Program Overview

Introduction to the MSc in Business and Data Analytics (Quantitative Analysis for Business)

The MSc in Business and Data Analytics (MScBDA) programme aims to cultivate students with professional knowledge of business data analytics through active learning of statistical and analytical methods, real-world business examples, and programming techniques. The programme curriculum includes a wide range of knowledge areas such as applied statistics, big data management, data mining, social media analytics, and economic and financial forecasting.

Programme Overview

The MScBDA programme has two streams. Typically, a student will be admitted to either the Quantitative Analysis for Business (QAB) or the Information Analytics Management (IAM) streams. The QAB programme has a history of nearly 30 years and has been developed to provide modern quantitative skills that will facilitate business problem identification, analytical framework formulation, and statistical analysis in a wide range of areas in the finance industry, technology firms, and public sectors.

Programme Structure and Curriculum

The MScBDA (QAB) programme offers comprehensive quantitative methods, including courses on:

• Applied regression analysis
• Data mining
• Predictive modeling in marketing
• Economic forecasting
• Financial econometrics The programme benefits from training students through statistical programming, such as SAS, R, and Python, and provides hands-on experience for data analytics. All courses are self-contained and do not require previous programming experience from students. Real-world business examples with relevant data analysis are taught through hands-on programming exercises.

Admission Requirements

Potential students of the programme are college graduates of:

• Business majors (accounting, marketing, management, etc.)
• Social science majors
• Engineering majors
• Science majors However, the potential students are expected to have studied at least one undergraduate course in calculus or linear algebra. The programme welcomes applicants who do not have any background in statistics and programming.

Accreditation and Professional Recognition

The MScBDA (QAB) programme at CityU achieved accreditation from the Royal Statistical Society (RSS), U.K., in December 2023. This accreditation recognises that the MScBDA (QAB) programme meets the established standards in the fields of statistics and data analytics. Upon completion of their studies, students are granted the status of Graduate Statistician (RSS), and it also paves the way for them to pursue the professional qualification of Chartered Statistician (RSS) after accumulating five years of work experience.

Career Opportunities

Many graduates of the programme have held managerial positions in business and industrial sectors in Hong Kong. Recent graduate placements include many top companies in mainland China, such as Tencent, ByteDance, Nielsen, Ernst and Young, Deloitte, Ping An Asset Management, etc. The programme welcomes students who want to pursue a career path where statistical data analysis has a significant role.