School of Business launches master’s in business analytics

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In keeping with its commitment to preparing students for the workforce of tomorrow, George Mason University School of Business recently launched a new Master of Science in Business Analytics program. Designed to provide a deeper knowledge of analytics and data-driven decision-making, the program can be completed in just one year.

Co-directors of the program, Jessica Hoppner and Pallab Sanyal, say that the time is right for the School of Business to establish a master’s in business analytics.

“Data and analytics are reshaping how businesses approach their decision-making,” says Hoppner. “The analytical challenges facing businesses and organizations are multifaceted and require individuals with advanced-level knowledge and skills to extract meaningful insights from data to address complex problems. Graduates of the program will be able to help businesses, organizations, and government agencies achieve their initiatives to improve data-driven decision making through the application of business analytics.”

The School of Business has offered business analytics courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels for many years, and currently offers a Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics and an undergraduate Business Analytics Minor . “Within SBUS, we have excellent analytics faculty across all disciplines to teach these programs – both full-time faculty members and analytics practitioners that research and work in the analytics space,” says Hoppner.

Where programs such as an MBA focus on the overall management of businesses, organizations, and projects, Sanyal says the MS in business analytics will be more technical, focusing on harnessing the power of data to make business decisions. “Obtaining a specialized master’s degree in business analytics will allow students, who already possess a basic understanding of business, to deepen their knowledge of analytics and data-driven decision-making in order to advance their careers,” says Sanyal.

This 30-credit Master of Science in Business Analytics program will offer convenient in-person evening courses on the Fairfax Campus to accommodate working professionals. Open to everyone looking to deepen their knowledge of data-driven decision-making, no previous work experience is necessary to apply. The program includes a capstone course designed to provide hands-on sessions, teamwork, and active interactions with clients to understand and provide real-world solutions to business problems utilizing business analytics.

“Students in the program will develop the advanced quantitative analytical, programming, and database skills necessary to work with real-world data,” says Hoppner. “But more than that, our graduates will gain ethical foundation underpinning the use of data, the confidence to address complex problems with a critical eye, the ability to communicate solutions to clients and executives at all levels.”

Learn more about the Master of Science in Business Analytics program.