Top Online MBA Analytics Specializations

Analytics

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An Online MBA emphasizing analytics is designed to prepare working professionals for successful careers working for data-focused businesses and organizations. Top Online MBA analytics specializations explore big data, risk management systems, optimization, data visualization, decision models, and forecasting. Here are the best specializations for analytics that potential Online MBA students can choose.

Business Analytics

Business Analytics

Those interested in entering the corporate world or advance in their business careers will discover that an Online MBA in business analytics is one of the most rewarding degrees they can pursue. This degree could include courses like Business Problem Solving and Corporate Financial Management and more concentrated courses of their choosing as they prepare for any challenges they may face. Whether they’re looking to stand out in a competitive job market or qualify for a big promotion, having an MBA in business analytics shows that professionals have the background and the leadership skills they need to get the job done. Working professionals may find it challenging to balance courses with personal life and career. Earning an online MBA allows them to have the best of both worlds as they continue to work full-time while completing their core and analytics coursework on the schedule they determine. Skills learned in the virtual classroom can be directly and immediately applicable to their workplace. With instructors and classmates worldwide, they’ll be able to network globally without ever leaving home.

Business Intelligence

Online students can develop into savvy leaders with an enterprise-wide perspective on data by pursuing an Online MBA with an emphasis in Business Intelligence. Big data’s value in an information-based economy is enormous. So is the demand for properly trained professionals who can analyze data and gain insight to determine mission-critical business decisions. An Online MBA in this field teaches distance learners to analyze patterns, put them into context, and connect information and results. In the process, graduate students look at the tech that bridges the gap between raw data and analysis while learning how to correlate the most relevant information within specific business issues. This business intelligence focus is delivered by analytics and IT experts; it complements an Online MBA education in economics, operations, and marketing with data-driven tactics applied to almost every business vertical. Online students explore data quality and interpretation and learn to identify patterns, opportunities, and relationships they can utilize to influence business strategies and tactics.

Data Analytics and Decision-Making

A data analytics and decision-making specialization is designed for Online MBA students who want to enhance their strategic business decision-making abilities based on data. Distance learners in this field learn critical data analysis skills and ways to communicate data-driven strategies that benefit their organizations. Many data analytics and decision-making focus students work with experienced faculty members to develop essential skills and expertise in this fast-growing field. Data analytics and decision-making curriculum is designed to help business students forge critical data analysis skills, translate data-driven strategies throughout an organization, understand analytical technique’s role, and demonstrate the value of analytics in a real-world context. Students earning an Online MBA with this concentration develop the skills they need to thrive in business intelligence and statistics positions. Business intelligence professionals work internally or as consultants, utilizing data and technology that improve business processes like productivity, output, and distribution. Statistics professionals focus on quantitative data and apply statistical theories to gather and analyze market research, quality control, and product development.

Data Science

An Online MBA in data science is designed to equip students with relevant skills and knowledge, allowing them to pursue many business and data science roles. While traditional MBA programs require two years of full-time study, accelerated and online options make it possible for working professionals to pursue the credential on their time frame and at their own pace. As many MBA programs include specialties, concentrations, and tracks that allow graduate students to focus their studies in particular areas of interest, data science comes into play mainly in the form of business analytics. An MBA in data science or data analytics allows individuals to specialize in data in a business-oriented environment while making informed business decisions. But why would potential data scientists opt for the MBA route? An Online MBA exposes them to cutting-edge analytical methods and modern business environments to strategically deploy them. An online MBA program with a data science emphasis can position them to transform data that make better business decisions.

Healthcare Analytics

Healthcare Analytics

An Online MBA in healthcare analytics enables graduate students to position themselves as leaders in the digital reorganization of the United States’ healthcare system. Deep knowledge of healthcare analytics allows distance learners to effectively use the world’s vast digital data volume to improves healthcare operations and delivery. The concentration is essential for clinics, hospitals, private practices, and other entities to ensure their computing infrastructure stays up to speed with the evolving needs of its patients, providers, and administrators. A healthcare analytics-focused business degree provides a working knowledge of the tools needed to shape the gathering, management, analysis, sharing, and reporting of healthcare data and information to drive healthy decision-making. Enrolled students improve their thinking analytically, learn how to implement creative problem-solving, and become encouraging organizational strategists to make data-driven decisions. A healthcare analytics specialization is often featured as a four-course program that delivers a foundation in the topic. This specialization is ideal for students pursuing their MBA and who need a greater understanding of analytics, data mining, statistics, and reporting.

Information Systems and Business Analytics

While business continues to evolve more rapidly than ever through an increase in gathering critical information with precision and speed, an Online MBA in information systems and business analytics is an excellent degree to pursue. Graduate students within this program learn to analyze and manage data and design while implementing information systems to help them stay current in their professional settings. An Online MBA offers flexibility while featuring the same academic rigor as an internationally recognized on-campus MBA program. Distance learners can hone their leadership skills and develop high-level analytical and communication skills. They also gain valuable expertise in vital business operations, such as finance, accounting, marketing, supply chain management, and information systems. Students wanting to explore the financial and ethical challenges of doing business in the global marketplace will appreciate what information systems and business analytics offer. An Online MBA in this field focuses on modern, data-centric skills and strategies to create an educational experience with real value.

Location Analytics

An Online MBA specializing in location analytics fuses advanced business competencies with a focused utilization of location analytics techniques and concepts. Graduates use the power of location intelligence to lead organizations and businesses by applying it to various areas of business, including strategy, finance, marketing, operations, human resources, sales, and information systems. Graduate students in this program also learn to identify the role location analytics plays in different business sectors for competitive advantage on local, regional, national, and global scales. An Online MBA in location analytics also trains distance learners to apply location intelligence to hone critical thinking and empower leaders and managers to make better decisions. These students are exposed to the fundamentals of location value and spatial maturity and growth across multiple business functions. Moving from fundamentals, the program focuses on marketing with stress on marketing applications of GIS and location analytics. This marketing posture offers better customer value by examining, understanding, and predicting the preferences and needs of the modern customer.

Managerial Analytics

Decision-making is more complex and challenging due to factors like rapidly changing technology, globalized supply chains, social media, and overwhelming data on virtually every aspect of an organization. Business managers need to understand and translate current tech to leverage organizational information while using analytical models and statistical techniques to improve data-driven decisions. An Online MBA in managerial analytics is the perfect degree for working professionals and managers who need to understand how to leverage their company’s data and use it in business risk reduction and decision-making. Some programs offered in this field require no programming knowledge for acceptance. This type of degree helps those with existing business acumen to efficiently frame business issues considering the overall management strategy, identify appropriate data in and outside an organization, apply analytical approaches, and use sound judgment when understanding how results influence the art of decision making.

Marketing Analytics

Marketing research and analytics play a vital role in organizations that value informed, strategic decision-making. Students pursuing an Online MBA in marketing analytics learn to connect information about services, products, customers, and markets to overall business performance metrics. They also acquire the needed skills to contribute to essential decision-making by using data to improve profitability and productivity. Marketing research is being incorporated into the strategic planning function by many of today’s leading firms and companies. The added value and need for technology and data collection are increasing the demand for leaders and managers with fluent analysis and research skills and the need for survey researchers and research analysts. A business program like this focuses on qualitative and quantitative methods and their relationship with the marketing context. Marketing analytics MBA students learn to analyze data utilizing cutting-edge statistical techniques and apply the results to guide marketing-related business decisions.

Supply Chain Analytics

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In supply chain management, data-driven decision-making is essential to improving efficiency and effectiveness. Real-time analytics of how data flows are a vital focal point for executives. An Online MBA in supply chain analytics prepares distance learners to problem-solve in the vast and complex supply chain system using prescriptive and predictive analytics. Enrolled students will acquire advanced training in the strategic supply chain, gathering, storing, and retrieving data, strategic supply management, and other areas. An Online Master of Business Administration specializing in business analytics is often a STEM program with an extensive base of knowledge for data-based decision-making. A STEM-approved program is perfect for students who desire to get into management positions where data-based decision-making is required. Marketable skills from this type of degree include creating and using complex data structures, effective business collaboration, and organizational improvement with the quantitative method.

Action Plans

Analytics are crucial to the success of any organization. Professionals in this field, and those considering an Online MBA in analytics, know they need to improve their working BI knowledge. But some don’t know where to start. They should not panic. The access to easy learning is a perk of the information revolution! The three free sites listed below offer training in technical areas in analytics that are valuable to know even before pursuing a degree like the Online Analytics MBA. The action plan for today is to pick a starting place for continual learning.

1) edX Data Analysis & Statistics Courses

edX features courses from major universities worldwide, including MIT, Harvard, UC Berkeley, and more. Learners can browse the site until they find courses that best match their needs. Look closely at Statistical Thinking for Data Science and Analytics delivered by Andrew Gelman, writer for the Statistical Inference, Causal Inference, and Social Science blog. It’s an excellent choice for those wanting to learn about statistics’ role in analytics and data science.

2) Codecademy’s Learn SQL

Codecademy is an essential resource for anyone interested in becoming a bona fide data analyst. It’s also an excellent resource for non-tech users wanting to do more with data. SQL is the query language used by most databases, business apps, and CRMs. After becoming familiar with SQL, you’ll understand how to access and read data in most contexts. This resource is practical and will prompt you to run SQL commands via an interactive interface. 

3) Occam’s Razor Blog, Podcast, and Videos

Analytics enthusiasts not ready to commit to a course will enjoy data analytics pro and author Avinash Kaushik’s blog. It features timely expert insights on current events in data analytics, all within the context of business. With insightful use cases and a foot in the future, all analysts can learn something new here. 

The world of analytics is a vast one. Resources like these and top online MBA analytics specializations are great ways to become better informed in this area of business leadership.

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