Program Overview

Business Specialized Master in Business Business Analytics Online

The Specialized Master in Business Analytics (SMB-A) program at Ohio State's Fisher College of Business is designed to develop next-generation managers capable of leveraging practical approaches to analysis, informed decision-making, and systems thinking. Our graduate program equips students with real-world knowledge of how applied statistics, applications in machine learning, and data visualization tactics can be used to inform advances in productivity, market position, and business innovation.

Program Structure

The SMB-A program uses a blended course delivery format, where students participate in 75 percent online asynchronous instruction, with the remaining 25 percent delivered via Saturday in-person classes or live-streaming. Live streaming means students in the SMB-A program can complete their degree 100% online from anywhere. Saturday classes involve in-depth discussion, live demonstrations, explorations of subjects, and hands-on individual and group exercises. Saturday classes meet 3 times during a term, four in summer, and are delivered as 3.5-hour blocks.

Curriculum

The full-time or part-time curriculum is comprised of 31.5 semester credit hours of coursework, distributed as follows:

• 10.5 credit hours for business foundation course work, consisting of four courses:
  • Managerial Economics
  • Accounting and Financial Analysis
  • Statistics and Data Analysis
  • Leadership and Organizational Behavior
• 12 credit hours of course work in Data Management, and Descriptive, Predictive, and Prescriptive Analytics
• 3 credit hours for an Analytics Management Capstone using real data from a corporate partner
• 6 credit hours of analytics-focused or discipline-specific electives

Full-Time Curriculum

Semester 1 (Autumn)

• Term one (7 weeks)
  • Statistics and Data Analysis - BUSMGT 6400 (3 credits)
  • Accounting and Finance for Analytics - BUSFIN 6230 (3 credits)
• Term two (7 weeks)
  • Data Management for Analytics - BUSMGT 7250 (3 credits)
  • Managerial Economics - BUSML 6243 (3 credits)

Semester 2 (Spring)

• Term one (7 weeks)
  • Descriptive Analytics and Visualization - BUSMGT 7331 (3 credits)
  • Predictive Analytics - BUSMGT 7332 (3 credits)
• Term two (7 weeks)
  • Prescriptive Analytics - BUSML 7243 (3 credits)
  • Elective (3 credit hours)

Semester 3 (Summer)

• Term one (8 weeks)
  • Leadership - BUSMHR 7270 (1.5 credits)
  • Elective (3 credit hours)
  • Analytics Management Capstone - BUSML 7249 (3 credit hours)

Part-Time Curriculum

The part-time curriculum consists of the same classes, however, they are spread over a two-year period. This option is a great choice for busy working professionals looking to balance work, life, and education. However, the full-time option is open to working and non-working students looking to complete the program in 10 months.

Admission and Eligibility

The SMB-A program is open to everyone, with no work experience requirements. It is designed for professionals to acquire graduate-level knowledge and credentials in business analytics in as little as 10 months, or at a slower part-time pace. Whether already working with business data or looking to shift into the growing field of management analytics, this program offers the opportunity to accelerate career trajectories or make a career change.