Master of Science in Business Analytics - School of Business Administration

Transform data into strategic action, influence decision-making and strengthen your organization’s efficiency with the knowledge, tools and techniques practiced and perfected in OU’s STEM-designated Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program. Through a program based on experiential learning, including corporate-sponsored projects, graduates of OU’s MSBA are prepared to meet the increasing demand for data-savvy professionals equipped to address business challenges across industries.

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MSBA

OU’s MS in Business Analytics is designed for professionals seeking to deepen their understanding and develop their skills in harnessing data to identify opportunities, respond to challenges, influence decision making and implement successful solutions.

Graduates of the program will be equipped to use data to solve business problems across industries and disciplines. Industries experiencing strong growth in the use of business analytics include financial services, retail, health services, accounting and auditing, transportation and logistics, entertainments, sports and travel.

Through the combination of the focused curriculum, experiential learning and expert-led courses, students will graduate with the skills to make data-driven decisions based on their business knowledge and ability to expertly utilize a variety of statistical and quantitative methods, computational tools and predictive models.

The program is structured around four modules:

Preparatory and Foundation Courses – Required for students who lack an information systems and/or statistics background. Students with the necessary background will be waived from these courses. Credits from these courses do not count toward the degree.
Core Courses – Provides analysis, design and implementation skills
Elective Courses – Develops in-depth knowledge
Capstone Project – Synthesizes and applies students’ knowledge to contemporary issues

Graduate Success
78% of OU MSBA graduates report a new employer, new title at existing employer or salary increase of greater than 10% within three months of graduation.

Employment information is based on a 100% Knowledge Rate. Knowledge Rate is reliable and verifiable outcome information from survey responses, social media mining and departmental records for students who graduated with an MSBA degree from the School of Business Administration 2021-22.

COMING SOON
OU's Master of Science in Business Analytics 4+1 program will offer students an expedited way to earn both an undergraduate MIS degree specializing in business analytics and a master's degree in business analytics in a minimum of five years. Students in the 4+1 program can graduate with an MSBA degree by completing an additional 18 credits (six courses) instead of 30 credits (10 courses) beyond the undergraduate MIS major requirements.

Program Information Flier Program Overview

Contact Us
Graduate Business Programs
(248) 370-3287
OUGradBusiness@oakland.edu

Program Structure

Oakland University’s Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program requires a minimum of 30 credits. The program is structured around four modules — preparatory and foundation courses; IT core courses; business analytics courses; and the capstone course.

Preparatory and Foundation

Required for students who lack an information systems background. Students with the necessary background will be waived from these courses. Credits from these courses do not count toward the degree.

Preparatory

MIS 3050 Information Technology Foundations

Foundation

MIS 5240 Enterprise Information Systems
QMM 5100 Quantitative Methods for Managers

IT Core Courses

Provides analysis, design and implementation skills.

MIS 5140 Introduction to Databases and Data Warehousing
MIS 5160 Software Program and Project Management
MIS 5460 Business Analytics

*Students waived from IT core courses must select other graduate business electives to complete their program.

Business Analytics

Required Course

MIS 5560 Introduction to Data Science

Choose five from the following:

MIS 5470 Practical Computing for Data Analytics
MIS 5500 Web Analytics
MIS 6060 Advanced Databases and Big Data Management
POM 5410 Operations Analytics
QMM 6400 Management Science
QMM 5520 Forecasting
MIS 6900 ST: Deep Learning and Text Analytics
MIS 6900 ST: Social Network Analysis
MIS 6900 ST: Advanced Analytics with Python
MIS 6900 Other Special Topics in Management Information Systems
Graduate electives from related disciplines (with prior approval)

Capstone Course

Synthesizes students’ knowledge and applies it to address issues in one or more areas of focus (MIS 6940).

How to Apply

Admission to the MSBA program is selective and depends on several elements including scholarship and ability to communicate effectively. Applications are considered by the MIS Graduate Admissions Committee. In making admission recommendations, the committee considers the applicant’s undergraduate records, GMAT or GRE scores, responses to questions on the supplemental application and work experience.

Admission Deadlines

Admission Requirements

The requirements for admission to the MSBA program include:

A bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a regionally accredited undergraduate institution
The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE)*

Learn about our GMAT preparation courses offered at Oakland University.

*MSBA applicants may request to waive the GMAT/GRE requirement.

GMAT/GRE Waiver

MSBA applicants may request to waive the GMAT/GRE requirement. To be eligible for the waiver, applicants must meet one of the following criteria:

Earned a master’s degree or higher with a minimum overall GPA of 3.0
Has an acceptable score on the GRE, LSAT, or MCAT entrance exam
Earned a bachelor’s degree with an overall GPA of at least 3.0 from an AACSB-accredited business school
Earned a bachelor’s degree in any major with an overall GPA of at least 3.2 from a regionally accredited program
Completed a business-related certification such as CPA, CFA, CFP or FRM
Has at least 3 years of relevant professional work experience and an undergraduate overall GPA of at least 2.75
Has completed at least 3 years of service in the US armed services

The GMAT/GRE waiver is integrated into the application, so if you believe you qualify, select this option.

How to Apply

The application process requires submission of the following:

Apply now online from the Graduate School
Curriculum Vitae or Resumé - uploaded after online application is submitted
Two email addresses for individuals who will write your recommendations - added after online application is submitted
Official transcripts from all previous colleges and universities attended sent to OU
Official GMAT/GRE scores sent to OU*

International students who have not earned a baccalaureate degree from a U.S. college or university or at least 24 credits from a U.S school, will have additional application requirements:

A transcript evaluation (for transcripts from a college or university outside of the United States)
TOEFL Exam Scores (for non-native English speakers unless they have a baccalaureate degree from a U.S. college or university or at least 24 credits from a U.S. school)

*MSBA applicants may request to waive the GMAT/GRE requirement.

Graduate Assistantship

Applications for Fall semester must be received by April 1.

SAS Analytics Specialization

Through a collaboration with SAS, a worldwide leader in analytics software, Oakland University business analytics students can earn a Tier 2 Academic Specialization in SAS Analytics as part of their degree program.

The specialization recognizes the ability to leverage leading SAS analytical tools for statistical analysis, data mining, forecasting, machine learning, text mining, and visual data analytics. Oakland students also can access SAS software, attend expert presentations and special webinars.

By earning the badge, students position themselves for careers in advanced analytics, multivariate analysis, business intelligence, criminal investigation, and predictive analytics in addition to gaining knowledge and skills to advance in their careers. The digital badge can be used on the recipient’s resume or CV, LinkedIn profile, website, social media or other career-related materials.

Criteria for Tier 2 Academic Specialization in SAS

Students in the following programs can earn this digital badge as they complete the necessary requirements in courses that incorporate SAS specialization requirements:

MS in Business Analytics
MS in IT Management with Business Analytics concentration
BS in Management Information Systems with Business Analytics specialization
Business Analytics minor

Required courses (9 credits) to earn the SAS Analytics Specialization badge:

MIS 4560/MIS 5560 Introduction to Data Science (3 credits)
MIS 4900/MIS 6900 Special Topics: Deep Learning and Text Analytics (3 credits)
QMM 4520/QMM 5520 Forecasting (3 credits)

Students must:

demonstrate a clear understanding of the value of SAS Analytics specialization
have at least one graded assignment with applied SAS usage per course
at least nine credit hours of required courses that use SAS in each course at least 50 percent of the time
complete a project using SAS