Your Guiding Path
Online MBA with an analytics concentration
You want to stay competitive in your field. With an MBA in analytics, you can set yourself apart. And we'll be here to guide you from enrollment through graduation.
Going beyond the traditional Master of Business Administration (MBA), an MBA in analytics is a multidisciplinary degree with a concentration in analytics, typically business or data analytics. This additional specialization prepares you for higher-level business roles — such as a management consultant or senior analyst — or leadership positions in analytics, marketing, research, and data science, to name a few.
This degree can prepare you for a variety of leadership roles that require business savvy as well as a solid understanding of analytics. Take the first step on your journey by exploring the information below.
Although both a general MBA and an MBA in analytics overlap in foundational business areas — accounting, finance, human resources, marketing — the concentration in analytics provides you with specific skills to analyze and make business decisions from a data-driven perspective.
If you picture this data-driven perspective as a ladder, the bottom rung is where the data mining and analysis begins, followed by establishing targets, then anticipating what’s likely to happen, defining and taking action in the middle rung, and then, at the top of the ladder, you have now gained the perspective necessary to make further adjustments to optimize strategy. This is the power of analytics.
The M.Acc. is typically designed to prepare students for relevant exams and certifications in the field, such as the Certified Management Accountant (CMA), the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), and the Certified Public Accountant (CPA). This degree focuses more on in-depth, technical accounting skills along with business acumen.
MBA in analytics programs focus on both how to structure big-picture thinking and the systematic processes for analysis. Coursework is designed to help you answer the following questions:
- What’s happening in my organization? (descriptive analytics)
- Why is this happening? (diagnostic analytics)
- What can we predict will happen? (predictive analytics)
- What actions should we take? (prescriptive analytics)
Core courses
MBA programs with a concentration in business or data analytics require students to complete the core MBA courses, along with the theory and practice of analytics, including:
- Data analysis
- Accounting analytics
- Marketing analytics
- Financial analytics
- Business statistics
- Business analytics strategy
This blend of MBA and analytics-focused courses can provide you with multidisciplinary business knowledge.
Advanced skills
Depending on whether you specialize in data analytics or business analytics, your more advanced courses may be different.
Data mining
You can learn the process of deciding which information is selected, how it is explored, and then how it is ultimately modeled to identify previously unknown patterns and gain new insights. You can gain additional expertise in:
- Decision tree networks
- Logistic regression
- Neural networks
Business intelligence
Business intelligence is largely software or tool driven. The focus is on developing applications and dashboards to support the decision-making process from retrieval to reporting.
Business analytics
Operating and integrating across a wide range of business areas, business analytics provides a foundation for establishing and applying a methodology for organizational decision-making and problem solving. This methodology may include:
- Qualitative and quantitative methods
- Applied statistical analysis
- Forecasting and extrapolation
- Predictive modeling
Marketing research
If you’re seeking research, consulting, or entrepreneurial opportunities, additional applied marketing knowledge and the available research tools can prove beneficial. Key areas include:
- Customer research
- Brand strategy
- Customer experience
Forecasting and modeling
This advanced skill provides you with the ability to create business forecasts, make estimates, compare forecasting modes, and conduct basic regression analysis.
Typical electives
Some MBA programs give you the chance to choose a specialization by taking elective courses, which can help you decide on your concentration and career path. An elective gives you the chance to study a related topic at a deeper level or in classes from complementary programs such as law or business.
Electives may include:
- Finance
- Accounting
- Marketing
- Information systems and technology
- International business
- Investing
- Informatics
- Decision-making
- Research and analytics
- Human resources
- Budgeting
- Communications
- Business or commercial law
- Launching new ventures or products
- Entrepreneurship
- Project management
- Law and policy
There is no one-size-fits-all model for a graduate education. Many programs come in various forms, each with its own benefits. Here are some of the most common questions you should ask when researching your MBA in analytics:
Is an online analytics program the same as campus-based programs at most universities?
The course content will be largely the same, but the delivery method will be different. Some programs offer 100% online coursework.
How is coursework delivered on an online platform?
Your lectures will likely be presented through video calls or prerecorded sessions with discussions over message boards. All course materials would be accessed online.
Are there hybrid online and on-campus-based program options?
Yes. Some institutions will offer programs that blend elements of on-campus learning with online delivery. Examples of this might be a predominantly online course but with:
- Residencies
- Internships
- Labs
- Seminars
- Networking events
If I graduate from an online program, will my diploma have “online” before the degree?
No. Your diploma will have just the full program name featured just like any on-campus graduate.
The average time it takes to complete a standard MBA in analytics program is about two years, if you choose to study full time. Some students seek accelerated MBA programs that they can finish in as few as 12 months in a condensed curriculum and advanced coursework.
Online MBA programs tend to offer flexibility suitable for students who choose to study part time. This option will likely extend your time to completion, but it can allow you to study while fulfilling your familial, social, and professional obligations.
There are two types of accreditation — regional and specialized.
Regional accreditation
Regional accreditation is the most prestigious type of accreditation that an online or traditional college or university can receive. Regional accreditation confirms that the provider has met and maintained adherence to a minimum set of academic standards.
Most regionally accredited schools will only accept credits from other regionally accredited institutions of higher learning.
Specialized accreditation
Schools often apply to gain specialized accreditation for specific areas of study, departments, or degree programs. The leading authority for business schools and accounting programs is the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International. Enrolling in an accredited program makes you more marketable to employers and can affect your career growth over the long term.
Why accreditation matters
Accreditation is key if you want to:
- Transfer your credits, as most schools will only accept transfer credits from accredited institutions
- Apply for financial aid, as federal aid is only granted to students who are studying at recognized accredited institutions
- MBA programs are mainly accredited through the following — and may hold more than one type:
- AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business)
- ACBSP (Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs)
- IACBE (International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education)
Check for both national and regional accreditation at your university of interest. You may also find that your degree program or academic department of interest has additional and specialized accreditations.
You have goals. We have a path.
Organizations that strive to make better decisions and take the right actions are increasingly using business and data analytics in every aspect of what they do. From cost cuts and improving operational efficiency to leveraging IT investments and managing regulatory risk, there is a growing demand for MBA graduates with specialization in this area. As the world’s learning company, we proudly partner with universities to offer a suite of online analytics programs. Whatever your career goals, we have a path for you.
Find your path
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