Master of Business Administration in Business Analytics

How long is this program?
5-6 semesters
Is this online, in-person or hybrid?
On-Ground, Online
Where will I take my classes?
Gainesville & Online
Which semesters can I start?
Fall & Spring
What type of degree will I get?
MBA
How much is tuition?
$896/credit hour
Business Students working on a project

Turn a business question into an informed decision.

Use data to explain what is happening in a business and decide what to do next. Brenau University’s MBA in Business Analytics develops your ability to investigate performance, interpret results, and communicate recommendations to the people who need them. You’ll study statistics, regression, and data mining alongside finance, marketing, and managing people, preparing you to work with analysts and guide the decisions that follow. If you’re moving into business from another field, the program gives you a way to add business knowledge and analytical skills to your existing education and experience.

Program at a glance

Degree:
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Program Length:
5-6 semesters
Format:
Online & on-ground
Location:
Gainesville & online

Career directions

  • Business analysis: Investigate a business need, assess the evidence, and recommend changes.
  • Business intelligence: Help colleagues understand performance measures and use them to make decisions.
  • Operations analysis: Examine how work gets done and where processes or results could improve.
  • Analytics management: With relevant experience, coordinate analytical work and help teams apply its findings.

The degree can also help you take on more analytical responsibility in your current field. Your experience and technical skills will shape the positions you pursue.

What you’ll learn

  • Identify the question behind a performance problem and decide which data you need to answer it.
  • Examine relationships and trends to support forecasts and explain changes in business results.
  • Translate analytical findings into recommendations that colleagues can understand and use.
  • Plan how to put a recommendation into practice and carry the work through to completion.

Your coursework

The 33-credit MBA includes Business Communications, an 18-credit business core, and a 12-credit Business Analytics major. The four major courses develop your skills in sequence:

  • BA 708: Business Statistics. Learn to apply and interpret statistical tools so you can make sense of business data and explain what the results mean.
  • BA 710: Applied Regression. Examine relationships among variables and patterns over time to help answer business questions and support forecasting.
  • BA 712: Data Mining. Work with data mining software and business examples to practice finding information that can inform a decision.
  • BA 713: Business Analytics Strategy. Examine the organizational factors behind performance measures so you can recommend where a business should focus its efforts. You’ll also study the interpersonal skills that help turn analytical findings into action.
View all coursework in the Catalog

Why study Business Analytics at Brenau?

Prepare to lead analysis and the work that follows

Study finance, business strategy, and managing people alongside analytics, so you can help a team act on its findings.

Practice with data mining software and explore real-world business examples

You’ll learn to interpret results and consider what they mean for a business, with an emphasis on application over mathematical theory.

Small class size

Small classes give you opportunities to ask questions and work directly with professors who bring experience from business and education.

Meet your lead faculty

James Taylor

James Taylor is an associate professor of Management at Brenau University. He earned a Ph.D. in Technology Management – Quality Systems from Indiana State University in 2014, an MBA from the University of Chicago in 1990, and a BSME with honors from Tri-State University in Angola, Indiana, in 1983. He’s also a certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt. Taylor’s research interests include quantitative methods and process improvement, especially Six Sigma. He has been a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers since 1984.

Learn more about James Taylor, Ph.D.

Admissions requirements

To apply, you’ll need:

  • A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
  • A GPA of at least 3.0
  • Official college transcripts
  • A resume

Prerequisite coursework

You can satisfy the prerequisite sequence through graduate coursework or qualifying undergraduate courses:

  • Economics: BA 508 Applied Economics for Managers, or both microeconomics and macroeconomics
  • Accounting and finance: BA 514 Overview of Financial Accounting, or both financial accounting and managerial finance

Courses used to meet these requirements must have been completed within the past five years with a grade of B or better. You may use the graduate option for one requirement and the undergraduate option for the other.

Contact Admissions to review your transcripts and determine whether you need prerequisite coursework in addition to the 33-hour MBA.

Master's Degrees, MBA Business Analytics, Programs

How should I plan the analytics course sequence?

Take Business Statistics before Applied Regression, Applied Regression before Data Mining, and Data Mining before Business Analytics Strategy. Plan these courses with your adviser so prerequisites and course availability fit your intended graduation timeline.

Master's Degrees, MBA Business Analytics, Programs

What preparation do I need before starting the MBA?

There are two routes to the required economics and accounting/finance preparation. At Brenau, you can take BA 508: Applied Economics for Managers and BA 514: Overview of Financial Accounting. Approved undergraduate alternatives are Microeconomics plus Macroeconomics for BA 508, and Accounting Principles I (Financial) plus Managerial Finance for BA 514. You can combine the two routes, allowing qualifying undergraduate coursework to count toward the preparation you need. Courses must have been taken within the last five years with a grade of B or better.

Master's Degrees, MBA Business Analytics, Programs

Do I need a business bachelor’s degree to apply?

No. The MBA accepts applicants with an accredited bachelor’s degree in another field. Prerequisite study in economics, accounting, and finance helps you prepare for graduate business coursework, giving you a way to build on your existing education as you move toward business responsibilities.

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