Learn to make business decisions with confidence
Business Analytics is the study of how organizations use data to analyze performance, make strategic decisions, and achieve business goals.
A student with a degree in Business Analytics can work in nearly any area of business given the universal need for informed decision-making. Business analysts, in New Orleans and nationally, are in high demand in healthcare, information systems, tourism and hospitality, operations and logistics, financial services, market research and many other industries.
What You Will Learn
The Business Analytics major is designed to provide students with:
- Technological skills needed to manage the data and databases which businesses use on a daily basis;
- Analytical skills required to make sense out of business data and create mathematical models of business decisions;
- Decision-making and management skills which allow students to implement analytical results to achieve continuous improvement.
The program is interdisciplinary and is taught by faculty from a wide range of business disciplines and in Mathematics & Computer Science.
Explore the requirements of this innovative and flexible program below.
Sample Courses
To prepare for a career in business analytics, you’ll take courses in mathematics, computer science and analytics. Then, you’ll choose specialization electives to tailor the program to your goals. Here’s a sample of what you can expect to learn and do:
- Business Statistics
This course is an introduction to the statistics used in business, including sources of business data, describing data, probability, the use of confidence limits, the use of hypothesis tests, analysis of variance, and simple correlation and linear regression.
- Econometrics I - Linear Models
This is an intermediate level statistics course. After a brief overview of statistics, the course covers least squares estimation, statistical inference, diagnostic methods, selection and evaluation of functional form, and simultaneous equations estimation. Students use the STATA software program and complete a comprehensive statistical research project.
- Contemporary Managerial Decision Making
This course provides students with diagnostic and analytical tools and skills for informing effective decisions. A course project requires diagnostic skills to formulate problems, decision-modeling skills, data collection and analysis skills, and managerial skills such as planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Consumer Analysis and Research Students learn to measure and analyze consumer attitudes and behavior. Measurement techniques covered include observation, interviews, focus groups, and surveys. Analysis tools used include descriptive statistics, chi square, and spreadsheet analysis for value determination.