it’s no secret that organizations across the globe are investing heavily in analytics to capture and gather insights from the estimated 2.5 quintillion bytes of data generated per day. However, many of these organizations simply acquire new analytics tools without changing the culture—resulting in big data projects being abandoned before they go beyond the experimentation stage. One way to solve this problem is to hire data experts who understand the technical aspects of analytics and data, as well as their business applications, to help their organizations make smarter investments and decisions in analytics-driven projects.
Because of this demand, the role of data scientist has been called the best job in America, and many data professionals are competing to land these attractive jobs. However, with roughly 40% of data scientist and advance analyst roles requiring a master’s degree (or higher), choosing the right program that helps you stand out from the competition is a difficult task. Many professionals consider either an MBA in Business Analytics or an MS in Business Analytics—but it is important to understand the differences between these business analytics graduate degrees to know which is the right path for your career.
Key Differences Between an MBA in Business Analytics vs. MS in Business Analytics
MBA in Business Analytics
- Business analytics is typically offered as a concentration or specialization within an MBA program
- Advanced analytics courses are more theoretical and focus on the broad application of data analytics to improve business outcomes
- Analytics courses typically discuss the broad application of data analytics to improve business outcomes
- Appeals to individuals with business backgrounds who want to gain familiarity with data analytics
MS in Business Analytics
- Program fully dedicated to the study of business analytics
- Courses are both practical and theoretical, and offer hands-on experience using machine learning, software engineering and predictive modeling to solve business challenges
- Appeals to individuals with technical backgrounds who are interested in developing mastery with data science techniques for practical applications
MBA in Business Analytics