SCHEV approves new Master of Science in Business Analytics
On September 22, 2015, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia approved a new Master of Science in Business Analytics degree at William & Mary (W&M) which will launch in August 2016. This residential-based degree program offered through W&M's Raymond A. Mason School of Business, received W&M's Board of Visitors endorsement in April 2015.
From understanding customer buying patterns, to fraud detection, to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of marketing campaigns, business analytics has become a crucial tool for improving corporate profitability. W&M's innovative, one year master's program will address this growing demand for data science talent. Students will gain the advanced skills necessary to help businesses use big data to gain a competitive advantage. The program will provide comprehensive coverage of analytic methodologies with a focus on four skill areas: business acumen, applied mathematics, computing technologies, and communicating with impact. The curriculum will include coursework in data visualization, optimization, algorithms, database management, machine learning, and probability and statistics.
"We designed the program to enable our graduates to ask the right business questions, identify the real problems, build the right models, analyze those models using the right methodologies, and successfully interpret and convey the results to business managers" said Jim Bradley, lead faculty sponsor for the MS Business Analytics program. "Graduates of this program will know how to communicate results in plain, managerial terms that are relevant and effective in business settings."
William & Mary, located in Williamsburg, Virginia is one of the nation's premier public universities and believes that excellence in teaching is the key to unlocking intellectual and personal possibilities for students. Dedicated to this philosophy, the University provides high-quality undergraduate, graduate and professional education that prepares students to make significant contributions to the Commonwealth of Virginia and the nation.
As the second-oldest college in the United States and educational home to many American leaders, the University is revered as Alma Mater of the Nation. Its School of Business embraces the entrepreneurial spirit that built the country atop a foundation of business, trade, and economics. Its revolutionary approach to business education with its personalized, experiential model invites energetic thinkers with a will to lead in creating a strong sustainable economy and thriving society.
