Nov 22, 2024

2024-2025 Graduate Catalog

Business Analytics, Master of Science

Graduate Business Programs
238 Elliott Hall (map)
(248) 370-3287
OUgradbusiness@oakland.edu
http://www.oakland.edu/business/grad

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Department Chair and Faculty Director:
Vijayan Sugumaran, Ph.D.
442 Elliott Hall
(248) 370-4649
sugumara@oakland.edu

Program Director:
Paul Trumbull
238B Elliott Hall
(248) 370-3277
trumbull@oakland.edu

Program description

OU’s MS in Business Analytics is designed for professionals seeking to deepen their understanding and develop their skills in harnessing data to identify opportunities, respond to challenges, influence decision making and implement successful solutions.

Graduates of the program will be equipped to use data to solve business problems across industries and disciplines. Industries experiencing strong growth in the use of business analytics include financial services, retail, health services, accounting and auditing, transportation and logistics, entertainment, sports, and travel.

Through the combination of the focused curriculum, experiential learning, and expert-led courses, students will graduate with the skills to make data-driven decisions based on their business knowledge and ability to expertly utilize a variety of statistical and quantitative methods, computational tools, and predictive models.

The program is structured around four modules:

Preparatory and Foundation Courses - Required for students who lack an information systems and/or statistics background. Students with the necessary background will be waived from these courses. Credits from these courses do not count toward the degree.
Core Courses - Provides analysis, design, and implementation skills
Elective Courses - Develops in-depth knowledge
Capstone Project - Synthesizes and applies students’ knowledge to contemporary issues

Admission terms and application deadlines

Before an applicant’s file can be reviewed for full program admission, all application documents must be received in Oakland University Graduate School by the semester deadlines listed below. Incomplete applications will not be sent to departments for admission review.

July 15 for fall semester
November 15 for winter semester
March 1 for summer semester

International applicants

May 1 for fall (September) admission
September 1 for winter (January) admission

Application requirements

To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must submit all Graduate Application Requirements and additional department requirements by the published application deadlines:

Additional department application requirements

Curriculum Vitae or Resumé

GMAT Policy

The GMAT/GRE is not required if you meet any of the following criteria:

Earned a master’s degree or higher with a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 or Has an acceptable score on the GRE, LSAT, or MCAT entrance exam
Earned a bachelor’s degree with an overall GPA of at least 3.0 from an AACSB-accredited business school
Earned a bachelor’s degree in any major with an overall GPA of at least 3.2 from a regionally accredited program
Completed a business-related certification such as CPA, CFA, CFP or FRM
Has at least 3 years of relevant professional work experience and an undergraduate overall GPA of at least 2.75
Has completed at least 3 years of service in the US Armed Services

If an applicant does not meet any of the above criteria, it is recommended that they connect with the Graduate Business Programs Office to discuss GMAT preparation and or other options to be considered for admission.

International students who have not earned a baccalaureate degree from a U.S. college or university or at least 24 credits from a U.S school, will have additional application requirements:

A transcript evaluation (for transcripts from a college or university outside of the United States)
TOEFL Exam Scores (for non-native English speakers unless they have a baccalaureate degree from a U.S. college or university or at least 24 credits from a U.S. school)

Admission review and assessment

Admission to the Master of Science in Business Analytics degree program is selective and depends on several elements, including scholarship and ability to communicate effectively. In making admission recommendations, the department assesses the potential of applicants for success in the MSBA program by examining their undergraduate records, their GMAT or GRE scores, their responses to questions on the Supplemental Program Form, their recommendations, and their experience.

Program requirements

The Master of Science in Business Analytics degree program requires a minimum of 30 credits.

Course requirements

The program is structured around four modules - preparatory and foundation courses; IT core courses; business analytics courses; and the capstone course.

Preparatory and foundation courses are required for students who lack an information systems background. Students with the necessary background will be waived from these courses. Credits from these courses do not count toward the degree.

IT core courses provide analysis, design, and implementation skills. Students waived from IT core courses must select other graduate business electives to complete their program.

a. Preparatory course

MIS 3050 - Information Technology Foundations ( 3 credits)

b. Foundation courses

Satisfactory academic progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is the term used to denote a student’s successful completion of coursework toward a certificate or degree. Federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to monitor Satisfactory Academic Progress for all financial aid recipients each semester.

Students who fall behind in their coursework, or fail to achieve minimum standards for grade point average and completion of classes, may lose their eligibility for all types of federal, state and university aid. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for additional details.

Good academic standing

All graduate students are expected to remain in throughout the entire course of their graduate program. To be in good academic standing, a graduate student must make satisfactory progress toward fulfilling degree requirements, including the completion of critical degree milestones as set forth by the academic program. The student must also maintain a minimum semester and overall GPA of 3.0.

Good academic standing is a requirement for:

Holding a Graduate Assistantship
Receiving a fellowship or scholarship
Advancing to candidacy for a graduate degree
Going on a leave of absence
Obtaining a graduate certificate or degree from Oakland University.

Additionally, graduate students must meet all department academic standards which may be more stringent than the minimum set forth by the University.

Department requirements: In accordance with the university requirements for graduate students, a grade-point average of 3.0 is required for graduation. Students, therefore, should maintain at least a 3.0 GPA. Students may be dismissed if they do not maintain a GPA of 3.0 or appropriate progress toward the degree as determined by the Office of Graduate Business Programs. Any course resulting in a grade below 2.0 must be repeated.

Graduate students who are not in good academic standing for any reason are subject to probation and/or dismissal from further graduate study.

Related program information

Plan of study

All accepted applicants, in consultation with their assigned faculty program adviser, must develop a plan of study that details specific courses the students will use to satisfy their degree requirements. The plan of study must be approved by the faculty program adviser and submitted by the student to Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning.

Master’s and graduate certificate students must submit a department-approved plan of study by the end of their first semester of graduate coursework. Doctoral students must submit an approved plan of study prior to completion of the first year of coursework. (See the section of this catalog.)

Note: Credit granted for successful completion of a course toward an undergraduate degree program may not be repeated for a graduate degree. If a substitution is approved, the minimum number of program-approved graduate credits will be required. A Petition of Exception - OU Course Waiver/ Substitution requesting the substitution must be approved.