Program Overview

Business Analytics - M.S.

Overview

The Master of Science degree in Business Analytics provides students with a comprehensive knowledge of analytics that balances the technologies, analytical methods and business expertise needed to glean useful information from data to make strategic business decisions.

About This Program

Unlock the power of data and advance your career with the Master of Science degree in Business Analytics. Our program provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to leverage data analytics to make informed business decisions. With coursework designed to build proficiency in data analysis, data mining and data visualization, graduates are well-prepared to meet the demands of today's data-driven business environment.

Contact Information

• Adam Cooke | |
• Tamere Massey | |

Program Delivery

• Delivery: Fully online, In person
• Location: Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries

• Chief executives: -10.0% decline, 287,900 number of jobs, $185,950 potential earnings
• Data scientists and mathematical science occupations, all other: 30.9% much faster than the average, 33,200 number of jobs, $98,230 potential earnings
• General and operations managers: 5.8% faster than the average, 2,486,400 number of jobs, $103,650 potential earnings
• Management analysts: 10.7% much faster than the average, 876,300 number of jobs, $87,660 potential earnings
• Operations research analysts: 24.8% much faster than the average, 105,100 number of jobs, $86,200 potential earnings
• Statisticians: 34.6% much faster than the average, 42,700 number of jobs, $92,270 potential earnings

Accreditation

AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
• Minimum 3.000 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
• Official transcript(s)
• Résumé
• Goal statement
• Two letters of recommendation
• English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:
  • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
  • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
  • Minimum 58 PTE score
  • Minimum 110 DET score

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester: Application deadline: March 15 (international student) and June 15 (domestic student)
• Spring Semester: Application deadline: October 1 (international student) and December 1 (domestic student)

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

• Course List Code | Title | Credit Hours
  • BA 54038 | ANALYTICS IN PRACTICE | 3
  • BA 64018 | QUANTITATIVE MANAGEMENT MODELING | 3
  • BA 64036 | BUSINESS ANALYTICS | 3
  • BA 64037 | ADVANCED DATA MINING AND PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS | 3
  • BA 64060 | FUNDAMENTALS OF MACHINE LEARNING | 3
  • BA 64061 | ADVANCED MACHINE LEARNING | 3
  • BA 64082 | DATABASE MANAGEMENT AND DATABASE ANALYTICS | 3
• Major Electives, choose from the following: | 6
  • BA 54050 | DATA VISUALIZATION
  • BA 54052 | TEXT ANALYSIS AND NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING
  • BA 64092 | INTERNSHIP IN BUSINESS ANALYTICS
  • BA 64099 | CAPSTONE PROJECT IN BUSINESS ANALYTICS
  • CIS 54008 | MANAGING AGILE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION PROJECTS
  • CIS 54041 | MANAGING CYBERSECURITY
  • CIS 54046 | HOW TO LEAD AND MANAGE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
  • CIS 64042 | GLOBALIZATION AND TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY
  • CS 54201 | ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
  • CS 54202 | MACHINE LEARNING AND DEEP LEARNING
  • CS 61002 | ALGORITHMS AND PROGRAMMING I
  • CS 63005 | ADVANCED DATABASE SYSTEMS DESIGN
  • CS 63015 | DATA MINING TECHNIQUES
  • CS 63016 | BIG DATA ANALYTICS
  • CS 63017 | BIG DATA MANAGEMENT
  • CS 63018 | PROBABILISTIC DATA MANAGEMENT
  • CS 64201 | ADVANCED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
  • CS 67301 | SCIENTIFIC VISUALIZATION
  • CS 67302 | INFORMATION VISUALIZATION
  • ECON 62054 | ECONOMETRICS I
  • EMAT 60310 | CREATIVE CODING FUNDAMENTALS
  • EMAT 62110 | INTERACTIVE DATA
  • MATH 50015 | APPLIED STATISTICS
  • MATH 50024 | COMPUTATIONAL STATISTICS
  • MATH 50028 | STATISTICAL LEARNING
  • MCLS 50510 | INTRODUCTION TO NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING
  • PSYC 61651 | QUANTITATIVE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS I
• Culminating Requirement
  • BA 64092 | INTERNSHIP IN BUSINESS ANALYTICS | 3
  • or BA 64099 | CAPSTONE PROJECT IN BUSINESS ANALYTICS
• Minimum Total Credit Hours: 30

Graduation Requirements

• Graduation Requirements Summary Minimum Major GPA | Minimum Overall GPA
  • • | 3.000
• No more than one-half of a graduate student’s coursework may be taken in 50000-level courses.
• Grades below C are not counted toward completion of requirements for the degree.

Program Note

Minimum 30 credit hours required for the degree is the assumption that students do not have any unmet requirements they need to be successful in the program. The business analytics program coordinator may make further determination of a student’s preparedness for the program and what prerequisite courses, if any, may be required.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Identify key characteristics of the business problem.
2. Identify opportunities and constraints of various data analytical frameworks and tools.
3. Formulate appropriate data analytic techniques to solve the business problem.
4. Perform necessary data preparation steps (retrieve, clean and manipulate data).
5. Demonstrate necessary theoretical knowledge and practical skills to implement several data-analytic frameworks using different tools.
6. Lead and work with teams to frame the business problem.
7. Convey in writing the outcomes of analytics for stakeholders.
8. Use visual outcomes of analytics to communicate orally effective messages for stakeholders.

Full Description

The Master of Science degree in Business Analytics provides students with a comprehensive knowledge of analytics that balances the technologies, analytical methods and business expertise needed to glean useful information from data to make strategic business decisions. The language of business today is dependent on information and data management, and the emergence of advanced technologies for capturing, preparing and analyzing data provides unprecedented opportunities for those with business analytics expertise that spans all industries and organizations.

Students in the Business Analytics major gain the technical, analytical, communication, decision-making and leadership skills needed to be successful business analysts. The curriculum includes integrative capstone analysis projects, and there is an internship option for additional professional development through the on-site Career Services Office.

Why Kent State University

KSU Business Analytics Students Continue to be in High Demand

Since Devesh Petwal earned a Master of Science in Business Analytics degree in 2020 from Kent State University, he has landed positions as a data professional in corporate settings and academia.

Check Out Our Graduate Certificates

Learn More About Earning a Business Analytics Graduate Certificate.

Level Up Your Education Podcast: Episode 2

Episode 2 of the Level Up Your Education podcast explores the M.S. in Business Analytics and its role in preparing students for data-driven careers. Discover how this program equips graduates with the skills to analyze complex data and drive strategic business decisions.