kicks-off with a focus on financial services, digital, and social media industries.
“The launch of the BIT Center is another step in our continued efforts to create cutting-edge curriculum and programs at the School of Business that align with industry needs and provide students with the theory and practical knowledge to be successful,” said Dr. Rana F. Shehadeh, dean of the Miguel B. Fernandez Family School of Global Business, Trade & Transportation.
The BIT Center’s original April launch was postponed due to COVID-19. To adapt and meet the growing needs of students and the community, the center has amplified its virtual capacity to ensure all courses, certificates and art technology remain available online. The 6,000 square-foot facility is located at MDC’s Wolfson Campus in downtown Miami, with satellite offices on the Kendall and North Campuses.
“We are proud that our center has remained an integral component of MDC’s remote learning strategy amid this crisis,” said Chechu Lasheras, BIT Center director. “This situation has served to demonstrate our capacity to quickly adapt and reinforce our commitment to innovation, technology and cutting-edge programing.”
Starting this month and continuing throughout the summer and fall terms, the BIT Center will offer a vast array of courses, webinars and other learning opportunities, including Digital Marketing Analytics; Introduction to Email Marketing; Introduction to Business Analytics and Visualization; Basics of Technical Analysis for Financial Trading or Ecommerce and the Future of Supply Chain. Classes integrate theory with hands-on lab experience that exposes students to the latest technology and software needs, including Tableau for data visualization, Bloomberg for investment management, Salesforce for sales automation and various digital media and advertising platforms such as Facebook or Google.
Remotely connected to MDC’s North and Kendall campuses, the BIT Center’s facilities comprise the following areas with technology and equipment also accessible online:
- Digital Marketing and Social Media lab equipped with 24 workstations and access to platforms such as Facebook, Google, and Salesforce.
- Financial Technology and Trading Lab equipped with HW and 12 Bloomberg terminals and a Morningstar Direct subscription.
- Business Analytics area that incorporates the visualization capabilities with tools such as Tableau or Power BI that professionals need to make better, faster choices to support decisions and the growth of the enterprise.
- Digital Transformation space showcasing the use of technology to radically improve performance or reach of enterprises and an array of real-world business applications from emerging technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and IoT.
Students can enroll in credit classes towards completing an Associate in Science in Financial Services with a concentration in either banking or wealth management, or an Associate in Science in Marketing with certificates in digital marketing and sales and customer service. A third Associate in Science in Business Analytics will be available soon.
In order to help bridge the gap between academics and the technical competencies required in today’s business environment, the BIT Center also offers industry certifications in emerging technologies, including Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC), a self-paced e-learning course that provides an interactive introduction to the financial markets; Facebook Certified Digital Marketing Associate, which measures foundational competency in creating, managing and reporting on ads across Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. Hootsuite, an industry-recognized certification that demonstrates expertise with the world’s most-used social media management platform and a Salesforce Certified Administrator Certificate, with skills to utilize advanced Salesforce features and functionality to solve a variety of business problems.
Upcoming free live and on-demand webinars led by top industry experts include Use WhatsApp to Grow Your Business on Thursday, May 21, from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (register here), and Tell Your Business Story Using Instagram on Thursday, May 28, from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (register here).
For a full list of BIT Center online courses and event, please visit www.mdc.edu/bitcenter.
For more information please contact Rana Shehadeh, 305-237-0698, rshehade@mdc.edu or Chechu Lasheras at 305-297-5696, jlashera@mdc.edu.