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Master of Science in Business Analytics

The Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program at NDSU is a STEM-designated program that will provide you with hands-on training on the business analytics skills, tools, and methodologies you need to transform data into effective decision-making. Most MSBA courses are offered one evening a week in 8-week sessions. Other courses are offered online. The program requires 30 credits for completion. Students can enroll full-time to finish in a year and a half part-time and finish in two or more years.

 

Accreditation

 

NDSU's College of Business maintains the highest possible accreditation—a designation reserved for the top 6% of business schools in the world.

 

 

Contact

Connect with us to start a conversation about your interest in the MSBA program.

Fone Pengnate, PhD
Associate Professor of Management Information Systems

Department of Accounting and Information Systems
Richard H. Barry Hall 246
(701) 231-8194

fone.pengnate@ndsu.edu 

 

Director, Center for Enterprise Business Analytics (CEBA)
Director, Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program
Professor, Management Information Systems

 

 

 

 

 

Fill out the form below to let us know you're interested or to request more information about the MSBA program.

Curriculum

The MSBA offers a variety of courses in data analysis, business analytics, advanced analytics, and an in-depth capstone experience. 

 

STAT 725Applied Statistics (3 credits)
Data description, probability, inference on means, proportions, difference of means and proportions, categorical data, regression, analysis of variance, and multiple comparisons.
 
MBA 751Business Analytics Concepts (2 credits)  
This course covers important business data analytics concepts, including warehousing, OLAP, ETL, data mining, self-service business intelligence, and business reporting and visualization tools. It provides hands-on experience in the use of some popular data analytics software tools with a focus on aiding managerial decision-making across different business functional areas.
 
MBA 752Business Analytics Strategy (2 credits)
Case-based discussion course examining how data analytics impact organizations today and issues related to the development of an overall business data analytics organizational strategy. Topics include business data analytics in organizations and the impact on business functional areas, strategic use of data and information, ethical issues related to data collection and usage, social and legal implications of pervasive digitization, and management of intellectual property.
 
MBA 753Business Analytics Methods (2 credits)
This managerially-oriented course covers the use of predictive analytic tools to generate predictive models such as logistic regression, decision trees, neural networks, and cluster analysis to generate deeper business insights in direct support of managerial decision making.
 
MBA 722Marketing Analytics and Customer Intelligence (2 credits)                                                                        

This course takes a very hands-on approach with customer intelligence and equips students with the marketing science understanding and techniques they need to solve real-world marketing challenges. Thsi course uses a combination of lectures, cases, and exercises to teach the materials.

MBA 723Digital Marketing (2 credits)
This course focuses on understanding, managing, and analyzing an organization's digital marketing strategy. Topics related to online business models, search engine optimization, paid search and display advertising, web analytics, email marketing, social media marketing, and reputation management will be considered.
 
MIS 710Database Management (2 credits)

This course provides a foundational understanding of the management, conceptualization, development, and implementation of databases. It covers normalization, structured query language (SQL), distributed databases, and conceptual modeling using entity-relationship (ER) diagrams. Case examples of modeling data in an organizational context will be utilized. Prereq: Open to MSBA students or with permission of the instructor.

MIS 720Visualization and Reporting (2 credits)
Provides advanced usage of quantitative analysis using spreadsheets, in-memory database, and development of effective dashboards. Emphasis is on the application of theoretical understanding of the human interaction with the user interface to facilitate communication and story-telling using data. Effectively communicating analysis results to a mangement and business audience using dashboards and reports to enhance decision-making is examined.
 
MIS 740Advanced Business Analytics Methods (2 credits)
This course develops an understanding of practical applicability of advanced analytics methods in a variety of business scenarios. The course is designed to provide hands-on opportunities for students to work with data and apply advanced business analytics techniques and machine learning, which include text mining, natural language processing, web analytics, social analytics, and simulation.
 
MIS 790Seminar in Business Analytics (2 credits)
Seminar course that examines current topics related to business analytics and how organizations can make use of data for decision-making.
 
MIS 795              Capstone Project I, II, and III  (5 credits)

Project course where students apply their learning to a real-world problem domain resulting in solutions to solve organizational problems using data and advanced analytics methods. Emphasis is on real-world relevance and integration of multiple aspects of data analytics to meet users' needs. Three-course sequence must be taken in succession in final year of the MSBA program.

  • MIS 795 I (1 credit)
    The introductory capstone project course focuses on the data architecture of the client and descriptive analytics that meet the organizational reporting needs.
  • MIS 795 II (2 credits)
    This intermediate capstone project course focuses on teh organization's predictive and prescriptive analytics needs and a company-specific deliverable to solve a problem the organization currently faces.
  • MIS 795 III (2 credits)
    This advanced capstone project course focuses on marketing analytics solutions for the organization, their potentail business anlytics strategy and plan for digital transformation, and a company-specific deliverable to solve a problem the organization currently faces.

In addition to the 26 required core credits listed above, MSBA students must complete a minimum of four (4) elective credits, as approved by the MSBA program advisor.
 

 

 

Cost

2023-2024 MSBA Tuition & Fee Costs

 

Residency

North Dakota + WRGP

Minnesota Reciprocity

All Other U.S.  

Non-U.S.

Per Credit

$703.44

$875.95

$1022.91

$1182.64

Approximate Program Total 
(30 credits)     

$21,100

$26,280

$30,690

$35,480

Map Key

 


Various resources may be available to help cover program costs.

Common examples include:

Employer SupportScholarshipsGraduate AssistantshipsFederal Financial Aid (FAFSA)

Many companies offer tuition reimbursement or other forms of financial assistance for their employees.

Check with your supervisor or HR department top find out what educational benefits you may be eligible to use toward your degree.

A very limited number of scholarships may be available to graduate students.

Applications are open from November 1st to March 1st each year for students to apply for awards that would disburse during the following academic year.

Graduate assistantship positions are exceptionally limited and awarded on a competitive, case-by-case basis (if available).

Generally, no funding is offered at the time of admission. Current and incoming/admitted MSBA students may be notified if a position becomes available and provided with application information at that time.

Students with a graduate assistantship postition will receive a one- or two-semester contract to provide research and/or teaching assistance for 10, 15, or 20 hours per week in exchange for a waiver of the graduate base tuition rate and a modest stipend.

Domestic and permanent resident students may be eligible to receive federal financial aid and/or need-based scholarships by completing the FAFSA

 

Admission Requirements

Applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis using a rolling admission format. The review process is holistic and takes into account all applicable factors, such as past/current CGPA, professional experience, GMAT/GRE score, statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, etc.

An application file must be completed with all required official documents before it can be reviewed for admission. Admission decisions will not be made based upon incomplete application files and/or unofficial documentation.

In order for an application file to be considered complete, the following items must be received by the Graduate School:

  1. Online Application
  2. Statement of Purpose + Resume
  3. Three (3) Letters of Recommendation
  4. $35 Application Fee
  5. Official Transcripts (from all institutions previously attended)
  6. Official GMAT or GRE score
  7. Proof of English Proficiency*

 

 

Application Instructions

 

 

* Proof of English Proficiency

May be met in one or more of three ways:

  • Raised in a country in which English is the only official language
  • Earned a bachelor's degree or higher from a recognized institution within a country in which English is the only official language; or
  • Official English language test score—TOEFL ibt 71 or higher, IELTS academic 6.0 or higher; PTE academic 50 or higher; or Duolingo 100 or higher.

 

 

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