This month, the University announced a new online master’s of science in business analytics program, which aims to prepare professionals for analyzing real-world data to inform organizational decision making. The program will welcome its first cohort in fall 2026.
The degree program is the latest addition to the growing portfolio of online master’s programs the University offers.
Developed by the School of Professional Studies, the 16-month online program will consist of eight courses and a capstone project. Students will investigate and solve business problems using complex data analysis, emphasizing the application of theoretical frameworks to real-word constraints, according to a University press release.
“The master’s in business analytics stands out from other analytics programs because it doesn’t assume data comes clean and ready,” Sandra Smith, the dean of the SPS, wrote in an email to The Herald. “Students gain the technical and analytical skills by leveraging real-world data for ethical decision making and then learning to communicate those findings effectively across teams.”
Pending approval by the Corporation, the master’s in business analytics is slated to cost students $8,375 per course — more expensive than all five other current online master’s programs.
The new program follows the establishment of the online master’s in management and online master of science in organizational leadership earlier this year.
“The master’s in management will train recent college graduates and early-career professionals for the workforce, while the organizational leadership master’s program will prepare emerging leaders to advance into senior roles,” according to a University press release.
Both online programs will consist of eight courses ranging from ethics and marketing strategy to data analysis.
The master’s in management tuition is $7,500 per course for the 2025-26 academic year, while the master of science in organizational leadership tuition is $5,625 per course. For these programs, students can be considered for a scholarship amounting up to 50% of tuition.
The master’s in organizational leadership allows mid-career professionals to further develop and advance their skills, according to Ed Barrows, a professor of the practice of leadership and the program’s academic director. The curricula stresses building networks with other professionals as a career-development strategy, he added.
“What makes our approach unique is how we bring together professors from different fields to tackle real-world problems like AI ethics and global security because we believe the best solutions come from unexpected connections,” Barrows wrote in an email to The Herald.
The master’s in management program focuses on foundational skills such as strategy, leadership and marketing, according to Smith. The program addresses the workplace’s need for adaptable ideas that can convert to action.
“The master’s in management program is designed specifically for recent graduates and emerging professionals to translate their diverse academic and professional backgrounds into strategic and practical skills for the real world,” Interim Academic Director of the program Baba Prasad said in a June press release. Smith and Barrows cite accessibility and integration across a diverse workforce as the reasons for hosting these programs online.
“These programs were designed in close collaboration with faculty experts and employers to ensure they meet real workforce needs,” Smith wrote.
