Top 5 universities for a Master’s in Business Analytics

26 Feb 2020

Business analytics is growing in importance, as evidenced by the slew of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes being offered in the field and those related to it.

Data has become an indispensable part of business, making business analytics an ideal course to pursue for those who want to improve their employability or carve a new career in an increasingly in-demand field.

Gartner notes the following:

“Business analytics is comprised of solutions used to build analysis models and simulations to create scenarios, understand realities and predict future states. Business analytics includes data mining, predictive analytics, applied analytics and statistics, and is delivered as an application suitable for a business user.”

A business analytics course will equip students with an arsenal of skills, some of which may include skills in using business analytics systems and technologies to analyse complex data, as well as research capabilities and communication skills.

Here are the top five universities to study a Master’s in Business Analytics, according to the QS World University Rankings: Masters in Business Analytics Rankings 2020.

1. MIT Sloan School of Management

MIT Sloan School of Management took the crown as the top school for business analytics graduate studies in the QS rankings, which featured 83 institutions.

The School prides itself for its hands-on learning, global experience and focus on impact.

Their Master of Business Analytics programme is a 12-month programme focused on applying the tools of modern data science, optimisation and machine learning to solve real-world business problems

2. UCLA’s Anderson School of Management

Located in Los Angeles, California, the School’s MSc in Business Analytics programme is a 15-month on-campus programme. It aims to give students the tools to become a leader in this rapidly evolving and in-demand field.

They boast a 3:1 student-to-faculty ratio, while students also have access to world-renowned leaders.

QS notes that Anderson out-performs MIT Sloan for value for money, one of the five indicators used to compile the ranking.

3. ESSEC Business School

If you want to study in France, you might want to pursue a Master in Data Sciences & Business Analytics at ESSEC.

Its reputation as one of Europe’s top business schools precedes them. The School prides itself for creating and disseminating cutting-edge knowledge, while students learn through a combination of academic learning and practical experience, as well as multicultural openness and dialogue.

4. The University of Texas at Austin – McCombs School of Business

In fourth place is McCombs. Their 10-month Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) programme teaches students how to harness vast amounts of data and use it to inform business decision-making.

Graduates will be prepared to leverage statistical analysis, data mining, natural language processing, optimisation and machine learning to address business management issues in finance, marketing and supply chain management.

MSBA students can expect to receive support and recruitment from industry leaders like Walmart, Dell, and Deloitte Consulting, among others, in addition to incredible networking opportunities and industry connections.

5. Imperial College Business School

Enroling in this business school entails studying at the heart of one of the world’s leading cultural, business and financial centres.

This London-based MSc Business Analytics programme prepares graduates for a future of data-driven and evidence-based decision making. Students will learn how to apply the latest academic thinking and analytical and computing tools to help make business decisions, supported by leading practitioners and world-class faculty.

The programme is available as a one year, full-time programme at their campus in London, or as a part-time, two-year online programme, where you can study from anywhere in the world.

A whopping 97 percent percent of their graduates are employed within three months of graduation.