Online Master of Applied Business Analytics

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A Convenient Path to Leading-Edge Business Careers

Develop expertise where business meets innovation by seeking your Master of Applied Business Analytics degree online at Minnesota Carlson. You'll explore data and statistical analysis techniques in a flexible format designed for working professionals. The online courses provide a solid technical and business foundation, and the curriculum is based on our in-person Master of Science in Business Analytics, which is ranked among the best programs of its kind by Top Universities.1

  • World-class faculty
  • Part-time schedule for working professionals
  • Career-aligned electives
  • AACSB-accredited
  • No minimum GPA to apply

Learn to Analyze Big Data to Enhance Business Strategy

The Master of Applied Business Analytics program provides the advanced data competencies needed to model trends, forecast demand, and identify insights in a complex global economy. You'll learn from instructors with extensive business analytics expertise and get opportunities to engage other students on virtual projects. These experiences equip you with a data analytics toolkit, along with problem-solving skills desired by more than 90% of organizations.2

format
Format
Online
duration
Duration
4 Semesters
work experience
Work experience
Not required
start date
Start date

January and September

Explore Curriculum

Applied Business Analytics Courses

At the Carlson School, you'll acquire a holistic view of business analytics through courses on exploratory and predictive data analytics, causal inference, and prescriptive analytics. You can customize your degree for your goals by choosing electives in marketing analytics, generative AI, and numerous other subjects.

While earning your Master of Applied Business Analytics online, you'll benefit from connections to the Management Information Systems Research Center (MISRC). Established in 1968, the MISRC's tradition of scholarship and research helped the Carlson School gain recognition as the birthplace of MIS.

Course Highlights

  • MABA 6311 Programming for Business Analytics
  • MABA 6251 AI for Competitive Advantage
  • MABA 6321 Data Management & Big Data

View All Courses

Master of Applied Business Analytics Tuition

The online Master of Applied Business Analytics program is 30 credit hours, with a cost of $1,797 per credit. To make your education more cost-effective, Minnesota Carlson offers 15% merit-based scholarships and a more limited number of 50% merit-based scholarships.

Tuition Details

Learn to Analyze Big Data to Enhance Business Strategy

The Master of Applied Business Analytics program provides the advanced data competencies needed to model trends, forecast demand, and identify insights in a complex global economy. You'll learn from instructors with extensive business analytics expertise and get opportunities to engage other students on virtual projects. These experiences equip you with a data analytics toolkit, along with problem-solving skills desired by more than 90% of organizations.2

format
Format
Online
duration
Duration
4 Semesters
work experience
Work experience
Not required
start date
Start date

January and September

Explore Curriculum

Applied Business Analytics Courses

At the Carlson School, you'll acquire a holistic view of business analytics through courses on exploratory and predictive data analytics, causal inference, and prescriptive analytics. You can customize your degree for your goals by choosing electives in marketing analytics, generative AI, and numerous other subjects.

While earning your Master of Applied Business Analytics online, you'll benefit from connections to the Management Information Systems Research Center (MISRC). Established in 1968, the MISRC's tradition of scholarship and research helped the Carlson School gain recognition as the birthplace of MIS.

Course Highlights

  • MABA 6311 Programming for Business Analytics
  • MABA 6251 AI for Competitive Advantage
  • MABA 6321 Data Management & Big Data

View All Courses

Master of Applied Business Analytics Tuition

The online Master of Applied Business Analytics program is 30 credit hours, with a cost of $1,797 per credit. To make your education more cost-effective, Minnesota Carlson offers 15% merit-based scholarships and a more limited number of 50% merit-based scholarships.

Tuition Details

Technical Skills & Prerequisites

The MABA program welcomes students from diverse academic backgrounds, including business, social sciences, and humanities. Quantiative and technical requirements are outlined below:

  • The quantitative requirement may be fulfilled by the completion of at least one semester of a college-level quantitative course with a C grade or better at the time of application submission. This course must be completed, not in progress. Connect with an admissions advisor to learn more about the academic subjects that meet this requirement.
  • If you have not successfully completed the quantitative requirement by taking an academic course, you should take the Probability & Statistics for Machine Learning & Data Science Coursera course to satisfy the quantitative requirement and upload a certificate of completion with your legal name that matches the name provided in the application. 
  • The computer programming requirement may be satisfied in one of three ways:
    • Academic coursework
    • Professional experience
    • Online Coursera course 

The key concepts and skills required to fulfill this requirement include conditional if statements, loops, functions, input/output, file handling, and foundational data types and structures (e.g., strings, lists, dictionaries).

 

Technical Skills Developed in Program

Our curriculum is designed to build technical skills progressively, starting with foundational concepts and advancing to sophisticated analytical techniques.

SkillRequired for AdmissionWhat to Expect
PythonNoneTaught from fundamentals in first semester; used extensively for data analysis and machine learning
RNoneIntroduced in statistics coursework; used for statistical modeling and visualization
SQLNoneCovered in database management courses; essential for working with enterprise data systems
StatisticsBasic understanding helpfulIntroductory statistics recommended; advanced concepts taught in program
ExcelIntermediate proficiencyComfort with formulas, pivot tables, and data manipulation expected
man and woman at table reviewing analytics for business

Take This Opportunity to Advance in Business Analytics

In the online Master of Applied Business Analytics program, you can build the programming and data analytics skills needed to thrive in some of the most in-demand job fields. For instance, data science employment is projected to grow 35% from 2022 to 2032, more than 11 times faster than the average for all occupations.5 The program also provides important career connections, as you'll engage other students during collaborative learning experiences and join an alumni network that includes business leaders around the globe.

Explore Careers
82%

of Fortune 1000 companies plan to increase their investments in data and analytics3

$103 billion

Estimated global big data market revenue in 20274

$108,020

Median data scientist salary5

Admissions Details and Application Deadlines

Carlson offers a simple admissions process for the online Master of Applied Business Analytics program. There is no GPA requirement to apply; candidates with an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or less are strongly encouraged to submit a GRE/GMAT score with their application. Moreover, a $75 application fee waiver is available for U.S. military service members on active duty.

Admissions Requirements Overview

  • Unofficial transcripts from all universities/colleges where coursework has been completed (official transcripts required upon acceptance of admission to the program)
  • Professional recommendations**
  • Personal statement
  • Resume
  • Video essay
  • Proof of English language proficiency***
  • Quantitative coursework and demonstrated competency in computer programming

Students can fulfill quantitative and programming requirements through academic or Coursera courses, with the option for professional experience to satisfy the programming requirement.

Application Deadlines

Spring

(January Start)

Fall

(September Start)

October 15May 15
November 15June 15
December 15July 15

We will accept applications after the deadline if space is available.

Employees from our corporate partner organizations are automatically eligible for a 15% tuition discount for select Minnesota Carlson programs, including Online MBA. In addition, degree-seeking students who are U.S. military members or veterans are eligible for a 15% military discount.*

 

Admissions Requirements Start an application

 

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Frequently Asked Questions

Review answers to common questions about the online Master of Applied Business Analytics program from Carlson. To discuss a topic not covered here, contact us to talk with our admissions team.

The first step is to start your application. Rest assured that our application process is straightforward.

Work experience is recommended but not required. Review the admissions requirements to learn more.

This flexible program does not include concentrations or specializations. Instead, you can tailor your Master of Applied Business Analytics degree to your goals by choosing electives that explore generative AI, marketing analytics, and an array of other topics. To learn more, visit the curriculum page.

By earning your Master of Applied Business Analytics online, you can prepare for positions focusing on data science, analytics warehousing, and business intelligence. These careers are available in many sectors, including financial services, technology, and consulting. Learn more about the professional opportunities in business analytics by visiting the careers page.

This program includes 30 credit hours, with a cost-per-credit of $1,797. To review additional tuition costs, visit the tuition and aid page.

You can complete the program in as few as four semesters. For information about the core and elective courses, visit the curriculum page.

Carlson's Master of Applied Business Analytics (MABA) program features online delivery, which is flexible for working professionals. The MS in Business Analytics (MSBA) is a 12-month intensive program that requires in-person learning from September through August and does not allow students to work full-time and pursue a graduate degree simultaneously. The online MABA students will learn data analysis tools and techniques similar to MS in Business Analytics students. MABA students will take courses like data analytics, predictive analytics, and data visualization, along with two classes that cover AI concepts. In fact, many courses in the required MABA curriculum overlap with MSBA required courses. MABA students will have more foundational classes like Practical Statistics for Business Applications and Programming for Business Analytics, allowing students who are practitioners to gain the skills and understanding of concepts they need to advance in an analytics career. MABA students will also have experiential learning delivered through the Carlson Analytics Lab in a semester-long course. MSBA students have experiential learning structured/embedded differently in the curriculum. Classes for the MSBA program meet on campus, and most are scheduled during traditional business hours.

Yes. The MABA program does not require prior programming experience. Python, R, and SQL are taught from the ground up during the program. Many successful students enter with business, liberal arts, or social science backgrounds and develop strong technical skills through our structured curriculum.

The computer programming requirement may be satisfied in one of three ways:

  • Academic coursework
  • Professional experience
  • Online Coursera course

The key concepts and skills to fulfill this requirement include conditional if statements, loops, functions, input/output, file handling, and foundational data types and structures (e.g. strings, lists, dictionaries). 

While not required, completing a free online Python or statistics course before starting can help you hit the ground running. We also recommend being comfortable with Excel, including pivot tables and basic formulas. Admitted students receive access to optional pre-program preparation resources.

The MABA focuses on applying analytics to business problems rather than developing algorithms from scratch. You will learn to use Python, R, and machine learning tools effectively, but within a business context. Our graduates become skilled translators between technical teams and business stakeholders, which is highly valued in industry.

Sources and Disclaimers

  1. Top Universities. QS Business Master's Rankings 2024: Business Analytics.
  2. NACE Center for Career Development and Talent Acquisition. The Key Attributes Employers Are Looking For on Graduates' Resumes.
  3. Wavestone. 2024 Data and AI Leadership Executive Survey.
  4. Statista. Global Big Data Market Forecast 2011 to 2027.
  5. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data Scientists.

*Carlson scholarships and discounts are not transferable to other degree programs and may not be "stacked" with other University of Minnesota/Carlson scholarships, discounts or reduced tuition programs such as Regents Tuition Benefit Program or Senior Citizen Education Program (SCEP).

**Professional recommendations are strongly preferred but academic recommendations may be considered for those with limited professional experience.

***All applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency through academic transcripts/mark sheets or an English language test.

Master of Applied Business Analytics FAQs

The Master of Applied Business Analytics (MABA) is a fully online, part-time master’s program that equips students with advanced, applied analytics skills—including data engineering, predictive modeling and visualization—specifically to drive sophisticated business decisions.

This program is ideal for working professionals who require flexibility, wish to advance into analytics or data-driven business roles, and cannot relocate or commit to a full-time, in-person program.

The program is part-time and fully online. The typical pace allows for completion in four semesters (approximately two years), with flexible options to extend the completion time to six or eight semesters if needed.

The program offers multiple intake periods, with start terms in January (Spring) and September (Fall).

It is designed primarily for working professionals and experienced candidates who value flexibility. While work experience is recommended, it is not strictly required for admission.

The program is not specifically cited as STEM-designated in the source. While international students may participate fully online, the online/part-time format does not typically qualify for F-1 visa sponsorship or the Optional Practical Training (OPT) extension. International students must individually verify visa eligibility.

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Master of Applied Business Analytics

Phone: 1-800-293-5689