Master of Science in Business Analytics Curriculum
The Wake Forest University School of Business’ Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) curriculum is relevant for today’s workforce, crafted with input from corporate partners to meet industry demands. Yet, because Big Data and the skills needed to draw insights from it continue to evolve, our MSBA curriculum also looks toward the future. Course content and projects shed light on the field’s real-world applications, illustrating where the technical knowledge gained intersects with business acumen. Our graduates then become key professionals for identifying patterns, predicting trends, and shaping business decisions, no matter the industry where they secure a position.
Goals of the MSBA Curriculum
The Wake Forest School of Business grounds our on-campus MSBA curriculum in applied statistics, management science, and business domain knowledge. We then weave in team-based projects throughout to amplify and identify real world–based applications for the concepts taught in the classroom.
Big picture, the 10-month MSBA program trains students on the full spectrum of analytics methodologies and highlights all the ways organizations currently apply data-driven applications. Throughout this intensive, immersive curriculum, you’ll:
acquire essential programming skills, including Python, Tableau, and SQL;
learn to apply analytics across key business disciplines, including finance, marketing, operations, and human resources;
be able to supplement your coursework with presentations from visiting speakers and thought leaders;
hone advanced quantitative capabilities and technical skills, and discover all the areas where they intersect with traditional business concepts;
understand responsible and ethical data usage practices;
utilize the Center for Analytics Impact (CAI) in the classroom and for team-based projects to analyze large datasets, master data mining and predictive modeling, and formulate actionable insights using real-time information from our corporate partners; and
leave with a marketable skill that’s essential for extracting insights, streamlining organizational efficiency, identifying new product lines, improving customer service, driving innovation, and making better business decisions.
In total, the MSBA curriculum extends over three semesters and requires 37.5 credit hours. All students begin in the summer semester and graduate by May of the following year.
Curriculum at a Glance
Anyone interested in this program needs to have earned an undergraduate degree prior to enrollment and have a solid background in calculus and statistics. Additionally, programming skills aren’t just an asset—they’re essential for the MSBA curriculum’s more technical courses.
Summer Semester
The accelerated summer semester covers all foundational coursework needed to succeed within the Master of Science in Business Analytics program and encourages all students to start exploring related career interests and pathways. All participants need to display mastery of the foundational subjects before proceeding on to the rest of the curriculum.