Brandeis International Business School

Programs > MSBA > Curriculum

Core Curriculum

Solve Real-world Problems

students presenting at three day startup competition

The Master of Science in Business Analytics equips students to analyze data. 

Key Elements

  • Learn data management and pre-processing, management-oriented visualization, data structures and analysis, selected machine learning methods, and predictive modeling.
  • Build models and execute analyses to address current needs of businesses as well as solve problems presented in cases.
  • Focus on solving real-world problems as well as gaining experience with current, widely adopted software tools.
“My job is technical, and I couldn’t do it without the data science tools and techniques I picked up throughout the MSBA program.”

Mduduzi Langwenya, MSBA’19, Manager, Data Scientist at Takeda

Curriculum and Timeline

The MSBA program is 12-months or 16-months in length and requires 41 credits. The MSBA program requires 21 core credits. Capstone options will vary for students based on the term in which they begin the program. Internships can be used for Capstone credit in the 16-month program. Students have the opportunity to take courses at other institutions in the area in related fields.

Sample Fall Course Plan: 12-Month

*Students are only able to complete the MSBA in 12 months if they exempt from Econ 210a: Intro to Probability and Statistics for Business and Economics (4 credits)

Fall (17 credits)

  • BUS 211a: Foundations of Data Analytics (4 credits)
  • BUS 240f: Information Visualization (2 credits)
  • ECON 213a: Applied Econometrics with R (4 credits)
  • BUS 215f: Python and its Application to Business Analytics (2 credits)
  • BUS 224g: Launching Your Global Career (1 credit)
  • Electives (4 credits)

Spring (18 credits)

  • BUS 212a: Advanced Data Analytics (4 credits)
  • BUS/FIN 241a: Machine Learning and Data Analysis for Business and Finance (4 credits)
  • Electives (10 credits)

Summer (6 credits)

Electives (2 credits)

Capstone (4 credits):

  • Internship
  • Field Project
  • Directed Research
Sample Spring Course Plan: 12-Month

*Students are only able to complete the MSBA in 12 months if they exempt from Econ 210a: Intro to Probability and Statistics for Business and Economics (4 credits)

Spring (19 credits)

  • BUS 211a: Foundations of Data Analytics (4 credits) 
  • BUS 240f: Information Visualization (2 credits) 
  • ECON 213a: Applied Econometrics with R (4 credits) 
  • BUS 215f: Python and its Application to Business Analytics (2 credits) 
  • BUS 224g: Launching your Global Career (1 credit) 
  • Electives (6 credits) 
Summer (4 credits)

Capstone: 

  • Field Project 
  • Directed Research
Fall (18 credits)
  • BUS 212a: Advanced Data Analytics (4 credits) 
  • BUS/FIN 241a: Machine Learning and Data Analysis for Business and Finance (4 credits) 
  • Electives (10 credits)
Sample Fall Course Plan: 16-Month

Fall (13 credits)

  • BUS 211a: Foundations of Data Analytics (4 credits)
  • BUS 240f: Information Visualization (2 credits)
  • BUS 215f: Python and its Application to Business Analytics (2 credits)
  • ECON 210a: Intro to Probability and Statistics for Business and Economics (4 credits)
  • BUS 224g: Launching Your Global Career (1 credit)

Spring (12-16 credits)

  • BUS 212a: Advanced Data Analytics (4 credits)
  • ECON 213a: Applied Econometrics with R (4 credits)
  • Electives (4-8 credits)

Summer (4 credits)

Capstone:

  • Internship
  • Field Project
  • Directed Research

Fall (Remaining credits)

  • BUS/FIN 241a: Machine Learning and Data Analytics for Business and Finance (4 credits)
  • Electives (Remaining credits)
Sample Spring Course Plan: 16-Month
Spring 1 (13 credits) 
  • BUS 211a: Foundations of Data Analytics (4 credits) 
  • BUS 240f: Information Visualization (2 credits) 
  • BUS 215f: Python and its Application to Business Analytics (2 credits) 
  • ECON 210a: Intro to Probability and Statistics for Business and Economics (4 credits) 
  • BUS 224g: Launching your Global Career (1 credit) 
Summer (4 credits)

Capstone:

  • Field Project 
  • Directed Research
Fall (16 credits) 
  • ECON 213a: Applied Econometrics with R (4 credits)
  • Electives (8 credits)
Spring 2 (Remaining credits) 
  • Electives (Remaining credits, minimum 4)
  • BUS 212a: Advanced Data Analytics (4 credits)
  • BUS/FIN 241a: Machine Learning and Data Analytics for Business and Finance (4 credits)
Full List of Required Courses
Required Courses (25 credits)
  • BUS 224g: Launching Your Global Career (1 credit)
  • BUS 215f: Python and Applications to Business Analytics (2 credits)
  • BUS 211a: Foundations of Data Analytics (4 credits)
  • BUS 212a: Advanced Data Analytics (4 credits)
  • BUS 240f: Information Visualization (2 credits)
  • BUS 241a: Machine Learning and Data Analysis for Business and Finance (4 credits)
  • ECON 210a: Intro to Probability and Statistics for Business and Economics (4 credits)
  • ECON 213a: Applied Econometrics with R (4 credits)
Group 1: Core Courses (8 credits required)
  • BUS 256a: Marketing Analytics
  • BUS 276a: Business Dynamics
  • ECON/FIN 250a: Forecasting in Economics and Finance
  • BUS 216f: Python and Applications to Business Analytics (4 credits)
  • BUS 233a: Entrepreneurship and Rapid Prototyping (4 credits)
  • BUS 252a: Marketing Management (4 credits)
  • BUS 253a: Marketing Research (4 credits)
  • BUS 257f: Social Media & Analytics (2 credits)
  • BUS 259f: Digital Marketing (2 credits)
  • BUS 261a: Managing Technology and Innovation (4 credits) 
  • BUS 272a: Operations Management (4 credits)
  • BUS 274f: Supply Chain Analytics (2 credits)
  • BUS 260a: Competition and Strategy (4 credits)
  • BUS/FIN 239f: PropTech Revolution: Entrepreneurial Innovation in Real Estate (2 credits)
  • ECON 311a: Advanced Econometrics I (4 credits)
  • ECON/FIN 243a: Technological Rivalry (4 credits)
  • FIN 203a: Financial Management OR Fin 201a Investments (4 credits)
  • FIN 217f: Corporate Financial Modeling (2 credits)
  • FIN 218f: Portfolio Financial Modeling (2 credits)
  • FIN 234a: Social Impact Investing (4 credits)
  • FIN 270a: Options and Derivatives (4 credits) 
  • FIN 282f: From Cyber to COVID: Shocks, Risks and Opportunities in Finance (2 credits) 
  • FIN 285a: Computer Simulation & Risk Analysis (4 credits)
  • RPJM 101: Foundations of Project Management

Or any course from Group 1 not taken to satisfy those requirements.

Group 2: Electives (4 credits required)
  • BUS 297a: Approved Internship (2 credits) or
  • Any BUS, BUS/FIN, ECON, ECON/FIN or FIN course offered at International Business School

(Except BUS 249f. Including, but not limited to the courses listed above, if not used to fulfill that
requirement.)

Capstone (4 credits required)
  • BUS 286a: Applications of System Dynamics (4 credits)
  • BUS 294a: Data Analytics Field Project (4 credits)
  • BUS 296a: Internship (4 credits)
  • BUS 290a: Directed Research (4 credits)