Business Analytics, MS | 2026-2027 Course Catalog | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Overview

for the Master of Science in Business Analytics (on-campus and online)

The Master of Science (MS) in Business Analytics prepares students to master and apply contemporary analytics approaches to identify and address business problems and opportunities. It can be completed in residence or online. The course work includes foundations in managing, analyzing, and conveying patterns and implications of business data, followed by an array of analytics elective courses that enable students to deepen their skills and understanding in business application areas such as finance, accountancy, and marketing, among others. This is an intensive program for those interested in making decisions and innovating through the use of business analytics approaches.

Admission

Graduate College Admissions & Requirements

Financial Aid

Most Ph.D. students receive some form of financial assistance. This assistance is likely to be in the form of a teaching or research assistantship, which includes a waiver of tuition and some fees, and/or the award of a merit-based fellowship. The M.S. in Business Administration, the M.S. in Management, the M.S. in Strategic Brand Communication, and the M.S. in Technology Management do not provide assistantships.

Degree Requirements

for the Master of Science in Business Analytics (on-campus and online)

The Master of Science in Business Analytics requires a minimum of 36 credit hours. The curriculum includes 20 credit hours of required core coursework providing foundational preparation in business data management, analytics, and communication, including a practicum experience. Students must complete 12 to 16 credit hours of analytics electives, selected in consultation with an academic advisor, to develop advanced knowledge of analytical methods and tools and to gain depth in specific application areas. Up to 4 credit hours of general graduate electives may be applied toward the degree, subject to advisor approval.

For additional details and requirements, refer to the department's Program Curriculum and the Graduate College Handbook.

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
Core Courses:		20
BADM 550	Business Practicum	4
BADM 554	Enterprise Database Management	4
BADM 557	Topics in Business Intelligence	4
BDI 513	Data Storytelling	4
FIN 550	Big Data Analytics in Finance for Predictive and Causal Analysis	4

Analytics Electives		12-16
Select analytics electives in consultation with an academic advisor.
General Graduate Electives		0 to 4
Total Hours		36

Other Requirements

Grad Other Degree Requirements
Requirement	Description
Other requirements may overlap
Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall	12
Minimum GPA:	3.0
International students with TOEFL scores below 613 (paper-based), 257 (computer-based), or 103 (internet-based), or IELTS score below 7.0, are required to take the English Placement Test (EPT) when they arrive on campus. After taking the EPT, most students are required to take a Business English course sequence. For these students, completion of the ESL course sequence is mandatory but does not count towards the 36 hour degree requirement.

Learning Outcomes

for the Master of Science in Business Analytics (on-campus and online)

Upon graduation, students will be able to:

Identify research questions to be answered by data
1. Identify and frame the business situation
2. Specify the problem/question/hypothesis
3. Plan the analytics approach
Source Data
1. Plan data sourcing activities
2. Identify Data Sources
3. Perform data setup, access and preparation
Analyze Data
1. Perform exploratory analysis
2. Select and apply causal and predictive models
3. Evaluate and adjust analysis process to answer the research question
Interpret/Report Results
1. Derive insights from the analysis and create a narrative with visualizations to communicate the recommendations