Programs

MS Business Analytics

About MS Business Analytics

Data has changed the way businesses make decisions. More than ever organizations need data-savvy leaders with strategies and approaches informed by data. Our MS in Business Analytics is an accelerated, interdisciplinary and industry-relevant program that holistically develops both the analytical mindset and technical skills needed for success in today’s competitive marketplace.

Our 10-month program offers students an incredible opportunity to advance their professional careers in the fast-growing data analytics field. This comprehensive program encompasses statistics, machine learning, econometrics, marketing analytics, and data management. Students also work collaboratively on real-world industry projects, providing them valuable experience working for a client in a team. Our emphasis on advanced statistical modeling, data visualization and communication means students learn to ask the right questions to create actionable intelligence.

Application /
Important Dates

Feb 1, 2020
Priority Application Deadline for Fall 2020
Apr 1, 2021
Application Deadline for Fall 2021 (International Applicants)
Jun 1, 2021
Application Deadline for Fall 2021

Key Features

Industry Connections

The MS in Business Analytics program is supported by the Business Analytics Advisory Board (BAAB) of top industry executives from companies like Google, Oracle, Tesla and Netflix, who help shape curriculum and assure it is aligned with industry needs, enabling our students to stay at the forefront of marketplace trends.
The BAAB is chaired by Rich Clayton, VP of Business Analytics at Oracle and meets 2-3 times annually to align the MSBA curriculum with industry, including the annual Analytics Forum in April that is sponsored by the MSBA program.

Read more about the Business Analytics Advisory Board.

REAL-WORLD INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE WORKING CLOSELY WITH FACULTY

Aligned with the Cal Poly Learn by Doing philosophy, MS Analytics students engage in six months of consulting projects with industry partners (e.g., Oracle, Dignity Health, Techstyle) working as valued consultants on real data-driven business problems and solutions.
Faculty from business, information systems, cloud computing and statistics work with students to give them resume-worthy experience with clients. This experience is one of the unique features of Cal Poly’s MSBA program, consistently earning the praise of students and clients each year.

Read more about the MSBA collaborative industry projects.

EXCELLENT ANALYTICS JOB PLACEMENT

Employers recognize the MSBA as the primary data science degree applied to the business domain, consistently among the top three highest paid professions for those with master’s degrees. Cal Poly was recently ranked a Top 10 MSBA program. The Cal Poly MSBA alumni network is one of the oldest in the world, as seen in the over 100 alumni in the LinkedIn MSBA alumni network since 2015. This means MSBA students have consistently enjoyed premium job placement at companies like Google, Oracle, Deloitte, Booz Allen Hamilton, PwC, Capital One, T-Mobile, Capgemini, Workday, Neustar, and the NFL.

Read more about our MSBA student’s excellent job placement.

Faculty

Alfred Castillo

Assistant Professor Mgmt, HR & Info Systems

Leida Chen

Professor Mgmt, HR & Info Systems

Kurt Colvin

Professor, Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering Department

Brennan Davis

MS Business Analytics Program Director and Associate Professor of Marketing

Garland Durham

Associate Professor of Finance

Allison Ellis

Assistant Professor, Management and Human Resources

Carlos Flores

Professor of Economics

Samuel Frame

Associate Professor of Statistics

Hunter Glanz

Assistant Professor, Statistics Department

Sanjiv Jaggia

Professor of Economics and Finance

Ryan Jenkins

Associate Professor, Philosophy Department

Darren Kraker

Lecturer

Kevin Lertwachara

Professor of Management, HR, and Information Systems

Aric Shafran

Professor of Economics and Economics Area Chair

Eduardo Zambrano

Professor of Economics and MSQE Program Director

Curriculum Overview

From data visualization, data mining to econometrics, our curriculum embraces the latest approaches and developments in the data analytics field. We also offer a number of cutting-edge elective classes that allow students to explore concepts...

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Program Specifics

The MSBA program at Cal Poly is positioned at the crossroads of statistical modeling, big data management, and actionable business insights. We prepare our students to enter the job market with advanced technical skills without losing sight of the business purpose behind the analysis. This purpose is emphasized in our...

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