Master of Science in Business Analytics

What is business analytics?

Business analytics refers to tools and technologies that organizations use to integrate external and internal data to take advantage of business opportunities and solve business problems to achieve an edge over their competitors. Every business, whether it is small, medium, or large, relies on using data to increase profits and cut costs and business analytics is one way to help companies achieve this goal.

In the MSBA program, you will learn about the three types of business analytics (Descriptive, Predictive, and Prescriptive), quantitative and statistical methods, database mining and programming, data visualization, predictive analytics, prescriptive analytics, and project management. Your learning is centered around real-world projects to provide you with the skills to launch a great career in Business Analytics.

Complete your degree in one year as a full-time student or attend part-time and finish at your own pace. Applications are accepted fall, spring, and summer. Build your career at USC Upstate.

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Master of Science in Business Analytics Application Form

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Why Study Business Analytics?

Businesses thrive on data. Getting strategic analyses into the right hands at the right time can mean the difference between profit and loss. The Business Analytics program at the George Dean Johnson Jr. College of Business & Economics is a rigorous, interdisciplinary master’s program that requires problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

The median annual salary for business analytics managers with a master’s degree is $113,450 - $121,084.

The gap between hiring demand and qualified applicants is estimated to be 100,000 jobs each year.

Cutting-edge curriculum. Countless career opportunities.

Our graduates land positions at impactful organizations, such as:

Amanda Cluney
2021
Marketing Analytics Manager
OTO Development

Anastasia Livaditis
2020
AMN Sales Operations Analyst
Michelin North American Inc.

Bisimwa Augustin Mutabesha
2021
Senior Continuous Improvement Specialist
American Credit Acceptance (ACA)

Immerse yourself in analytics

Learning by doing – experiential learning – is integral to our curriculum. You’ll complete your degree with a capstone course working on a real-world project.

Interact with managers and senior leaders from global companies. Work hands-on to complete projects in the classroom and the board room.

Build your career with a master's degree from USC Upstate.

Johnson College of Busines and Economics students.

Expert Faculty Focused on Your Future.

We were the first Master of Business Analytics program in South Carolina – and you won’t find a more experienced team of experts anywhere else.

- Introduction to Business Analytics and Visualization
- Programming for Analytics
- Database Design, Management, and Mining
- Predictive Analytics
- Prescriptive Analytics
- Business Process and Supply Chain Analytics
- Capstone: Applied Learning
View Course Descriptions
Your Business Analytics coursework will prepare you for optional professional certifications, including SAS professional-level credential exams, SAP, Tableau, and Power-BI.
If you have an undergraduate degree in accounting, be sure to take a look at our Accounting Analytics track. In additional to getting your master's degree, you'll accumulate the additional credits you need to earn a South Carolina CPA license. Learn more about the Accounting Analytics Track

What You'll Need to Succeed

Thinking strategically from an enterprise-wide perspective on how to apply analytics to solve complex business problems.
Delivering insights to help enhance organization-wide decision-making with a strong emphasis on avoiding thinking in silos.
Aligning analytics with KPIs from a stakeholder perspective.
Viewing the world of analytics through ethical frameworks.
Communicating clearly, with the flexibility to address the information needs of diverse stakeholders.
Participating in experiential learning, teamwork, and self-learning.

Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the program will be able to:

Understand how analytics can improve managerial decision-making at all levels of an organization.
Understand the three areas of data analytics: descriptive (data mining and data visualization), prescriptive (optimization and simulation), and predictive (forecasting and regression analysis).
Gain practical experience using the popular analytics software tools and languages used in industry such as SAS Enterprise Miner, SAP, Tableau, R, Python, SQL and other technologies.
Design creative data analytics solutions to complex business problems and effectively communicate the analysis and findings to leadership.

Admission Requirements

In addition to completing your USC Upstate Application, you'll need:

Official transcripts showing all post-secondary course work attempted and the award of the baccalaureate or higher degree by an accredited college or university.
Your official test scores of either the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or the GMAT or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) to USC Upstate Admissions.
A personal statement of 1-2 pages regarding your academic background, career interests, and reason for pursuing this degree program.

For International Students

Admissions and Financial Aid for International Students
I20 Form
Declaration of Finances

Contact Information

For questions about the program, please email info-msba@uscupstate.edu.

For questions about your application status, please email admissions-msba@uscupstate.edu.

Program Information
Ms. Deborah Sparks
Phone: 864-503-5580
Email: sparksdr@uscupstate.edu

Program Director
Dr. Uma G. Gupta
Phone: 864-503-7199
Email: ugupta@uscupstate.edu

Mailing Address

Master of Business Analytics Program
College of Business and Economics
160 East St. John Street
Spartanburg, SC 29306