Program Overview

Introduction to the Master's in Business Analytics

The Master's in Business Analytics is a two-year programme, divided into four semesters. It is designed to equip students with the power of data science, big data, statistics, and machine learning to maximize their impact in the business world.

Curriculum Overview

In the first semester, students take a number of core compulsory courses. During the second and third semesters, students focus on their own specialization. Finally, in the fourth semester, students spend six months doing an internship at a business or research institute, gaining first-hand experience of the working world.

Specializations

The programme offers three specializations:

• Optimisation of Business Processes
• Computational Intelligence
• Financial Risk Management

Optimisation of Business Processes

This track is all about utilizing data and algorithms to optimize business decisions. It combines the fields of operations research, data science, and operations management into a track focused on improving businesses and organizations. Students take compulsory courses in the optimization of business processes, including mathematical optimization, and machine learning and its applications, such as dynamic programming and reinforcement learning. They also choose three electives from a selection.

Computational Intelligence

This track focuses on using algorithms from data mining and machine learning to turn large amounts of data into useful information. Students take compulsory courses in the optimization of business processes, including mathematical optimization, and machine learning and its applications, such as dynamic programming and reinforcement learning. They also choose three electives from a selection.

Financial Risk Management

This track gives students the tools to crunch the numbers in finance. Students learn to price derivatives, such as share options, and strategies for risk management. They also learn how to determine which customers are most at risk of defaulting on their monthly payments. Students take compulsory courses that combine mathematics with financial applications, including stochastic processes for finance, applied analysis using financial mathematics, and investments. They also choose three electives from a selection.

Internship

In the last half of the second year of the Master's programme Business Analytics, students take a six-month internship at a company or external organization, where they carry out a research project. Examples of past internships include revenue management at KLM, patient logistics at the Academic Medical Centre, and meeting location planning for Logica CMG.

Dual Programme

The dual programme allows students to work while studying Business Analytics at the same time. For the first 16 months, students combine their degree studies with a relevant part-time job. They receive 12 credits, a regular salary, and valuable experience that prepares them for professional life.

Career Prospects

The Master's in Business Analytics is a springboard to an international graduate career. Around 95% of Business Analytics graduates go straight into full-time employment on completing their studies. Studying in Amsterdam provides a wealth of international business opportunities right on the doorstep.