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Business Analytics Graduate Certificate

College of Management / Management Information Systems
Graduate certificate

About The Program

Business Analytics (BA) is one of the most important recently developed areas of information systems management. It generally describes the intensive, iterative, algorithmic and methodical analysis of an organization's data/information for insights leading to productive actions based on those insights. Organizations dedicated to intensive use of data-driven decision making apply advanced data management and statistical techniques to analyze performance, customer data and patterns, as well as develop insights from external data from competitors and the industry/field.

Based on the earlier sub-discipline of business intelligence, BA adds new techniques and skills in pattern analysis, optimization, diagnostic and predictive modeling to yield higher quality insights to enable advanced decision making and change. As the field of BA has developed, several sub-disciplines have evolved, (with differing techniques and purposes) including:

  • Descriptive
  • Predictive
  • Discovery
  • Diagnostic
  • Prescriptive

Nearly all studies of business analytics and related employment indicate this is one of the hottest markets in IT. One of the best studies was published by Forbes Magazine in November, 2015. That study showed that applicants with business analytics skills had an average nationally of 10 - 13 job offers.

Local employment estimates for the Twin Cities area range from 5,000 to 18,000 new positions within the next three years. The Minnesota Department of Labor's recent IT Workforce study quoted 16,000 unduplicated BA positions.

Metropolitan State's Graduate Business Analytics Certificate builds on a strong base of general MIS and IT knowledge and problem formulation, to develop significant depth in both descriptive analytics and modern predictive analytics techniques. The certificate adds applied study through a choice of a supply chain-oriented elective or a more data management-driven elective sequence. This exciting new certificate is also 100% transferable into Metropolitan State's highly regarded Masters in MIS (MMIS) program.

Student outcomes

Potential Career Opportunities

  • Business Analysis
  • Quantitative Analysis
  • Operations Research Analysis
  • Market Research Analysis
  • Management Reporting
  • IT and Business Project Management

How to enroll

Program eligibility requirements

Must have earned a baccalaureate degree.

International Students

This is not a degree-granting program, therefore applications from international students studying on an F-1 student visa cannot be accepted into this program.

Application instructions

Metro State University is participating in the common application for graduate programs (BusinessCAS). Applications are only accepted via the CAS website.

CAS steps

  1. Select the term for which you are seeking admission (below), and navigate to the CAS website. Open applications include:
  2. Create or log in to your account and select the Business Analytics Graduate Certificate program.
  3. Carefully review all instructions and complete all four sections of the application.

Specific application requirements for individual programs can be found on each program page in CAS. Carefully read the instructions that appear throughout the application pages. You can only submit your application once. If you need to update information you have submitted, please notify graduate.studies@metrostate.edu

Application fee

A nonrefundable $58 fee is required for each application.
Applications will not be processed until this fee is received.

Active-duty military, veterans, and Metro State alumni can receive an application fee waiver. Contact graduate.studies@metrostate.edu.

Courses and Requirements

SKIP TO COURSE REQUIREMENTS

If the Director of the Graduate MIS Program determines that you have full prior competence in a certificate course, you may be given credit for the competency and allowed to take sufficient alternate credits to meet the total credit requirement of the certificate (e.g. if you have completed a graduate 4 credit Project Management course that is accepted, you would be allowed to consider that function completed within the certificate, and can then take an alternate 4 credits, agreed upon with the Director).

The Business Analytics GCERT can be completed 100% online.

Requirements (20 credits)

+ Required (16 credits)

Management Information Systems (MIS) evolved from essentially an organization's support operation to a strategic element of an organization's life and survival. This course explores information systems' new and expanding roles in the enterprise. Models examined showing how new technologies are assimilated into the organization, how to plan for systems within the overall strategic management process, assess the risk in system development projects, and become a "sophisticated user" of information systems. Traditional and new technologies are utilized. The course also includes a solid review of the strategic and tactical impact of computers, networks and new technologies. . This course broadens understanding of the design and implementation of various computerized information systems to support management decision making and evaluation, and prepares the student to integrate new technologies and configurations into the management process.

Full course description for Management Information Systems

This course provides students with techniques and strategies to work on complex business problems while exercising strong critical thinking skills. It also helps them develop potential solutions. This course then focuses on how to take the results of students' professional work and present complex material in a manner that helps them clearly explain and market their information.

Full course description for Problem Formulation and Data Presentation

The improvement in computing and information management technology created opportunity for organizations to generate, store, and process huge amount of data which is being generated in every seconds. Business Analytics provides organizations a new, efficient way to intelligently use those data by combining it with sophisticated analytics. With Business Analytics, organizations can take advantage of data with leveraging and turning it into actionable intelligence that can be used to support reasoned decisions. This course is designed to provide an introduction to the concepts of Business Analytics and its applicability with real world data in a business environment. Students will gain experience using several cutting-edge software in Business Analytics to support business decision making. Students will also be familiarized with the overall life cycle of Business Analytics project (identify the problem, describe the data, analyze the data, interpret the results, and make recommendations…

Full course description for Business Analytics

Currently, enterprises across almost every industry are seeking talent for predictive analytics. Predictive analytics helps connect data to effective action by drawing reliable conclusions about current conditions and future events. Coupled with other types of analytics available (i.e., Descriptive, Diagnostic, and Prescriptive analytics), enterprises can make predictions and then proactively act upon that insight to drive better business outcomes and achieve measurable competitive advantage. Naturally, such demand is met with creative and critical thinking professionals that have been prepared with theories that can be put into practice. The Predictive Analytics course offering includes modules, activities and projects that are structured for following topic objectives: *Understanding the different purposes of analytics (i.e., Diagnostics analytics for data discovery *Why did it happen?, Predictive analytics for forecasting, and simulation *What will happen?, and Prescriptive…

Full course description for Predictive Analytics

+ Electives (4 credits)

4 credits from the courses below.

This course introduces how analytics and Data Mining tools can be used to solve business problems like Best Next Offer, Customer Retention, Customer Potential Life Time Value estimation, Market Basket analysis, etc. This course gives students an opportunity to exercise advanced Data Exploration and Mining software. Introduction to Data Mining tools/solutions evaluation is also part of this course.

Full course description for Data Mining Tools

The course gives students an opportunity to start with several Business Problems which require Data Mining techniques like classification, estimation, clustering. Students are supposed to research on Data Mining vendors/tools to find Strengths & Weaknesses for selected Data Mining tools Students are supposed to use 5 groups of Data Mining tools selection criteria: Hardware/OS/Networking, Data reparation/Manipulation, User Interface/Model Output, Algorithms & Manageability, Support/Documentation/Training. The course gives students an opportunity to exercise advanced Data Exploration and Mining software (developed by Synera Systems, Inc.) to analyze Retail Customer Behavior. Students are supposed to use a macro language to document Data Quality problems. Introduction to E-Customer Behavior is also a part of this course.

Full course description for Advanced Data Mining Tools

Beginning where MIS 653/MKTG 653 Supply Chain Management/ Logistics Management leaves off, this course examines the use of information technology to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the corporate supply chain. Topics covered include the strategic role of key information technologies in business-to-business e-commerce; efficient customer response; enterprise resource planning; the virtual value chain.

Full course description for Advanced Supply Chain Information Systems

This course is designed to define the role of Knowledge Management (KM) in organizations, various components needed to manage knowledge in an organization, leadership skills required to lead a KM initiative, evaluation of existing KM tools and systems, the difference between KM and data management, content management, and information retrieval. It gives special attention to management information systems theories in the organizational setting including: transaction processing, operational reporting, decision support systems and executive information systems. It emphasizes the human aspects of change management, training and implementation with some attention to the role analytics plays to support decisions. The course includes case analysis from texts and real world examples.

Full course description for Knowledge Management

Student-designed independent studies give Metropolitan State students the opportunity to plan their own study. This type of independent learning strategy can be useful for because it allows students: to study a subject in more depth, at a more advanced level; to pursue a unique project that requires specialized study; to draw together several knowledge areas or interests into a specialized study; to test independent learning capabilities and skills; or to use special learning resources in the community, taking advantage of community education opportunities which, in themselves, would not yield a full college competence. Students should contact their appointed advisor for more information.

Full course description for Management Information Systems Student-Designed Independent Study (SDIS)