What Is an MS in Business Analytics?

Data collection, analysis, interpretation and application are at the heart of the tactical and strategic decisions made by corporations to accelerate forward progress. The growing field of business analytics requires academically trained big data analysts to assist organizations in making these decisions. You can enhance your career qualifications by earning your Master of Science in Business Analytics at Grand Canyon University.

Offered by the Colangelo College of Business, the MS in Business Analytics degree is ideal for students who possess practical industry experience and are looking for a pathway toward greater career fulfillment. The degree emphasizes big data analytics, and the objective application of analytical methods to address specific business problems.

Earn Your Master of Science in Business Analytics Online

GCU is a modern university that designs academically rigorous programs with the needs of working professionals in mind. You can pursue your business analytics master’s while still managing your professional obligations and family commitments. Our dynamic, online learning platform connects you to leading experts in their fields. You will benefit from engaging discussions with peers across a range of industries. The online master’s degree requires a total of 38 credits for completion. Most of the online courses are eight weeks in length.

During your studies, you will learn to refine your communication skills to convey key concepts and information to all stakeholders. Examine creative problem-solving methods in the organizational environment. The MS in Business Analytics curriculum integrates the Christian worldview. Students are encouraged to identify as servant leaders who apply the transformative nature of data analytics for the betterment of their communities. Examine Christian-minded solutions to ethical dilemmas, and consider the regenerative and innovative qualities of moral practices.

Learn the Importance of Business Analytics

Students gain a deeper understanding of descriptive, predictive and prescriptive analytics as they study key concepts like statistical language, data mining and data visualization. Critical thinking, mathematics and computing skills blend in hands-on, project-based learning experiences. In courses such as Intermediate Database Applications, Applied Analytics for Businesses and Data Mining, students gain the following core competencies:

• The principles and relative advantages of object-oriented and object-relational databases
• Industry tools and methods for presenting data and making predictions based on statistical analysis
• Techniques for pattern and knowledge extraction from large data sets
• Advanced analytics techniques for the interpretation of organizational data applied to specific business solutions

The Master of Science in Business Analytics degree concludes with the Applied Capstone Project. Students gain practical experience through an applied project that explores a specific aspect of analytics.

Career Outcomes with a Business Analytics Master of Science Degree from GCU

Professionals who are skilled in the analysis, interpretation and application of data are sought-after candidates across many different industries. Some of the careers that graduates with an MS in Business Analytics may be prepared to pursue include:

• Business intelligence analyst or manager
• Business analytics manager
• Big data analytics specialist
• Quantitative analyst/modeler
• Supply chain management specialist

The rate of growth for analytics careers is expected to be robust in the coming years. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, from 2016 through 2026, the anticipated rate of growth for management analysts is 14 percent (faster than average). For market research analysts, the rate is 23 percent (much faster than average), and for operations research analysts, it is 27 percent (much faster than average).