Strategic Analytics

As the world transitions from the age of information to the age of experience, we must extract meaningful insights from analysis that inform strategies for change. A Brandeis MS in Strategic Analytics empowers you with top-tier master's degree confidence to influence change with strategic analytics. Consistently ranked as a top national university by U.S. News and World Report, Brandeis has a long history of educating change makers. Our cutting edge, 100% online curriculum for professionals is carefully designed with equal focus in both the art and science of data. Through our Strategic Analytics MS program, you will master the technical and strategic skills necessary to transform data analysis into insightful, data-backed stories to influence key decision makers.  The program will equip you to: Identify patterns and trends within big data. Interpret and communicate results to stakeholders of various levels. Leverage data to inform strategic decisions.

The 30-credit part-time, online program has seven required courses and three electives.

Take your place among the influencers with the confidence and know-how of a Brandeis GPS graduate.

Our cutting-edge, 100% online curriculum for professionals is carefully designed with equal focus in both the art and science of data.

The 30-credit Strategic Analytics program has seven required courses and three electives. Required courses provide students with a focused education surrounding fundamental topics in the field, while electives build upon specific professional skillsets and allow students to enrich and round out their studies.

Sample Fall 2020 curriculum

Please note that available courses are subject to change.

Required courses

• Foundations of Data Science and Analytics
• Business Intelligence
• Statistics and Data Analysis
• Data Visualization for Strategic Analytics
• Predictive Analytics and Machine Learning
• Data Governance
• Analytics Strategy and Management

Sample electives

• Project Management for Analytics
• Data Security, Privacy and Ethics
• Marketing and Customer Analytics
• Agile Project Management for Analytics

View a complete list of program requirements.

View tuition and financing options. 

Businesses, governments, and institutions across the globe are collecting and analyzing unprecedented amounts of data, and that trend is expected to grow exponentially. With the world already facing a shortage of analysts capable of designing and executing complex data analysis, experts in data collection, management and analysis are integral to organizational success. 

Strategic Analytics students often hold job titles such as:

• Project Consultant
• Compliance Manager
• Data Architect and Scientist
• Marketing Consultant
• Data Analyst
• Senior IT Manager
• Project Manager
• Business Intelligence Functional Manager
• Customer Account Manager
• Principal Data Architect
• Senior Director of Business Development

The 53 students currently working toward their MS in Strategic Analytics comprise a vibrant and diverse community of online learners.

The program is 60% male and 40% female, and 83 students have graduated from the program since it launched in 2013.

“As an online learner at Brandeis GPS, I found the coursework and support resources convenient and accommodating. In fact, I rarely felt as though my studies were an interruption. What I learned was immediately applicable, and I continue every day to benefit from the understanding the courses gave me.”
— Scott Paddock, GPS Student (read more student testimonials here)

Our Strategic Analytics faculty understand the challenges of modern industry. Whether they’re leveraging the latest technologies to manage large datasets or using big data findings to counsel executive leadership, they structure their GPS curriculum to draw on real-world expertise and connections that ultimately help our students advance their career goals. Here is a sampling of our Strategic Analytics faculty:

• Annie Shebanow has many years of software engineering and business leadership experience. She holds a Doctorate of Computer Science degree. As a lead faculty, Annie has managed a Computer Science Department and taught graduate level courses at Colorado Technical University (CTU). She has worked with doctoral students at CTU online as a dissertation committee member, and designed courses in IT networking and Big Data Analytics for various universities. On the business side, Annie has founded five technology companies. 
• Travis Dawry earned a BA in Political Science with a focus on International Relations and Comparative Politics from the University of Central Florida in 2009. Since then he has worked in a variety of government organizations, most recently as a Library Specialist for Broward County, located in South Florida. His language of choice for analytics, and everything else, is R. Travis earned a Master of Science in Strategic Analytics from Brandeis University in the Spring of 2016, and is now an instructor at the Brandeis Rabb School. He currently splits his time between South Florida and Atlanta, Georgia, where he lives with a veterinarian, a dog, and two cats.
• Paul Dooley, PhD, is a Director with the United Nations in New York, NY, where he is currently the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund. In addition to his work in administering this global financial institution with assets of over $60 billion, he also leads teams of analytics professionals in descriptive and predictive analytics-based initiatives. As a former Chief Information Officer (CIO) he has used analytics techniques to deliver value for such institutions as Citigroup, Guardian Bank and the United Nations. As an academic, Dr. Dooley's research interests have led him to explore and uncover the attributes, constructs, and factors associated with successful analytics-based systems implementations.

Visit the Rabb School faculty directory for a full list of Brandeis GPS faculty.