The Master's in Business Analytics program focuses on developing the business analytics skills of professionals entering and engaged in business, non-business, and STEM career fields. Advances in technology have greatly enhanced the ability of organizations to capture large sets of structured and unstructured data; however, society's ability to organize, prepare, analyze, and exploit such data has not kept pace with these developments. Companies, governments, and nongovernmental organizations now seek qualified employees who can apply mathematics, statistics, computer science, and operations research techniques to small and large data sets to develop insights that will enhance business decision-making capabilities.
In order to develop highly-skilled business analysts capable of supporting data-driven business decisions, the M.B.An. program is built upon the widely-recognized progression of analytics development: descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics. Through descriptive analytics (i.e., "What has happened?"), students develop skills in acquiring, organizing, cleaning, visualizing, and analyzing data from a wide range of business and non-business scenarios to help organizations understand their current operations. Advancing to predictive analytics (i.e., "What will happen?"), students use cutting-edge techniques (e.g., data mining) to detect patterns in data and project future outcomes based on past events. The M.B.An. program culminates with students learning predictive analytics (i.e., "What should happen?") skills, where students practice advanced analytics techniques such as simulation and optimization to help develop the best data-driven courses of action for complex business problems. Throughout the program, the curriculum requires students to apply theories, quantitative techniques, and academic research while thinking critically to solve "real" business problems. Group and individual assignments will challenge students to analyze case studies, build models, and communicate their solutions in both written and verbal form.
The Master's in Business Analytics program Learning Goals and Objectives include:
- Broad Core of Analytics Knowledge
M.B.An. graduates will master a broad core of analytics knowledge and be able to integrate and apply this knowledge to business situations as corporate managers and strategic partners in industries requiring interdisciplinary skills and global perspectives.
Learning Objectives:
- M.B.An. graduates will demonstrate advanced competency in the underlying concepts, theory, and tools taught in core business analytics programs.
- M.B.An. graduates will be prepared to apply their knowledge of descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics to identify, analyze, and recommend solutions to complex corporate strategic problems and projects requiring interdisciplinary and global perspectives.
Assessment Method: Course-embedded measure (BAN 830, BAN 540, BAN 550, BAN 888)
- Analytical and Critical Thinking Skills
MBAN graduates will develop analytical and critical thinking skills needed to excel in today's business environment.
Learning Objectives:
- M.B.An. graduates will acquire the analytical and critical thinking skills needed to identify, analyze, and evaluate alternative solutions to problems and projects facing today's corporate managers and strategic planners.
- M.B.An .graduates will develop the skills needed to craft and implement unique and "cutting edge" strategic and tactical plans.
- M.B.An. graduates will be able to articulate and defend their analyses and recommended solutions to multiple audiences from business, government, and the community.
- M.B.An. graduates will be able to integrate findings and analyses from cutting edge academic and practitioner research to problems and projects confronting corporate America.
Assessment Method: Course-embedded measures (All core courses.)
- Interpersonal Skills
M.B.An. graduates will possess the interpersonal skills needed to impress hiring managers and become effective corporate managers and leaders.
Learning Objectives:
- M.B.An. graduates will be skilled at leadership, team building, interpersonal influence, and the management of change.
- M.B.An. graduates will be able to communicate and work effectively with others in work settings involving cultural and demographic diversity.
- M.B.An. graduates will become natural team leaders with the unique ability to identify and limit the phenomenon of "group think" that often plagues underperforming corporations. Graduates will draw out the high potential from their team members, leveraging the team's ability to analyze problems from many points of reference.
Assessment Method: Course-embedded measure (BA 817, BAN 888)
- Value System
MBAN graduates will be able to evaluate the ethical and societal implications of the corporate strategic decision-making for which they are involved and responsible.
Learning Objectives:
- M.B.An. graduates will be skilled at evaluating the impact of various courses of action on multiple stakeholders, including investors, lenders, customers, and the broader community.
Assessment Method: Course-embedded measure (BA 804, BAN 888)
These learning outcomes will be achieved by a combination of lectures by faculty and invited guest lecturers, reading of key literature, individual and team projects, and practical involvement in a business analytics capstone experience.
