Get in-demand skills for making decisions using evidence with an online MBA in Business Analytics.
Develop business analysis expertise as part of your management education. An MBA in Business Analytics is a high-reward opportunity. Data is everywhere and analytics is how you leverage data assets to inform business decisions.
An MBA in Business Analytics is a Master of Business Administration degree where 25%-33% of course content is about business analytics. The rest of the program covers other business management subjects. An online MBA (Business Analytics) takes 2 years of part-time study.
An MBA for the Modern Business Manager
Knowing how to exploit data for profit is essential knowledge for the modern business manager. By specialising in Business Analytics as part of your MBA, you gain both analyst and leadership skills. Graduates can do and present business analysis as well as capture opportunities in executive roles.
UTS Online MBA in Business Analytics
The UTS Online MBA builds strategic leadership skills while giving you analytical abilities to support data-driven decisions. The Business Analytics specialisation is open to professionals both with and without an analytics background. You'll benefit from a program that balances business management education with a well-rounded set of business analysis subjects. The accelerated MBA is comprised of 8 core subjects and 4 electives from your chosen specialist field. Topics include customer analytics, visual analytics, predictive modelling, and delivering organisational value. You can study for this online MBA while working full-time.
MBA in Data Analytics Management
Data analytics familiarity is essential knowledge for managers. Business leaders need to understand concepts and strategies to harness the power of consumer, customer and market data. In a survey of 500 business intelligence and analytics professionals, 94% reported that "data and analytics is important to their organization’s digital transformation efforts" (MicroStrategy). You can upgrade your digital fluency and ability to leverage big data with an MBA in Data Analytics Management.
JCU Online MBA Global (Data-Driven Decision Making)
Gain valuable data analytics skills with the MBA Global from James Cook University. Featuring a Data-Driven Decision Making specialisation, students explore topics such as data analysis and decision modelling, information management and analytics technology, and data information: management, security, privacy and ethics. You learn of the opportunities and strategies to harness business data to inform management decisions. This flexible and affordable technology management MBA from Australia can be completed 100% online while you continue working.
What You'll Study (Course Structure)
A Master of Business Administration is generally a 12-subject degree in Australia. An MBA curriculum may consist of compulsory core subjects, electives and large projects. To qualify for a major, you need to do electives from the relevant study stream.
Accelerated online programs allow you to study part-time while working full-time. You can complete an MBA online in 2 years of part-time study.
Business analytics electives in the UTS MBA
The MBA in Business Analytics from UTS Online has 8 core subjects* and 4 electives. Students take each subject one at a time in 7-week study blocks. You'll do five analytics-focused subjects in total because 'Data-Driven Decision-Making' is one of the core subjects. The unit thoroughly walks through the process of using data to inform business strategy.
The volumes of data companies are obtaining about customers are increasing exponentially due to emerging technologies and a digital environment of increasing sophistication. In this subject, you explore how to use analytical tools or methods on different data sources to extract powerful insights. The end goal is to improve business strategy and decision making as part of a campaign of raising customer value.
We'll examine data visualisation and visual interaction/navigation technologies which support visual analytics and decision-making processes. You'll study recent data visualisation articles and the use of data visualisation and visual analysis software. Students gain an understanding of the procedure (loop) and visual analytics techniques. Graduates of the course are able to design and evaluate advanced visualisation interfaces. These can be directly used in the loop of visual analytics or data mining. What you learn can provide a foundation for you to potentially become a data visualisation designer or visual data analyst.
Students examine the regulation of and ethics involved with data practices in digital environments. You'll achieve a deeper appreciation of moral and ethical principles behind privacy, security and accountability practices. We apply this knowledge to topics such as regulating data collection, algorithmic accountability, and biases associated with data analysis tools.
The Foundation Studio is an opportunity to put the skills you learned in core subjects into practice. The studio applies real-world analytics settings, where students are tasked with identifying business problems and solutions. You're introduced to the theory of markets and learn how to make predictions using data.
* Core subjects are: Accounting for Decision Makers, Data-Driven Decision-Making, Financial Fundamentals, Governance and Sustainability, Leading People and Change, Managerial Economics, Marketing in the Age of Technology, Strategy and Negotiation.
Business analytics subjects in the JCU MBA
The MBA Global from JCU Online has business analytics as one of the key themes. The 12-subject program contains three analytics core subjects.
In this subject, students learn how to manage and analyse datasets so as to extract value out of data that may be routinely collected. At an introductory level, you'll build business intelligence systems, interpret business statistics and develop practical decision models.
In this fast-moving subject, we'll explore concepts and methods for managing databases while ensuring data security, privacy and ethics. Elements include: data sources and measurement; data warehousing and distributed management systems, and data querying.
Effectively managing and controlling contemporary organisations relies on information, analytics and technology. In this subject, we develop a framework for using data to inform management and leadership practices. Students learn how to leverage digital technologies as a business analyst.
* Other core subjects are: Business Consulting | Business Innovation and Technology Management | Corporate Finance | Corporate Strategy | Integrated Global Capstone Project | Management and Leadership Skills | Marketing Strategy, Analytics and Development | Multinational Corporations and International Markets | Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship.
Learning Outcomes
The learning outcomes from a business analytics MBA include general management capacities, such as the ability to: apply leadership principles and strategies, approach issues of conflict or dispute strategically, make sense of financial statements, and develop marketing plans.
In terms of business analysis skills, learning outcome examples include being able to:
- Source and manage data within regulatory and ethical parameters
- Understand and apply business analytics concepts and methods
- Present data visually and perform visual analytics
- Identify, model and solve decision-making problems in different settings
- Interpret analytical results and identify consequent business strategies
- Design implementable solutions to business problems.
Career Opportunities
A broad set of career opportunities may derive from a Master of Business Administration (Business Analytics). Just within the business analyst discipline, many practitioner, supervisory, management and coordination openings are available. A previous analytics background plus an MBA (Business Analytics) qualifies you for senior positions.
The business degree also delivers value in "general management" roles. Business analytics makes for sound, evidence-based decisions and is fast becoming a core subject in MBA education. Strong analytical skills are not just for data specialists such as data analysts and data scientists; they also advantage executives with far-ranging responsibilities.
Senior analyst roles
- Business Analyst
- Business Intelligence Analyst
- Chief Data Officer
- Data and Insights Expert
- Manager of Business Analytics
Executive management jobs
- Business Development Manager
- Business Strategy Consultant
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
- Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
- Global Supply Chain Manager
Entry Requirements
Entry requirements for a business analytics MBA are the same as for any Master of Business Administration. You don't need a data analytics background to be admitted to the course and do well with your studies.
You can gain entry to most Australian business schools with a bachelor degree and multiple years of work experience. Additional pathways may be available for applicants who don't meet one of the base entry standards.
Applicants to the Master of Business Administration can be admitted via three alternative pathways.
(A) Bachelor degree
An undergraduate bachelor degree and one of the following:
- GPA of 5.25+ on a 7-point scale, or equivalent, and a 90% pass rate
- Four years worth of relevant work experience
- Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score of 550+ with at least verbal 25, quantitative 35 and AWA 4.0.
(B) Equivalent or higher qualification
- A postgraduate qualification from a recognised university such as a graduate certificate, graduate diploma, or masters, with satisfactory completion (more than 75% of subjects at pass level).
(C) Graduate certificate pathway
- Successful completion of the Graduate Certificate in Business Administration from UTS Online. Academic credits carry forward into the MBA.
Further entry avenues exist for the Grad Cert course, including: (a) satisfactory completion of a bachelor's degree and 2 years of postgraduate work experience OR (b) Graduate Record Examination (GRE General Test) score of 307+ with verbal 148+ and quantitative 156+ OR (c) four years of full-time (or equivalent) relevant work experience and general capacity for tertiary education.
FEE-HELP is available for Australian citizens. Tuition fees are $4,218 per subject in 2022.
Entry requirements for the MBA Global with James Cook University:
- A bachelor degree in a cognate discipline and 2 years’ business experience OR
- an honours degree or postgraduate qualification in any discipline and 2 years’ business experience OR
- 4 years’ business experience in a managerial role OR
- other qualifications or practical experience determined as equivalent to the above.
FEE-HELP is available for Australians. Tuition fees are $3,520 per subject in 2022, at a total cost of $42,240 for 12 subjects.
Lead with an MBA in Business Analytics
By earning a Master of Business Administration in Business Analytics, you identify yourself as a next-generation leader. Executives and professionals with business analysis skills have important roles to play in decision making.
If your company isn't exploiting data to inform strategy and business processes, it will eventually be left behind and become uncompetitive. Those who are able to take charge in harnessing the power of unstructured data are tomorrow's leaders.
While some companies are unsure what to do with large amounts of data, business analytics works to combine this data with actionable insights to improve the decisions you make as a company. Since this data can be presented using any format, the decision-maker at your organization will feel informed in a way that works for them.
Specialising in analytics as part of your business education provides versatile skills of enduring value. Whether you're at the coalface of wrangling big data or sitting in a boardroom interpreting visual graphics, important advantages derive from knowing business analytics.
Master of Business Analytics
To develop advanced data analytics skills and further an analytical career, a Master of Business Analytics provides the professional training required.
Unlike an MBA course, a Masters in Business Analytics is highly specialised to the analytics field. Every subject is designed to build your capabilities as an analyst.
The program will normally require you to do some programming, in languages such as Python and SAS, and use sophisticated data analytics tools. A background in IT, computer science, business or similar is advantageous and may be required... READ MORE
Master of Analytics
For current or future business analysts seeking a broad analytics education, a Master of Analytics may be the ideal course for you.
The degree covers everything from introductory data analysis and programming principles through to big data management, data visualisation, and predictive analytics. You can also take a deep dive into marketing analytics or decision making.
A Masters in Analytics enables you to learn business analytics without necessarily getting into the heavy programming associated with data science... READ MORE
FAQs
Yes, business analytics is in high demand. Companies of all sizes and in all industries are looking for professionals who have the skills and knowledge to help them make data-driven decisions. With the increasing availability of data, the demand for business analysts and others with quantitative aptitude is expected to continue to grow. Many businesses are now using analytics to gain a competitive edge and improve their operations.
Let's start by pointing out that an MBA in Business Analytics is an MBA. You'll cover much of the same territory that you'd cover in a "general MBA" or an MBA program where you specialise in something else.
To illustrate, the MBA from UTS Online is a 12-subject program with 8 core subjects. The program is the two-thirds the same for every student irrespective of their choice of major.
If you're interested in analytics, a business analytics MBA is nonetheless better. You'll cover essential business subjects such as accounting, finance, leadership, management and marketing. But you also do dedicated training in business analytics, a field with strong potential career value if you have an interest and some mathematical ability.
In Australia, the average annual salary for a business analyst is $110,104 (Source: talent.com). Senior business analysts and managers can earn significantly more.
You can study for an MBA in Business Analytics or an MBA in Data Analytics Management. In Australia at least, you probably won't find an MBA degree where you learn data analysis.
A Master of Business Administration is a business management degree. Programs cover business disciplines such as accounting, finance, marketing and data analysis, and specialisations are available in these fields as well. But you learn through the lens of business management, where you're supervising and managing rather than doing.
An MBA program is not the vehicle to become a practitioner with technical skills. There are dedicated master's programs for that, such as Masters in Analytics, Masters in Business Analytics and Master of Data Science. Note that these business analytics programs don't have business administration in the titles.
In general, an MBA in Business Analytics does not require either coding experience or you to do coding as part of the course. As a Master of Business Administration, the program is designed to provide management and leadership training. Technical content is therefore limited. Business analytics is also a field where managers aren't required to code and many professionals operate without coding on a daily basis.
Exceptions may exist however. More technical MBA programs may expect you to have some previous exposure to coding or to do some coding in electives or even core units. The competencies can be beneficial in management roles where you may delegate programming tasks. However, heaving coding should not be part of any MBA program. If that's the case, the degree may be more accurately considered a Master of Business Analytics or similar.
Programming requirements are highest in specialist degrees such as Master of Data Science, Master of Data Analytics and, to a lesser extent, Master of Business Analytics. You're generally expected to have an undergraduate degree in computer science or related fields for data science and data analytics masters.
Check the course structure and entry requirements before enrolling in any business school to ensure that they have the right program for you.
With an MBA in Business Analytics, you can work in almost any capacity where business analytics is done or used. However, the degree is not meant as a training course or qualification to work as a technical business analyst. If you apply for business analyst jobs with just an MBA as your analytics background, you would only be in line for entry-level jobs.
Management qualification
The degree is mainly useful for management roles. That can be anywhere on the spectrum from director of the business analytics team through to general manager positions. If you're already experienced in business analytics, the degree can be used mainly as a management qualification.
Management and analytics qualification
If, on the other hand, you don't have an analytics background, an MBA (Business Analytics) program broadens your scope of expertise to include business analytics commissioning and use. The degree is both a management qualification and a marker of analytical competence.
