Business Analytics Co-Major prepares students for today's work

BY JUSTIN ERICKSON, '24 BSB

Analytics are increasingly prominent in the business world, regardless of career path. The Business Analytics Co-Major, launched in Fall 2024, provides undergraduate students the skills and business acumen necessary to navigate this field. The Co-Major prepares students to solve problems with data-driven analytical tools.

A Complement to any Career Path

As a Co-Major, Business Analytics is designed to enhance a student's major. Co-Majors must be taken in conjunction with a primary major, and have an increased course load that separates them from minors. Students can select Business Analytics electives that align with their major, individualizing each student's path. The Co-Major was designed partly due to the popularity of the Business Analytics minor, which has also been revamped.

“The number one question we always got from students was how they can get more business analytics experience,” said Ken Reily, Senior Lecturer. “Before this Co-Major, all I could recommend was the Master’s Program. On top of that, we constantly heard from corporate advisors that they think everyone should know the basics of business analytics.”

Feedback from employers was essential to the development of the Co-Major. As business continues to be transformed by analytics, employers are looking for students with the necessary skills to adapt to change.

“It became clear from our employers that they want students who are more quantitative than they already are,” said Mani Subramani, Associate Professor. “Everybody appreciates how prepared our students are, but the specific preparation this Co-Major provides allows students to stay abreast of new developments year after year.”

Coursework Built for Today’s Needs

The Co-Major takes a contemporary approach to business, tackling current trends, especially machine learning and AI. IDSC 4504: Machine Learning and Responsible AI for Business Applications addresses AI directly, providing students the skills to use AI and machine learning effectively and responsibly.

“I think everyone sees that AI will be a big part of life moving forward,” said Reily. “We wanted to integrate AI into the curriculum through courses like IDSC 4504 so that students know what biases and errors of AI are and how they can use it responsibly while understanding that AI is more of a productivity tool, not your final output.”

Students in the Co-Major learn programming languages including R and Python to enhance their analysis of data. This proficiency in programming languages, coupled with Excel, will allow students to become skilled in navigating data no matter what career path they choose.

The capstone for the Co-Major is IDSC 4521: Business Analytics in Action. In this course, students work on a real analytics project from a company. Students apply all they have learned in the co-major in order to make practical use of their skills and tools.

“This Co-Major supplements quantitative training for students,” said Subramani. “The goal is to prepare students as Business Analytics becomes more mainstream. We are seeing a transformation in how decisions are made.”

The Business Analytics Co-Major is designed to be able to adapt over time. As trends develop, and AI continues to expand, the Co-Major will change to address them.

Essential Skills for Every Student

The Business Analytics Co-Major is tied to the core undergraduate curriculum of the Carlson School through BA 3551: Business Analytics. This required class gives students foundational analytical skills that the rest of the Co-Major will build upon.

“BA 3551 is more conceptual than hands-on,” said Reily. “With this class, all Carlson School students will have some Business Analytics knowledge, even if they do not pursue the program.”

“Students are going to be in a spot where, after graduation, these concepts are going to come their way,” said Reily. “Business Analytics vocabulary is making its way into everyday business. In a lot of ways, it has become the language of business.”