Mixing Math and an MBA
MBA Program Spotlight: Business Analytics
Are you really into math and statistics but can’t envision yourself as a nutty professor? Maybe you are afraid of becoming the next John Forbes Nash, Jr. if you hide away completely into the world of numbers, but you still know that quantitative analysis is the skill that will propel your career. Well, you might want to consider a career in business analytics. Business analytics uses quantitative and statistical methodologies to analyze, explain, and predict business performance. The fields that you could enter with a concentration in business analytics are endless: retail sales and pricing, financial services, risk analysis, telecommunication, fraud analysis, and much more. In addition, a concentration in business analytics will teach you advanced software skills (such as Excel and SAS) that will be invaluable to you as you look for a job. Here are a couple of great programs to get you on your way.
University of Texas at Austin – McCombs School of Business
What’s so great about this school? UT Austin offers a very robust business analytics concentration with 2 core courses and 4 electives. Many of the courses focus on marketing analytics, but there are also courses on supply chain management, pricing, and social media. These courses are taken throughout the two years of the full time MBA program, rather than after completion of the core curriculum, so that you can apply the principles of data analysis through all of your relevant coursework and really have a firm grasp of the content when you graduate. There are also experiential and international learning opportunities, and an active Sigma Fellows student organization.
School Type: Public
Median GMAT Score: 693
Average Incoming GPA: 3.43
Percent of Applicants Accepted: 34%
Student to Faculty Ratio: 2:1
Average Student Age: 28
University of Louisiana, Baton Rouge – E.J. Ourso College of Business
What’s so great about this school? This program allows you to narrow the focus of your business analytics concentration down even further into business intelligence, data mining, or web analytics. You can take just 3 courses in your specialization, or as many as 5 to maximize your knowledge during your time in the MBA program. The data mining courses help prepare you for the SAS Predictive Modeler Certification exam, which saves you the time and money of prepping for this valuable certification later on.
School Type: Public
Median GMAT Score: 615
Average Incoming GPA: 3.42
Percent of Applicants Accepted: 76.7%
Student to Faculty Ratio: 1:1
Average Student Age: 24
University of North Carolina, Charlotte – Belk College of Business
What’s so great about this school? The UNC Charlotte program consists of 22 hours of core courses, and then students complete the remaining 15 hours by taking courses in the specialization of their choice. The Business Analytics specialization includes 3 core courses about modeling, data management, and project management, and then students can select their final course for the specialization from their individual area of interest. They offer some unique and interesting courses, such as Econometrics, Business Data Communications, and Pricing and Position Strategy. UNC Charlotte is also one of the best value MBA programs, even for out-of-state students.
School Type: Public
Median GMAT Score: 600
Average Incoming GPA: 3.0
Percent of Applicants Accepted: 49.1%
Student to Faculty Ratio: 21:1
Average Student Age: 29
Image Courtesy of ocean yamaha with Creative Commons License.