Business Analytics
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Contact Us
Associate Provost for Academic Programs
Anthony Hall, Suite 220
1265 Lincoln Drive - MC 4305
SIU Carbondale
Carbondale, Illinois 62901
(618) 453-2121
webmaster@siu.edu
Main Content
The Business Analytics area offers two programs, a Master of Science, and a post-graduate certificate.
Master of Science (M.S.) in Business Analytics
The Master of Science in Business Analytics is a comprehensive program that prepares students for management and executive careers linking technology and management in today's data-heavy analytical world. Data scientists are very good at big data, database, and data analytics, but often lack business training or experience. Managers excel at business operations but have little if any experience with artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. Graduates with an M.S. in Business Analytics will have a good working knowledge of database, data science, analytics, data visualization, and artificial intelligence as well as a good foundation in business functions. This program applies leading-edge analytics techniques and artificial intelligence to identify and solve today's and tomorrow's complex business problems.
Admissions
Applications for admission to the program are accepted year-round for any semester.
Application Materials
Applicants to the program must submit the following:
- SIU Graduate School application form (gradschool.siu.edu/apply)
- Transcripts from all prior institutions other than SIU Carbondale
- Resume or CV
- Include all professional experience since earning a bachelor’s degree.
- Only title, dates, location, and company are needed for older entries.
- Evidence of one of the following four items –
- Professional Experience (resume):
- Five or more years of post-baccalaureate full-time professional work experience
- Academic Excellence (transcripts):
- An AACSB accredited bachelor’s degree with a 3.5 or better GPA, or
- Another graduate degree already awarded.
- Personal Statement:
- A personal statement detailing the applicant’s fit with the program.
- Entrance Examination:
- GMAT, or
- GRE.
- Professional Experience (resume):
- Contact information for at least three references (can be included in the resume).
- International applicants –
- Additional requirements for international students are outlined elsewhere in this catalog as well as online at https://gradschool.siu.edu/apply/international.php.
- Note that financial disclosures and other materials that are only used for obtaining a student VISA are not required for online programs such as this. Please contact Graduate School (gradschl@siu.edu) for more information.
Admission Requirements
Admissions applications are given holistic consideration. The primary areas of consideration are academic performance (e.g., GPA, examination scores) and professional experience (e.g., length and breadth of experience, level of responsibility, significance of impact, references). Demonstrated knowledge in analytics or related areas is given extra weight.
If the admissions committee recommends admission for an applicant despite academic deficiencies, the Graduate School will decide whether or not to directly admit that applicant. If Graduate School determines they are not qualified for direct admission, an applicant may instead seek non-declared graduate admissions until they establish a Graduate GPA of at least 3.000 at which point they may re-apply for admission to the program.
Transfer Credit
Within the limits imposed by the policies of the Graduate School, an incoming student may receive transfer credit if equivalent graduate-level courses were taken at an AACSB International accredited graduate school. The determination of equivalency is to be made by the faculty director/coordinator of the degree program. Coursework from other than AACSB International accredited graduate schools must be approved by the College’s Master’s Programs Committee.
Degree Requirements
Students in the program must successfully complete 36 credit hours of coursework, with an overall GPA of 3.0. This includes 12 credit hours from the Core Business Courses, 21 credit hours from the Core Analytics Courses, and 3 credit hours from the Discipline-Specific Analytics Courses.
Core Business Courses (pick 4 of 5, 12 Credit Hours)
- BA 510: Managerial Accounting and Control Concepts (3 CH)
- BA 522: Operations and Supply Chain Management (3 CH)
- BA 530: Financial Management (3 CH)
- BA 540: Managerial and Organizational Behavior (3 CH)
- BA 550: Marketing Management (3 CH)
Core Analytics Courses (21 Credit Hours)
- BA 523: Strategic Data Mining (3 CH)
- BA 524: Foundations of Analytics for Managers (3 CH)
- BA 525: Data Science and Analytics for Managers (3 CH)
- BA 526: Advanced Analytics and Artificial Intelligence for Managers (3 CH)
- BA 527: Advanced Analytics and Visualization for Managers (3 CH)
- BA 528: Analytics Capstone (3 CH)
- BA 561: Database Design and Applications (3 CH)
Discipline-Specific Course in Analytics (pick 1 of 5, 3 Credit Hours)
- BA 529A: Accounting Analytics (3 CH)
- BA 529B: Financial Analytics (3 CH)
- BA 529C: Marketing Analytics (3 CH
- BA 529D: Management Analytics (3 CH)
- BA 591: Independent Study (3 CH)*
*Students must obtain approval from the supervising instructor and the program director or coordinator prior to registration for this to count towards the Discipline-Specific Analytics Course requirement.
Substitution
Course(s) which students may not join (e.g. BA 510, BA 530) due to prior education (e.g. accountancy or finance undergraduate majors) may be substituted with other 500-level course(s) subject to the approval from the director of the program. In all cases, the student must still achieve the credit hour requirements listed in “Degree Requirements."
Sample Schedules
Three sample schedules are provided below. Your program of study may vary based on prior education, selected Core Business Courses, and course availability. Term A refers to the first eight weeks of a Fall/Spring semester, and Term B refers to the final eight weeks of a Fall/Spring semester.
Summer Entry
Summer entry is ideal for those who do not have a traditional business education.
| Summer | Fall | Spring | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | BA 506* BA 510 |
BA 525 (Term A) BA 530 (Term B) BA 524 (Full semester) |
BA 527 (Term A) BA 550 (Term B) BA 561 (Full semester) |
| Year 2 | BA 523 | BA 522 (Term A) BA 526 (Term B) |
BA 528 (Full Semester) BA 529 (Full Semester) |
*BA 506 is only needed for those who do not fulfill course prerequisites.
Fall Entry
Fall entry is ideal for those who already have some business education.
| Fall | Spring | Summer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | BA 525 (Term A) BA 530 (Term B) BA 524 (Full semester) |
BA 527 (Term A) BA 550 (Term B) BA 561 (Full semester) |
BA 523 BA 540 |
| Year 2 | BA 522 (Term A) BA 530 (Term B) |
BA 528 (Full Semester) BA 529 (Full Semester) |
Spring Entry
Spring entry is also available for those who wish to begin right away.
| Spring | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | BA 561 (Full semester) | BA 523 BA 540 |
BA 525 (Term A) BA 524 (Full semester) |
| Year 2 | BA 527 (Term A) BA 528 (Term B) |
BA 510 | BA 522 (Term A) BA 526 (Term B) |
| Year 3 | BA 528 (Full Semester) BA 529 (Full Semester) |
Special Note - BA 506
BA 506 teaches students who do not have a business education with selected knowledge from a variety of traditional undergraduate business courses, while also preparing students for graduate-level writing. It fulfills the prerequisites for a number of courses including BA 510, BA 522, and BA 530.
Although it can be built into the program of study for any entry term, those without a business education may find entering in summer, when BA 506 is offered, to be ideal for a streamlined program of study.
Those who already fulfill the prerequisites of the courses or will otherwise fulfill them during their program of study, do not need BA 506.
Certificate in Analytics for Managers
Managers increasingly are expected to consider large amounts of data to make faster and better decisions. Analytics is a technical tool that can be used to process all these data to find solutions. This post-baccalaureate certificate allows practicing executives, managers, and those on the managerial track, to understand their organization in terms of analytics, to make the best use of their organization’s analytics function, and to apply analytical models back into their organization. This is not a deeply technical program because few managers will need the highly technical skills of data scientists. But, rather, this is a program that will introduce managers to the latest advances in analytics and artificial intelligence so they can make more efficient and effective data-based decisions.
Students must complete 18 credit hours of coursework in Foundation of Analytics, Information Systems, Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Visualization, and the Analytics Capstone course.
For more information about the programs, please contact:
Graduate Programs Office
College of Business and Analytics
Mail Code 4625
1025 Lincoln Drive
Carbondale, Illinois 62901
Telephone: 618-453-3030
gradprograms@business.siu.edu
Differential Tuition
The College of Business and Analytics has a differential tuition surcharge of 15 percent of applicable tuition for graduate College of Business and Analytics majors. The differential tuition surcharge will be assessed at the in-state tuition rate and will be capped at 15 credit hours per semester.