▁Such ▁models ▁are ▁often ▁used ▁in ▁support ▁of ▁assess ment ▁and ▁strateg ic ▁en roll ment ▁management . ▁ ▁Be coming ▁an ▁Institution al ▁Research er ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁need ▁to ▁provide ▁data ▁to ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁and ▁other ▁entities , ▁nearly ▁every ▁post - second ary ▁institution ▁has ▁offices ▁that ▁ful fill ▁the ▁institution al ▁research ▁function . ▁At ▁some ▁colleg es ▁and ▁univers ities ▁this ▁function ▁is ▁central ized ▁in ▁a ▁single ▁office ▁of ▁institution al ▁research , ▁while ▁at ▁others ▁it ▁is ▁more ▁de - central ized . ▁There ▁is ▁no ▁single ▁academic ▁degree ▁that ▁qual ifies ▁one ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁institution al ▁research er , ▁but ▁suggested ▁strength s ▁include ▁a ▁knowledge ▁of ▁statistics , ▁research ▁methods ▁( e . g ., ▁survey ▁research ▁and ▁focus ▁groups ), ▁and ▁computer - based ▁reporting ▁and ▁data ▁visual ization ▁tools ▁( e . g ., ▁SP SS , ▁S AS , ▁R , ▁ST ATA , ▁Microsoft ▁Access , ▁Microsoft ▁Excel , ▁Micro Strategy , ▁and ▁SQL ). ▁Other ▁important ▁assets ▁are ▁strong ▁written ▁and ▁or al ▁communic ations ▁skills , ▁attention ▁to ▁detail , ▁and ▁knowledge ▁about ▁how ▁institutions ▁of ▁higher ▁education ▁operate . ▁Several ▁American ▁univers ities ▁offer ▁gradu ate ▁certificate ▁programs ▁in ▁institution al ▁research , ▁including ▁Ball ▁State ▁University , ▁Florida ▁State ▁University , ▁H umb old t ▁State ▁University , ▁North ▁Dak ota ▁State ▁University , ▁P enn ▁State ▁University , ▁Indiana ▁University , ▁University ▁of ▁Missouri , ▁University ▁of ▁Illinois , ▁the ▁University ▁of