Sunburst

Imagine you are standing at the center of a circular graduation hall, where every ring of seating represents a level in a university’s hierarchy. This arrangement mirrors a Sunburst Plot that displays how graduates are distributed across faculties, departments, and majors, all radiating outward from the central University Administration.

First Ring: Faculties

Circling the stage is the ring of Faculties—Science, Business, and Arts. Think of these as sections of seating dedicated to each broad discipline. Each faculty segment provides a higher-level category, organizing its various departments. This setup mirrors how faculties serve as an intermediate hierarchy between the university core and its departments.

Second Ring: Departments

The next layer outward holds the department seats, subdividing each faculty into specialized areas such as Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Mathematics & Computer Science (under Science), Administration, Finance & Accounting (under Business), and Fine Arts, Performing Arts (under Arts). Each department has its own “section” in the ring, offering a closer look at how each faculty is broken down.

Third Ring (Outermost): Majors (Graduates)

Finally, at the outermost ring, you see individual majors with their counts of graduates. This is where the Sunburst truly shines, as each major’s “slice” shows the number of graduates at a glance. Visualize the seats filled by graduates from Commerce or Literature, who appear directly in the third ring if they are not tied to a distinct department. This ensures every graduate’s place is clearly visible, illustrating how each major contributes to the overall academic community.