Bachelor of Science in Business Analytics

 

Overview

Business Analytics is the practice of transforming data into business insights to allow for better decision-making. By employing the latest tools, models and techniques, Business Analytics can help evaluate complex situations, consider all available options, predict outcomes and present critical risks for business decision makers. Harnessing the power of mathematical models, Business Analytics uses advanced tools and technologies to help each organization make the most of its data. The methods and models of analytics draw from disciplines including statistics, operations research, computer science, information systems and others. Business Analytics continues to be among the fastest-growing areas in business education in the United States.

The newly introduced Bachelor of Science in Business Analytics (BSBA) degree, also known as the Business Analytics major, now provides students with the option to major in Business Analytics in addition to the already available option of a concentration in Business Analytics. While a concentration includes five field courses and provides a broad introduction to the foundations of Business Analytics, a major in Business Analytics includes ten field courses that provide additional depth and rigor, and prepares students for analytics-focused jobs and careers. The BSBA will be a STEM degree and will train students in areas that are aligned with CIP Code 52.1301.

Some distinguishing attributes of the major are:

  • A rigorous curriculum that is comprised of a combination of methods/foundational courses in Descriptive, Predictive, and Prescriptive Analytics (Methods)
  • Elective options in Analytics applied to a specific functional area or an industry (Applications) available through several departments at GWSB
  • A focus on communication, team, and project management (Skills)
  • Hands-on exposure to industry standard Analytics tools/software (Technology)

An industry related project will serve as a capstone experience where students will work in teams on a real problem typically at one of our advisory board partner firms, and present their findings to the firm at the end of the project.

Career Options

A McKinsey report in 2016 emphasized that most companies are capturing only a fraction of the potential value of data and analytics. Turning a world full of data into a data-driven world is an idea that many companies have found difficult to pull off in practice... and (leaving as a result) a great deal of that value still on the table.” Students who complete the Business Analytics major or concentration should be particularly strong candidates in the job market because of the continuing need in the marketplace for managers/analysts with strong analytical skills. Applications of analytics span a variety of industries and functional areas including marketing, finance, operations, HR, public policy, strategy, health care, tourism, sport, retail, etc. Some of the fastest-growing, most in-demand positions include:  

  • Analyst / Consultant for Business Case Modeling
  • Business Analytics and Optimization Consultant
  • Business Intelligence Analyst
  • Data Scientist
  • Decision Science Analyst
  • Marketing Strategy Consultant
  • Manager of Modeling and Analytics
  • Pricing and Revenue Optimization Analyst

Recommended Minors or Second Majors

Business Analytics major students could consider adding one of the following fields as a minor or a second major:

  • Computer Science
  • Economics
  • Math
  • Political Science 
  • Statistics

Recommended GWSB Concentrations

Business Analytics major students could consider adding one of the following fields as a concentration to compliment their major:

 

Degree Requirements

The following requirements must be fulfilled: a minimum of 120 credits, including University General Education, pre-business, business core, and business analytics major courses.

Students pursuing business analytics as a second major should reference the business analytics as a second major requirements section at the end of this page.

General education courses
UW 1020University Writing
6 credits taken in at least two writing in the disciplines (WID) courses in two or more separate semesters. 1
One critical analysis in the humanities course. 2
One scientific reasoning with laboratory course. 2
One course with an approved oral communication component. 2
Pre-business courses
BADM 1001
BADM 1002
Business Leader Foundations I
and Business Leader Foundations II 3
or BADM 1003 Business Leader Foundations for Transfer Students
BADM 3001Business Leader Career Strategy
BADM 4001Business Leader Launch
DNSC 1001Business Analytics I: Statistics for Descriptive and Predictive Analytics
or STAT 1051 Introduction to Business and Economic Statistics
or STAT 1053 Introduction to Statistics in Social Science
or STAT 1111 Business and Economic Statistics I
or APSC 3115 Engineering Analysis III
DNSC 2001Business Analytics II: Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics 4
or STAT 2112 Business and Economic Statistics II
or STAT 2118 Regression Analysis
or STAT 2123 Introduction to Econometrics
or ECON 2123 Introduction to Econometrics
ECON 1011Principles of Economics I
ECON 1012Principles of Economics II
One of the following sequences in mathematics:
MATH 1231
MATH 1232
Single-Variable Calculus I
and Single-Variable Calculus II
or MATH 1051
MATH 1252
Finite Mathematics for the Social and Management Sciences
and Calculus for the Social and Management Sciences
or MATH 1051
MATH 1231
Finite Mathematics for the Social and Management Sciences
and Single-Variable Calculus I
or MATH 1220
MATH 1221
MATH 1051
Calculus with Precalculus I
and Calculus with Precalculus II
and Finite Mathematics for the Social and Management Sciences
or MATH 1220
MATH 1221
MATH 1232
Calculus with Precalculus I
and Calculus with Precalculus II
and Single-Variable Calculus II
Business core courses
ACCY 2001Introduction to Financial Accounting
Four courses selected from the following:
ACCY 2002Introductory Managerial Accounting
BADM 2001WMarkets and Politics
or BADM 2001 Markets and Politics
BADM 2301Management Information Systems Technology
BADM 3103Human Capital in Organizations
BADM 3401Contemporary Marketing Management
or BADM 3401W Contemporary Marketing Management
BADM 3501Financial Management and Markets
BADM 3601Operations Management
BADM 4101Business Ethics and the Legal Environment
or BADM 4101W Business Ethics and the Legal Environment
BADM 4801Strategy Formulation and Implementation
IBUS 3001Introduction to International Business
Business analytics major courses
DNSC 3288
or DNSC 3288W Big Data, Predictive Analytics, and Ethics
DNSC 3403Decision Models
DNSC 4211Programming for Analytics
DNSC 4219Forecasting Analytics
DNSC 4279Data Mining
DNSC 4280Machine Learning
DNSC 4289Capstone in Business Analytics
ISTM 4212Data Management for Analytics
Two courses selected from the following:
DNSC 4233Social Network Analytics
DNSC 4281Revenue Management Analytics
DNSC 4282Supply Chain Analytics
DNSC 4900Special Topics
Electives
In general, students complete 40 credits in elective courses to reach the 120 credits required for the degree. 18 of those credits must be taken outside of GWSB. Elective courses may be applied to a GWSB concentration, a non-GWSB minor, or a GWSB or non-GWSB second major. Reference the GWSB undergraduate policies section for course restrictions.

1 Courses must be taken after completion of UW 1020  and in separate semesters.

2 See Undergraduate Education at GW for additional information regarding approved courses for this requirement.

3 First-year students take BADM 1001 and BADM 1002; transfer students take BADM 1003.

4 BS in business analytics students should complete DNSC 2001 as their advanced statistics requirement.


Business analytics as a second major

Students pursuing business analytics as a second major are required to complete the courses listed below. Non-GWSB students may declare business analytics as a second major directly with their home school advisor; a signature from a GWSB academic advisor is not required. 

DNSC 3288
or DNSC 3288W Big Data, Predictive Analytics, and Ethics
DNSC 3403Decision Models
DNSC 4211Programming for Analytics
DNSC 4219Forecasting Analytics
DNSC 4279Data Mining
DNSC 4280Machine Learning
DNSC 4289Capstone in Business Analytics
ISTM 4212Data Management for Analytics
Two courses selected from the following:
DNSC 4233Social Network Analytics
DNSC 4281Revenue Management Analytics
DNSC 4282Supply Chain Analytics
DNSC 4900Special Topics