Massry School of Business Launches Master’s Degree in Business Analytics
ALBANY, N.Y. (Dec. 5, 2023) — With executives relying now more than ever on data-driven decision-making, UAlbany’s Massry School of Business is launching a new master’s degree program focused on educating the next generation of data analysts.
Following approval by the New York State Education Department (NYSED), UAlbany has launched a master’s of science degree in Business Analytics (MSBA), with enrollment now open.
“The program provides students with the skillset to harness large datasets to more efficiently design effective business policies,” said Eliot Rich, associate professor and chair of Information Systems and Business Analytics at the Massry School of Business. “Students learn techniques derived from various fields, such as business, economics, statistics and computer science while gaining practical skills on managing data that can be instantly applied and are useful across a wide range of business domains.”
Students who graduate from the program will have acquired the skills necessary to succeed in business analyst positions within fields such as finance, marketing, accounting, retail, supply chain, healthcare management, human resources or many other industries.
“We are honored that NYSED has approved this cutting-edge master’s degree program, which will prepare students to harness the power of data to advance business decision-making,” said Kevin Williams, interim dean of the Massry School of Business at UAlbany. “This new program fits perfectly within UAlbany’s AI Plus initiative to drive research and learning in artificial intelligence (AI) across the University’s academic mission as well as with the digital transformation at the heart of the School of Business’s vision for the future.”
As more and more firms focus on becoming increasingly digital, they are simultaneously incorporating analytics to improve profits and gain a sustainable advantage over competitors. The new MSBA program enables students to develop the analytical and technical skills sought in the industry while also cultivating ethical reasoning on issues of data privacy and big data.
“Given the growing global demand for these skills, we expect that international students will form a significant subset of the MSBA program, and all graduates of this program will be prepared for professional careers in any part of the world, aligning the program’s goals with UAlbany’s priority of globally engaged students,” said Rich.
Another important priority for the University at Albany is engagement with the local community and accordingly, students work with local companies to help solve their business problems.
The Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) is a full-time one-year, or part-time two-year 30-credit program for students interested in learning the latest techniques for analyzing large data sets to gain business insights. It includes 27 credits of coursework over the fall and spring semester and a field research or consulting project worth 3 credits The MSBA program is suitable for recent undergraduate students, individuals changing careers and for those looking to upgrade their skill set to include the theory and practice of business analytics.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in business analytics is expected to grow at least 28 percent over the next five years. Among the potential job titles for graduates are business intelligence analyst, marketing analyst, data scientist or financial analyst.