Business Analytics Master’s Programs Comparison

The Carlson School offers two STEM-designated master's programs in business analytics, each designed to meet different career goals and professional needs. Whether you're seeking to become a specialized data scientist or looking to enhance your current role with analytics capabilities, we have a program to help you succeed in today's data-driven economy.

 

Find Your Future in a Data-Driven World

No matter which program you choose, our business analytics graduate master's programs offer a comprehensive education in analytics from data visualization to big data and responsible AI that will help you achieve your career goals. 

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One-Year Master’s in Business Analytics 

The Carlson School's Master of Science in Business Analytics program is a one-year, full-time investment that will help you develop technical skills in data science and artificial intelligence while growing your business acumen. 

  • Target audience: Early-career professionals or recent graduates seeking to become data scientists, AI specialists, or advanced analytics professionals
  • Career outcomes: Data Scientist, Machine Learning Engineer, AI Specialist, Analytics Manager
  • Ideal for: Those wanting to dive deep into technical analytics and AI, aiming for specialized technical roles
     

Program Details:

  • Duration: Full-time; 1 year
  • Format: On-campus, classes held during the day
  • Start Date: Mid-August
  • GMAT/GRE: Not required with 3.0+ GPA
  • Work Experience: Not required, but suitable for those with strong quantitative backgrounds, regardless of work experience
  • STEM-Designated: F-1 visas available
woman at desk typing on laptop
Online Master of Applied Business Analytics  

The Carlson School's Online Master of Applied Business Analytics program is a two-year, part-time degree that will help you develop technical skills in data science and artificial intelligence, and soft skills in communications and collaboration all while you continue working.

  • Target audience: Working professionals looking to enhance their current role with analytics capabilities or pivot into an analytics career
  • Career outcomes: Business Analyst, Analytics Consultant, Operations Analyst, Marketing Analytics Manager
  • Ideal for: Professionals who want to apply analytics to business decision-making while maintaining their current job or pivot into an analytics career
     

Program Details:

  • Duration: Part-time, flexible; Average 2 years
  • Format: Online, classes at your own pace
  • Start Date: January and September
  • GMAT/GRE: Not required 
  • Work Experience: Not required, but valuable for professionals already in the workforce who want to add analytics capabilities to their skill set
  • STEM-Designated: F-1 visas not issued; international students with US work authorization welcome to apply

Common Curriculum Features

Both programs offer a comprehensive and cutting-edge curriculum. You'll start with courses in statistics, programming languages like Python and R, and data analysis tools and techniques. Building upon those, you'll advance to topics including predictive analytics, big data, and artificial intelligence. The goal of both is to equip you with technical analytics skills and the ability to apply them to a business setting.

MS in Business Analytics Curriculum Highlights

The MSBA curriculum is a deep, technical dive into analytics concepts and topics, from data analysis to statistical modeling, with a focus on artificial intelligence throughout the program.

  • Experiential learning embedded across all 3 semesters of the program through the Carlson Analytics Lab
  • Two curriculum tracks: Analytics for Business and Artificial Intelligence in Business
Browse MSBA curriculum

Online Applied Business Analytics Curriculum Highlights

The MABA curriculum focuses on building foundational knowledge through classes such as Practical Statistics for Business Applications and Programming for Business Analytics that equip students who are practitioners with the skills they need to advance their analytics career.

  • Experiential learning in one semester-long course delivered through the Carlson Analytics Lab
  • Customize electives based on your career goals
Browse MABA Curriculum
Carlson Analytics Lab partners with Mall of America

Carlson Analytics Lab

Through the Carlson Analytics Lab, you'll apply the technical and soft skills you've been developing in the classroom to real-life projects with client companies. Through live case competitions and experiential learning projects, you'll have opportunities to use analytics, data science, AI, and more to address real business problems and to communicate analysis results and propose solutions to clients.

About the Carlson Analytics Lab

 

Program Learning Outcomes

Whichever business analytics program you complete, you'll emerge with a well-rounded foundation and the technical skills to solve business programs using analytics tools and techniques.

MS in Business Analytics Learning Outcomes 

After completing the MSBA program, you'll be able to:

  • Solve business programs with diverse analytics tools such as exploratory analytics, predictive analytics, causal inference, digital experimentation, and natural language processing
  • Develop skills to succeed in a functional area such as analytics for marketing, or specialize in an analytics role such as a data engineer
  • Address business problems and communicate your findings to business stakeholders
  • Enhance your problem-solving and communication skills
Explore MSBA Career Outcomes

Online Applied Business Analytics Learning Outcomes 

After completing the MABA program, you'll gain the ability to:

  • Conduct exploratory and predictive data analyses, causal inference analyses, and prescriptive data analyses
  • Engage in data engineering for conventional and unconventional data
  • Compose and design effective content and artifacts
  • Develop effective communication strategies to deliver effective presentations to diverse stakeholders
  • Collaborate to succeed when working in teams
Explore MABA Career Outcomes