Business Analytics Requirements & Deadlines

Completion of a Calculus Course

Completion of at least one college-level calculus course is required, at the level of Calculus I or higher. Short Calculus, Pre-Calculus, or Survey of Calculus courses do not meet this prerequisite. Applicants who have not yet completed a calculus course should not submit an application to the program until they have completed the course and received either a final grade or official, verifiable certificate of completion.

This requirement can be satisfied in one of two ways:

• Academic coursework, with course title and final grade appearing on an academic transcript from an accredited university or college (Upload a course description or syllabus on the "Carlson Masters Programs requirements" page of the application).

OR

• Completion of one of the MSBA faculty-approved online certificate options listed below (Upload your official, verifiable certificate of completion on the "Carlson Masters Programs Requirements" page of the application).

These are the only online certificate courses that may be used to satisfy the calculus prerequisite.

Demonstrated Computer Programming Competency

Demonstrated competency in computer programming is required. The following programming languages satisfy the requirement: Python, C, C++, C#, VB (not VBA), or Java. Competency is required in only one of these languages. Competency may be demonstrated one of three ways:

1. Academic Coursework - University class on transcript showing formal education in and successful completion of programming coursework as an undergraduate or graduate. Upload a course description or syllabus which includes the name of the programming language learned. This course must appear on your transcript (uploaded in the Educational Background section of this application.) Do not re-upload your transcript on the "Carlson Masters Programs requirements" page of the application; this upload must be a course description or syllabus indicating the language learned in your programming class.
2. Professional Experience - Resume indicating specific projects, assignments, or responsibilities with clear details of how computer programming was utilized in a professional, full-time work capacity (internships do not count toward this prerequisite). Simply listing the programming language you know is not sufficient. You must have bullet points indicating which programming language you use and how you use the programming language to complete your professional work. 
3. Completion of Online Coursework* - Certificate(s) of completion for an online course (or a course sequence) in computer programming (preferably Python) with a duration of no less than 20 hours*. The course (or course sequence) must cover basic programming concepts and techniques including but not limited to: conditional statements, loops, functions, input/output, file handling, foundational data types and structures such as strings, lists, and dictionaries. Recommended courses, which are strongly preferred by our Academic Director, are listed in a table down below. 
   
   Please upload a verifiable certificate of completion on the "Carlson Masters Programs requirements" page of the application. If the certificate title does not include the programming language used, please include a course description or syllabus with the upload indicating programming language taught. 

Applicants who have not yet satisfied the computer programming requirement should not submit an application to the program until they can demonstrate competency in one of the three ways listed above.

Selecting Online Programming Coursework to Meet the Prerequisite

If you have not completed academic coursework in or professional experience using one of our accepted programming languages, the online course you select to meet our prerequisite should cover basic programming concepts and techniques. Recommended courses, which are strongly preferred by our Academic Director, are listed down below. Regardless, the course(s) must cover the following topics at minimum:

• conditional ("if") statements
• loops
• functions
• input/output
• file handling
• foundational data types and structures (e.g., strings, lists, dictionaries)

While our basic requirements for the online course option are 20 hours minimum of instruction and an official, verifiable certificate of completion, we strongly recommend taking additional steps to become more comfortable with object oriented programming before applying. Consider taking a full specialization track or professional certification online, consisting of a variety of programming courses in your chosen language (we recommend Python). Strongly consider also applying what you learn in your online studies to your work, internship, or personal projects, and add these new experiences to your resume.

While a 20-hour online certificate course will meet our basic prerequisite, additional study and applied practice will:

• Boost your application
• Better prepare you for our programming-heavy curriculum
• Impress hiring managers in your post-program job search

Listed below are some MSBA faculty-suggested online certificate options that will each meet our basic programming prerequisite. You are not limited to the options on this table to meet the basic requirement; however, these options are strongly preferred by our Academic Director.

Submit a completed application. Application requirements are listed below.

List each institution of higher learning from which you have earned credit in your application. You must have a first university degree that is an equivalent to a 4-year U.S. bachelor's degree.*

Unofficial Transcripts

You must submit a transcript from each college or university where you have completed coursework before your application will be considered complete and reviewed by the admissions committee. 

Unofficial transcripts must include your name and the name of the institution. Third Party credential evaluation reports and degree planning documents are not accepted. 

Non-English transcripts must be accompanied by an English translation. 

More information on transcripts/academic credentials. 

Official Transcripts

If you're admitted, official transcripts or academic records must be submitted prior to your enrollment at the University of Minnesota. 

Official transcripts must be sent directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions Office from the institution. An official, certified (signature and seal) English translation must accompany non-English transcripts. The University of Minnesota reserves the right to require the submission of official transcripts or credentials any time during the admission review process. English language translation services in the Twin Cities

*Note:  A 3-year degree from India does not satisfy this minimum requirement and must complete an additional year of post-baccalaureate study before submitting an application to the program. If a student is unsure whether their degree is an equivalent to a 4-year U.S. bachelor’s degree they should email their transcripts and proof of degree to the Office of Graduate Admissions at  for review.gsquest@umn.edu

You must submit essay responses to the questions detailed below (approximately 2 pages maximum). 

• What draws you to business analytics as a field? Why are you interested in the Carlson School’s Business Analytics program specifically? (approximately 200 words)
• What career roles (job positions, industries, companies) would you be interested in landing directly after completion of the program? How will the Carlson School’s Business Analytics program help you achieve your career goals? (approximately 275 words)
• An aptitude for technical and quantitative work is necessary for success in the Business Analytics program. Please provide a specific example(s) from your past academic project, internship, or professional experience where you used a computer programming language, technical/quantitative tool or method to solve a problem. Please provide details describing the problem/situation, the actions you took, the specific tools, programming languages, and methods you used, and the results of your actions. (approximately 275 words)

Please answer each prompt separately.  You may copy/paste each prompt into your document.

The admissions committee will review both the content of your responses and your ability to communicate clearly in writing.

Full-time work experience is not required. We do strongly recommend having at least some related internship(s) involving analyzing data, using technical software, and/or applying computer programming languages (e.g., Python, R, SQL, C, C++, C#, VB, or Java), in addition to having related academic or extracurricular experiences.

Prepare a current resume that includes a detailed education and employment history in no more than 3 pages.

Resume guidelines:

• List both employer(s) and official position(s) held.
• Specify both month and year for dates of employment in each role.
• Detail job responsibilities and accomplishments in approximately 3-5 bullet points.
• Include details of any programming languages, technical software, and/or analytical methods used in each.
• You may include a separate section for academic projects with significant quantitative and/or technical components.
• Do not worry about exceeding 1 page.

For additional guidance, visit our Carlson Business Career Center's resume advice webpage, and feel free to use their resume template to simplify the process.

Upload your completed resume in the online application where prompted for your Resume or CV.

Test optional 

GMAT or GRE General Test scores are optional for admission to the MS in Business Analytics program for domestic or international applicants who meet the following requirement:

• Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale (or overall B grade equivalent on another scale)

In the online application, in the "Carlson Masters Programs Requirements" section, you will indicate whether or not you meet this GPA requirement.

If the grades on your undergraduate academic transcripts do not meet our minimum requirement (3.0 or B grade), you must submit official GMAT or GRE General Test scores with your application in order to be considered for admission.

If you indicate in your application that you meet our GPA requirement, but the cumulative grades on your undergraduate academic transcripts show otherwise, your admissions decision may be severely delayed, and we will still require official GMAT or GRE General Test scores before moving forward with your admissions consideration.

When are GMAT or GRE Scores Strongly Recommended?

While submission of GMAT or GRE scores is optional for those with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or above, strong scores can still boost an application. It is strongly recommended for applicants with academic weaknesses (e.g., lower grades in quantitative or technical/programming classes) to submit scores. The admissions committee does not prefer one test over the other, and we do not have minimum required scores; however we recommend a Quantitative section score in the 80th percentile or above on either test.

Note:  Applicants interested in pursuing a career in consulting should plan to take the GMAT specifically, as many major consulting firms consider these scores when assessing job candidates.

If you do decide to submit test scores, they must be less than five years old at the time of application. The unofficial test scores should be entered directly into the online application. Official test scores should be received before the deadline for which you would like to be considered.

For the GMAT, arrange for the testing service to send an official score report to code D2N-VJ-05, Carlson Master of Science in Business Analytics. Results arrive 2-3 weeks after the test.

For the GRE, arrange for the testing service to send an official score report using institution code 6874, U of MN graduate school. Results may take up to 8 weeks to arrive.

Two recommendations are required. Recommendations can come from professional and academic recommenders, though we suggest at least one recommendation come from a supervisor if you have professional experience. 

Note: You do not need to solicit letters of recommendation from your recommenders. You will provide the contact info for your recommenders and the form will automatically be emailed to them from GMAC's Common Letter of Recommendation. Your recommender may attach a letter of recommendation should they choose. 

We recommend starting your application early so you can enter the recommender contact information right away before continuing to work on your application. Both recommenders must complete the recommendation form for your application to be considered complete. All recommendations must be received before the deadline for which you would like to be considered. 

International and domestic applicants whose first language is not English must provide proof of English language proficiency. Proof of English language proficiency is measured according to the categories detailed below. You are not exempt if you have lived in an English-speaking country for several years, but have not completed any prior education in English.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• Applicants providing an exam score must have an exam date within two years of the graduate program start date. Exams exceeding two years will not be accepted.
• We do not offer an option for the English language ability to be assessed upon arrival on campus.

For additional details regarding this requirement, please visit the Office of Graduate Admission's website or contact them at gsquest@umn.edu.   

The application fee is:

• $75 (non-refundable) for U.S. citizens
• $95 for international applications and U.S. residents with foreign credentials

Your application fee will be automatically waived if you have served in the U.S. Armed Forces for any length of time prior to submitting an application. We are unable to offer application fee waivers to any other applicants.

The video essay is a required component of the application that provides candidates with an opportunity to show the admissions committee the authentic you. Think of this video essay as if you were answering an interview question with a member of our admissions committee.

• You will need to use a computer with camera and microphone capabilities. You will have the ability to test your technology before starting the video essay and submit a practice video essay.
• You can test your technology and run the practice simulation as many times as you wish to be comfortable with the format and technology.  You will be able to review your practice video essay(s) and your recording(s) will not be saved beyond the testing phase and will never be reviewed.
• You can also practice responding to impromptu questions offline with a friend or colleague before completing the video essay portion of your application.
• You will be prompted to click "Ready" once you are prepared to submit an official video essay.  You will be asked one impromptu question from a bank of imaginative or behavioral questions selected by our admissions team.
• Two minutes (120 seconds) will be provided to prepare an answer and two minutes (120 seconds) to record an answer.   Recording will automatically stop after two minutes.  You are not required to use the full two minutes.  If you have time remaining once complete with your response, click the "Stop Recording" button to end the recording.
• You will only be provided one attempt to record your official video essay.

Admission interviews are by invitation only. Not all applicants will be interviewed. 

Interviews may be conducted on campus or online via Zoom. The interview is approximately 30 minutes in length and aimed at better understanding a candidate’s academic and professional background. You should treat the interview as you would a job interview. Appropriate attire is business professional.