The Master of Science Business Analytics (MSBA) program is an on-campus, full-time program that prepares students for business analytics positions in industry and government to manage data, apply cutting-edge methodologies, use current software, interpret and effectively communicate results, make recommendations, and manage implementations. The MSBA program equips students to continue learning about analytics throughout their careers.
Admissions
This program is designed for recent college graduates with limited or no full-time, post-graduate work experience; however, relevant work experience may also be considered in the application process.
In addition to the minimum Graduate School admission requirements, to be considered for regular admission an application must include:
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Evidence of strong quantitative skills including the completion of an undergraduate introductory statistics course with a letter grade of B or higher, and an undergraduate calculus course with a letter grade of B or higher.
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A resume
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3 letters of recommendation
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A GPA of 3.3 or better
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GMAT (old version), GMAT Focus Edition, or GRE scores at the 60th percentile or greater
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A TOEFL score of at least 90, an IELTS score of at least 7.0, a Duolingo score of at least 110, or a PTE score of at least 59 for non-native English speakers who are required to submit an English Language test score (see admissions criteria link below)
For students who do not meet the minimum GPA or GMAT/GRE standards, the MSBA admissions committee may grant "permission to continue" admission.
See the Admission Criteria section of this catalog for more information.
Curricular Requirements
The Master of Science in Business Analytics program requires 36 credit hours and includes the following courses (substitutions are allowed with the approval of program coordinator)
| Required Courses: | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| MIS 501 | App Dev Data-Driven Org (Application Development for the Data-Driven Organization) | 3 |
| MIS 502 | DB Des & Mgt Data-Driven Org (Database Design and Management in the Data-Driven Organization) | 3 |
| ST 521 | Statistical Data Management | 3 |
| ST 522 | Adv Statistical Data Mgt | 3 |
| ST 531 | Data Mining I | 3 |
| ST 532 | Advanced Data Mining (Applied Statistical Modeling for Analytics) | 3 |
| ST 541 | App Stat Mod Analytics I (Applied Statistical Modeling for Analytics II) | 3 |
| ST 542 | App Stst Mod Analytics II | 3 |
| ST 580 | Analytics Capstone I | 3 |
| ST 581 | Analytics Capstone II | 3 |
| OM 500 | MGT Science & Spreadsheet Mod | 3 |
| OM 501 | Adv App Model & Analysis (Advanced Applied Modeling and Analysis) | 3 |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Transfer Credit
- Transfer credits are not considered for MSBA courses.
Graduate School information on Transfer Credit.
Comprehensive Exam/Capstone Requirements
The MSBA program includes a mandatory capstone experiential learning component that spans the last two semesters of the program. This capstone project will require students to work in teams to:
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Design an analytical study and data collection tools.
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Use various software to manipulate and analyze data.
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Interpret and present the result of their analysis.
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Recommend strategies based on the results of their analysis for a case or a project provided by an industry partner.
The assignment will require the student teams to use the analytic concepts and software they have learned in the program to generate solutions for the assigned case or industry project. The student teams will be evaluated on the basis of:
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A comprehensive written report.
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A formal presentation of their methodology, results, and recommendation(s).
Time Limits for Degree Completion Requirements
Graduate School information on Time Limits.
Academic Misconduct Information
Graduate School information on Academic Misconduct.
Withdrawals and Leave of Absence Information
The Capstone project spans two semesters to provide an experience that is closer to the experience analytics professional will encounter in practice. As a result of these program characteristics:
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If a student has to withdraw during the Spring semester, they would need to retake the seminar class the next Fall to join a current team for the Capstone project.
Graduate School Information Withdrawals and Leave of Absence.
Academic Grievances Information
Graduate School information on Academic Grievances.
Grades and Academic Standing
Graduate School information on Grades and Academic Standing.
Graduate School Deadlines Information
Information on Graduate School Deadlines.
Application for Graduation Information
Information on the Application for Graduation.