Online Business Analytics program attracts data enthusiasts
With the Purdue Online MBA successfully launched, the Krannert School began offering another option for working professionals, an online Master of Science in Business Analytics, in fall 2020.
Students receive broad exposure to various functional areas of business and learn how to use data and information to make better decisions. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the need for business analysts to increase 14% by 2024, and this degree prepares participants for a wide variety of roles within the industry.
“We are proud to offer the number one-ranked residential data science program in the country, according to CIO magazine, and our business analytics faculty are consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally by U.S. News & World Report,” Hummels says. “Those same faculty are now offering an online business analytics program that is rigorous and relevant to working professionals.
“The demand for technical and analytical expertise is exploding. With this degree, we’re expanding our reach far beyond our campus boundaries to help meet this tremendous need.”
The program can be completed in four semesters. It provides students with skills to work in cross-disciplinary teams and across functional boundaries. It features immersion electives in specific areas, such as disruptive technologies in artificial intelligence.
Participants also may take a practicum course to implement the knowledge they have learned in other courses. Future plans for the program include specialized tracks such as supply chain analytics, marketing analytics, cybersecurity and data science.
Chhajed says typical courses in the program consist of case studies, class discussions and exercises to maximize peer-to-peer learning. An emphasis is placed on both technologies and techniques, twin requirements in the emerging world of big data, according to a recent McKinsey & Co. report.
Students work in close connection with the Krenicki Center for Business Analytics & Machine Learning, which offers data analytics-oriented initiatives spanning all areas of business and economics. Participants also take advantage of Purdue’s many resources in data analytics, including the Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security (CERIAS), one of the world’s leading research and education centers in information security. CERIAS is collaborating with the Krannert School in developing courses for the online program.
“This program leverages Purdue’s strong STEM reputation while also capitalizing on synergies at the Krannert School,” Chhajed says. “Students enhance their critical analytical thinking and communication skills, and they do so without a disruption to their careers or their families.”
Among those students is Peter Ohaver, who says he chose the MS in Business Analytics program because it fit his needs.
“Nearly half of my extended family has attended Purdue and I am very interested in analytics, so when I saw that Krannert’s programs were some of the best in the country, I knew that my perception wasn’t colored by my biases,” he says. “The program really is top-notch.”
The coursework and financial benefits also drew him to the program. “Top ratings and exciting courses that matched my goals and needs, and it cost half of what many similar programs cost? How could I say no?” Ohaver says.
Another student in the program, Nilofer Rajpurkar, earned a BS in biomedical engineering from Purdue in 2017 and currently works at Microsoft.
“The MS in Business Analytics program provides the perfect blend of technical and business content for my career path and goals,” she says. “Beyond the curriculum, the faculty are knowledgeable, approachable, and genuinely excited to engage with me about the material and applying it outside the classroom. Seeing the program offered in an online format sealed the deal as I’m able to complete my coursework while continuing to work full-time.”
Rajpurkar says the breadth of experience her classmates and the faculty bring to the table makes the content in each course even more tangible.
“The quality of our discussions are enhanced by hearing stories from my peers in a variety of industries and how they apply the content in their day-to-day,” she says. “Even in an online program, I have enjoyed how much I’ve been able to get to know my peers through team-based work and additional events. Each interaction adds more value to the program.”
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