Business Analytics, MSBA

Overview

Graduate Program Requirements

The curriculum for the MSBA program consists of ten required core courses, plus one unit of an Experiential Learning elective, for a total of 11 units.  All courses are worth one unit, unless otherwise specified.

Students must achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to be in good academic standing in SOM at the end of each semester (a ‘B’ in each of their classes).  The lowest grade a student can earn in a course is a ‘C.’

Completion of a graduate internship is also required for all full-time students in the program.  However, it may be possible to waive this requirement if students have 3+ years of professional business work experience related to their field of study.  Contact a member of the Stevenish Career Management Center for more information.

Students can begin this program at the start of the fall or spring semester.

Students must satisfy the Master of Science in Business Analytics prerequisite courses prior to beginning their first semester at Clark University. Students must satisfy 1 Math or Statistics course and 1 Python or SQL Server Programming course. Please read below for prerequisite guidelines:

Math and Statistics (Probability and its Applications)

The prerequisite is automatically satisfied if the student took one (1) Statistics or Math course through an accredited college or university. The course must have been for credit and the student must have earned a letter grade. Students missing a prerequisite statistics class can complete STAT 4009  through Clark University prior to starting their program.

Courses taken through an open online courses platform (MOOC) will not satisfy the statistics prerequisites.

Python or SQL Server Programming

The common topics that the programming courses must cover is the syntax, algorithm, and programming skills of a popular programming language, such as Python, Java, C++, C, SQL, Visual Basic, Perl, PHP, or MATLAB.

The prerequisite is automatically satisfied if the student took one (1) course at an accredited college or university. Students can also satisfy this programming prerequisite if they successfully complete the following Online Certificate programs from either LinkedIn Learning or Udemy:

LinkedIn Learning

• Click here for the “Python Essential Training” course
• Click here for directions on how to download/print your certification

Udemy

• Click here for the “Programming with Python: HandsOn Introduction for Beginners” course
• Click here for directions on how to download/print your certification

Minimum Grade Requirements

Students must receive a ‘B’ or higher from the courses taken at an accredited college or university in order to satisfy the pre-requisites. Students who take the Online Certificatefor programming through LinkedIn Learning or Udemy must demonstrate the course completion and certificate received from the platform and submit it to their admissions representative.

EAS and Pathway

EAS and Pathway students who did not already satisfy the pre-requisites may complete them while taking their English language courses at Clark University. However, Statistics and Programming will not be part of the EAS curriculum. Students will need to complete the Statistics requirement online at Clark University STAT 4009  or online through another accredited university, and they must also complete the programming prerequisite through LinkedIn Learning or Udemy.

For any questions, contact the Program Director, Jing Zhang.

Accounting Analytics Concentration

Students may choose to add an Accounting Analytics concentration to their MSBA program of study if they would like to specialize in this area. If a student chooses this concentration, they must complete 12 units for their degree.  Students must also complete an internship while completing their program.  The internship is an additional requirement and is not for course credit.

Students that choose this concentration must complete ACCT 4101  Foundations of Financial Accounting in the first semester of their MSBA program + ACCT 5100  Accounting Analytics.  They then choose one elective option from the list below.

• Semester 1

• ACCT 4101 - Foundations of Financial Accounting
• STAT 4450 - Managerial Statistics
• STAT 4600 - Intermediary Statistical Modeling for Analytics
• BAN 4550 - Analytics Programming

•  

• Semester 2

• STAT 4650 - Machine Learning
• BAN 4500 - Information Systems for Analytics
• BAN 5501 - Database Management and SQL for Analytics
• Accounting Track Required Course: ACCT 5100  

•  

• Semester 3

• BAN 5573 - Visual Analytics and Business Intelligence
• BAN 5600 - Advanced Big Data Computing and Programming
• BAN 5650 - Applied Business Analytics
• Accounting Track Elective (Choose 1: ACCT 5101 , ACCT 5102 , ACCT 5103 , ACCT 5104 , ACCT 5105 , ACCT 5109 , or ACCT 5206 )

Program Director

Jing Zhang, Ph.D.

Program Faculty

Hamidreza Ahady Dolatsara, Ph.D

Christopher Benestad, M.A.

Atefeh Yazdanparast, Ph.D.

Kyunghee Yoon, Ph.D.

Jin Fang, Ph.D.

Adjunct Faculty

Theyab Alhwiti, Ph.D.

Dean Cascione, M.A.

Becky Frieden, M.B.A.

Yue Gue, Ph.D.

Minji Jung, Ph.D

Christian Bach, Ph.D

Emeriti Faculty

Margarete Arndt, D.B.A.

Robert Bradbury, Ph.D.

Gary Chaison, Ph.D.

Harold T. Moody, Ph.D.

Edward J. Ottensmeyer, Ph.D.

Maurry Tamarkin, Ph.D.

For a full list of GSOM faculty, including visiting and adjunct faculty, please see the faculty page on SOM’s website.