MASTER OF SCIENCE IN

BUSINESS
ANALYTICS
FIND YOUR FUTURE IN A
DATA-DRIVEN WORLD
Harnessing big data is a 21st century business imperative. The
Carlson School Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA)
program teaches students how to extract insights from data in order
to create real value for today’s businesses. Students graduate with
both the data science skills and the business acumen to be leaders
in an increasingly data-driven world.
ANALYTICS
EVERYWHERE
In Healthcare
Improve efficiency, safety and compliance,
and important aspects of patient care, such
Where can an education in as deployment of medical personnel. Carlson
School students and alumni have done all of
analytics take your career?
the above and more in healthcare.

In Marketing
Measurement-driven digital marketing is the
Just about anywhere you want to go. modern standard. Sophisticated data analysis
enables companies to optimize strategies for
More than ever, companies across competitive advantage.
industries are turning to analytics to
solve real problems for businesses,
communities, and society. In Manufacturing
Streamline supply chains, revamp intricate
systems, and enhance productivity for
companies across sectors. Diverse data sets
and complex challenges call for creative
thinking and analytical prowess.

In Technology
From clicks and downloads to mobile computing
and the “internet of things,” data and analytics
fuel tech innovation. Carlson School grads find
opportunities in groundbreaking start-ups and
big-name tech giants.
MASTER ANALYTICS AND BUSINESS
CONTEXT

MOVE FORWARD FASTER

The entire program focuses
on the use of analytics
in business, equipping
graduates to assume data
analytics leadership roles in
Demand has never been greater for all kinds of industries.
professionals who can mine data for
2.5 business value.
Management
Fundamentals
quintillion Core concepts of
BYTES PER DAY The Carlson School curriculum offers management, marketing,
a unique combination of business finance, and team leadership
Amount of data created provide a solid foundation
each day according knowledge, technical skills, and data
for building a career in
to IBM. analysis expertise. Experiential learning business analytics.
provides opportunities to apply all of
these to answer real business questions.
You’ll graduate from a top-ranked Technical
university with an advanced degree, Capabilities
ready to put it to work for your future. Courses in data harvesting
and engineering,
programming, and
application development
prepare students to
configure the technologies
that power analytics.

Multi-method Data
Analysis
Statistics, machine learning,
predictive analytics,
modeling, visualization, and
The unmanageable volume and other advanced methods
teach students to extract
complexity of the big data that the world value from data.
is now swimming in have increased the
potential of machine learning—and the Experiential
need for it.” —McKinsey & Company Learning
The curriculum is infused
with opportunities to tackle
complex business problems
using real data sets from
nationally known companies.
 Our
Management
Information Systems
Specialty is consistently
ranked in the

Top 5
by U.S. News &
World Report

STUDY WITH
RECOGNIZED EXPERTS
Widely recognized as the birthplace
of management information systems,
the Carlson School consistently ranks
among the top programs for the
discipline. Our faculty bring field-leading
expertise and research to the classroom.

MEET A FEW PROFESSORS

Ravi Bapna
CURTIS L. CARLSON CHAIR IN BUSINESS Svjetlana Madzar Information & Decision Sciences
ANALYTICS AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS,
SENIOR LECTURER, WORK & ORGANIZATIONS
INFORMATION & DECISION SCIENCES Associate Professor De Liu teaches
Expert in these areas: peer influence in online Expert in these areas: international team
collaboration and management students how to combine large-scale data
social networks and big data analytics
harvesting and deep analysis to derive
insights about markets and user behaviors.
He uses the same techniques plus
econometric methods to research digital
advertising, peer-to-peer markets, internet
auction mechanisms, and gamification in
education and healthcare.
Professor Liu’s courses are among the
most popular—and challenging—in the
MSBA program. His dedication to student
learning is evidenced by the fact that
Akhmed Umyarov
Maria Ana Vitorino he was voted “Best Teacher” by MSBA
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, INFORMATION
AND DECISION SCIENCES ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, MARKETING students for the last two years.
Expert in these areas: data mining, Expert in these areas: empirical
experimental design, statistics, social applications of statistics and economic
media, big data models to marketing
REAL BUSINESSES. CARLSON ANALYTICS LAB
REAL DATA.
Full-time students work on real data projects with a client company in the
Carlson Analytics Lab. This highly relevant semester-long experience sets
you up for success post-graduation—and sets you apart on the job market.

REAL EXPERIENCE. Working in small teams, students lead every aspect of the project from
definition to delivery, with guidance from faculty and professional staff, for
a valuable resume-worthy experience. Past clients include Fortune 500
companies from a variety of industries. National retailers, manufacturers,
Hands-on learning is a hallmark of the Carlson School. Classes incorporate case-based healthcare players, agribusinesses, and others have partnered with the lab.
study with real data sets that are complex, interesting, often messy, and challenging.
Students gain experience using analytics to solve problems real businesses face.
Mall Sun Global
of Country Consulting
America Airlines Firm

Students used Wi-Fi access Unifying disparate data sources, In this “internet of things”
point data to better understand students created a cohesive view project, students built a cloud-
visitor behavior and movement of customer segments for the based prototype to monitor
inside the enormous shopping airline, informing its entire streaming data from machine
and entertainment marketing operation. sensors and predict equipment
destination. failures—expanding the
firm’s capabilities.

CAPSTONE PROJECT
Part-time students complete a capstone project that includes application of
analytical methodologies, techniques, and tools learned throughout the program.
Through the capstone project, students gain experience with the entire data
analytics cycle—from business problem assessment to data engineering, and
from data analysis to presentation of results and recommendations.

The experiential learning aspect of the MSBA program gives

students a very good idea of what a real data analytics project
looks like, including how to apply different data analytics
techniques in a real business setting, how to cooperate with
colleagues on data analytics projects, and how to convey key data
analytics insights to stakeholders. These are all really important
parts of jobs in analytics.” —XIN (EMILY) RONG, ’15 MSBA
Data Scientist at Amazon
 PREPARE FOR CAREERS My favorite part of the MSBA
program was how quickly it enabled

AT STANDOUT COMPANIES me to augment my skills and change

my career trajectory. Over the course
of a single year, I went from running
a web design agency in Minneapolis
The Carlson School’s extensive network spans local,
100% national, and global business communities, connecting
students to industry leaders and future colleagues.
to landing a job at McKinsey and
moving to New York. I honestly don’t
PLACEMENT think I could have picked a better
within 90 days of Graduates of the MSBA program land exciting jobs with way to spend a year that would have
graduation top companies across the country. had more impact on my future.

“One of the reasons why I chose the

CLASS OF 2015 &
CLASS OF 2016 MSBA program over other business
EMPLOYMENT BY REGION
education is that the program
helps you build a very practical and
hands-on set of skills that are in high
$87,750 17%
11%
demand. Not only do I now know
how these big data technologies
AVERAGE
39%
SALARY work, but I was able to put them into
3% practice the first day of my new job.”
—NICK ROSENER, ’16 MSBA
$7,308
FOR 2016
GRADUATES Digital Analyst at McKinsey & Company
8% 22%
AVERAGE

SIGNING BONUS

PROGRAM ADVISORY BOARDS REPRESENT A SPECTRUM OF COMPANIES

Analytics professionals from leading organizations make Amazon Medtronic
up the advisory board for the MSBA program. Working in Ameriprise Mall of America

collaboration with faculty, advisory board members bring Cargill Optum

industry perspective to ongoing program strategy and Carmichael Lynch PwC

Experian Regis
development. MSBA students have opportunities to meet and
General Mills Sears
engage with board members at events throughout the year.
Google Slalom Consulting
McKinsey & Target
Company
Thomson Reuters
McKinsey Digital
Walmart
 JOIN A COMMUNITY OF LEADERS
Students at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School are
part of a vibrant campus community that extends to a worldwide
alumni network of 50,000+ strong in more than 100 countries.

Punit Lohani Xiaochen Li SEE YOURSELF HERE

BUSINESS INSIGHT MARKETING DATA
ANALYST ANALYST The Carlson School sits near the heart of the thriving Minneapolis-
EXPEDIA AIRBNB St. Paul metro area. Home to Target, 3M, Medtronic, Best Buy,
General Mills, and UnitedHealth Group, the area also boasts a
thriving entrepreneurial scene.
Richard Archer
John Tong
DATA SCIENTIST Professional sports teams, world-class arts and cultural attractions,
SENIOR LEADERSHIP
COGNIZANT
PROGRAM ASSOCIATE and abundant parks add to the region’s reputation as one of the
TECHNOLOGY
SEARS
SOLUTIONS
most livable places in the nation.

Akhil Mathew Graduates of the MSBA program

Pengfei Alex Song
SENIOR ANALYST, have joined some of the world’s most BUSINESS ANALYST
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
& ANALYTICS exciting companies in roles that are as AMAZON
TARGET
challenging as they are satisfying.

Xin Miao
Karthik Mahendran
FINANCIAL ANALYTICS
DATA ANALYST SENIOR ANALYST
MCKINSEY & AMERIPRISE

#1 #4 #3
COMPANY FINANCIAL

18 8
Shuo Feng Vivek Vancha State Fortune 500 of the largest Best City for Young Top City in the
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE SENIOR DATA ANALYST
ANALYST
for Business company private companies Entrepreneurs World for Attracting
PRICELINE headquarters Recent Graduates
GOOGLE
CNBC in the United States Nerd Wallet
Kshithi Venkatesh Forbes LinkedIn
STATISTICAL ANALYST
WALMART
Fastest-growing state for tech jobs
Dice.com (based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data)
 FULL-TIME MSBA PROGRAM PART-TIME MSBA PROGRAM

ACCELERATE YOUR SYNCHRONIZE

ANALYTICS CAREER YOUR SUCCESS
Graduate in one year with deep knowledge and in-demand Earn a degree in data analytics while you work. Part-time
analytics expertise. Full-time students begin the program students attend classes in the evening, which provides
in June, complete three intensive semesters, and graduate flexibility for working professionals.
the following May.

1 year Daytime classes STEM 45 credits 2 years Flexible 2-3 classes 45 credits
begin in June, full-time, cohort- designated by rigorous academic begin in September, evening, online, and (6-9 credits) per rigorous academic
graduate next May based study Homeland Security study study while you work condensed format classes semester study

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT TECHNICAL FUNDAMENTALS ADVANCED ANALYTICS AND

SUMMER SEMESTER FALL SEMESTER SPRING SEMESTER FUNDAMENTALS EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Math Foundations for
BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT TECHNICAL FUNDAMENTALS
Analytics for Competitive Business Analytics Exploratory Data Analytics
ADVANCED ANALYTICS AND
FUNDAMENTALS Advantage and Visualization
Data Management,
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING Programming and
Analytics for Competitive Introduction to Statistics for Application Development Predictive Analytics
Databases, and Data Advanced Issues in Business
Advantage Data Scientists Advanced Issues in Business
Warehousing Analytics Data Management,
Introduction to Statistics for Nine Credits Business Databases, and Data Analytics
Big Data Analytics Data-Driven
Data Scientists Electives:* Warehousing Data-Driven Experimentation
Experimentation and
Building and Managing Business Ethics and Measurement
Programming and Measurement Big Data Analytics
Teams
Application Development Financial Accounting Modeling and Heuristics for
Modeling and Heuristics
Exploratory Data Analytics Financial Management Decision Making and Support
Financial Accounting for Decision Making and
and Visualization
Support Management and Capstone Project in Analytics
Marketing Management Predictive Analytics Organizational Behavior
Project Management of
Analytics Projects Managerial Accounting
Experiential Learning Project Managerial Economics
Marketing Management
Operations Management
Strategic Management

*Additional elective options are

available

Subject to change. For course descriptions, visit carlsonschool.umn.edu/ft-msba-structure Subject to change. For course descriptions, visit carlsonschool.umn.edu/pt-msba-structure
ADMISSIONS APPLICATION DEADLINES
Full-Time MSBA
The full-time program begins only in
Connect with Us
Discover how the Carlson School’s
June. Master of Science in Business Analytics
Qualified applicants should demonstrate Round 1 November 1 program can help you achieve your
a capacity for intense academic study, a Round 2 January 1 learning and career goals. Contact us to
propensity for mathematics and programming, ask questions, attend a recruiting event,
Round 3 February 1
or schedule an appointment with an
and a basic understanding of business Part-Time MSBA admissions counselor.
fundamentals. Ideal candidates should meet The part-time program begins only in
these criteria (see website for details): fall semester. Master of Science in Business Analytics
Round 1 December 1 Carlson School of Management
✔ Undergraduate degree in economics, 321 Nineteenth Avenue South, Suite 1-110
Round 2 February 1
Minneapolis, MN 55455
mathematics, engineering, business, computer Round 3 April 1
science, statistics, or related field is preferred, Round 4 June 1 Full-Time MSBA and
but not required general inquiries: [email protected]
Part-Time MSBA: [email protected]
✔ Demonstrated proficiency in at least one
of the following computer programming Phone: 612-625-5555
languages is required: Python, R, C, C++, C#, carlsonschool.umn.edu/analytics
VB, Java, Pascal, and Fortran. Academic
FULL-TIME MSBA
transcripts, certificates from online courses,
CLASS OF 2018 PROFILE
or work experience may be cited to meet this
requirement. See website for details.
3%
✔ At least one semester college level calculus
MIS/IT

MATH/STATS 6%
703 3.46 321 3.16 26
97
AVERAGES
course with a grade “C” or better required BUSINESS/MGMT 6% GMAT GPA GRE YEARS WORK AGE
EXPERIENCE
✔ Work experience is not required, but strongly FINANCE 6% STUDENTS /
2 COHORTS
preferred APPLICATION CHECKLIST ECONOMICS 8% 40% WOMEN
OTHER 8%
NOTE: International students who require an F-1 visa are not eligible ■ Official GMAT or GRE score* 84% INTERNATIONAL
for the part-time program. COMPUTER SCIENCE 15%
■ Official academic transcripts
48%
■ Current resume ENGINEERING

■ Personal statement
■ Three letters of recommendation
■ English Language Test Scores (if
applicable) PART-TIME MSBA
■ Online application and processing CLASS OF 2017 PROFILE
fee
■ Interview (only applicants who
present strong credentials will be 656 3.47 6.9 3
Apply Now
invited to interview with a member
of the Admissions Committee) GMAT

GPA
AVERAGES
YEARS WORK ALREADY HAS
EXPERIENCE GRADUATE
15
STUDENTS
6 WOMEN

* PART-TIME MSBA ONLY: In certain DEGREE

Visit: carlsonschool.umn.edu/msba-application
circumstances, a waiver may be applied to
fulfill this requirement
Carlson MBA and MS Programs
Carlson School of Management
University of Minnesota
321 Nineteenth Avenue South, Suite 1-110
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0438

carlsonschool.umn.edu/analytics

© 2017 by the Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.