M.S. in Business Analytics

Overview

The 12-month program is designed to limit your time away from the office while maximizing engagement with your peers and faculty of UVA’s Darden School of Business and McIntire School of Commerce. The cohort-based format features three complementary learning platforms — weekend residencies, mid-week online class and team meetings, and self-paced distance learning.

Weekend Residencies

Each module meets twice for an in-person weekend residency that includes robust discussions, presentations, and hands-on activities. Residencies also provide the opportunity to meet face to face with members of your cohort, faculty, and staff and help strengthen the relationships that are so important to the University of Virginia student experience.

The first Saturday-Sunday residency takes place in Arlington, Va., in August. Students will get to know their classmates, faculty, and staff. Students will also meet with their teams to plan for the initial project.

A four-day residency (Thursday-Sunday) takes place during Module 1 and Module 5 on UVA’s historic Grounds. These extended residencies provide concentrated class time together, the opportunity to leverage University resources, and evening social time to bond with your classmates. Housing will be provided at the Inn at Darden.

The remaining seven two-day residencies (Saturday-Sunday) take place at UVA’s new, state-of-the-art facilities with sweeping D.C. views in the downtown Arlington district of Rosslyn. The new facilities, housed on the top two floors of a 31-story building, can be easily accessed via Metro from both Union Station and the Washington, D.C., area airports, making the program easy to reach for those commuting from most U.S. metropolitan areas.

Online Classes

Online class sessions meet approximately two evenings per week, typically for 75 minutes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. These faculty-led weekday evening classes will keep you engaged with thought-provoking discussions, team debriefs, and case analyses. The online meeting technology allows you to participate and interact with faculty and classmates with ease and in real time.

Recordings of online classes are also available for students unable to attend the live class sessions.

Distance Learning

Students have access to cases, videos, and self-guided instructional materials to view and complete at their own pace. In addition, each module has an action-oriented project that you will need to complete with your teammates between residency weekends.

Curriculum

In one year and 30 credit hours, develop the portfolio of skills you need to leverage business analytics and effectively translate and communicate your insights into strategic corporate actions, solutions, and results.

Integrated Modules

A key advantage of the M.S. in Business Analytics Program is its highly integrated, modular curriculum, which includes five modules that each blend vital analytics, business, and leadership skills — managing projects and teams, executive communication and presentation skills, consulting skills, and design thinking.

• Module 1: Enterprise Analytics: Using Data to Gain a Competitive Advantage
• Module 2: Descriptive Analytics: Communicating the Value of Data-Informed Insights
• Module 3: Predictive Analytics and Machine Learning: Driving Agility Through Corporate Foresight
• Module 4: Big Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence: Monetizing Data in an Era of Digital Transformation
• Module 5: Corporate Analytics Capstone: Translating Your Knowledge into Strategic Business Solutions
• Closing Residency: Business Ethics in the Digital Age - Creating Your Future

Requirements

Please note: The M.S. in Business Analytics is a non-residential program. I-20 forms (student visas) cannot be provided for study in the M.S. in Business Analytics Program.

Minimum Requirements

To be considered for admission to the M.S. in Business Analytics Program, applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Have a conferred bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university (The M.S. in Business Analytics accepts students from a wide range of undergraduate majors and professional backgrounds.)
• Have a minimum of two years of professional work experience (post bachelor's degree) by the program's first day of class
• Show evidence of strong problem-solving and analytical skills through a combination of academic background, GMAT or GRE test scores, and experience

Additional Considerations

• Academic strengths as demonstrated by a combination of undergraduate coursework, standardized test scores, and, if applicable, graduate coursework
• Qualities of character (e.g., motivation, maturity, tenacity, integrity, ability to work well with others, self-reliance, and leadership)
• Evidence of strong written and oral communication skills
• Motivation and goals

Deadlines

Admissions consideration for the 2019-2020 class of UVA's M.S. in Business Analytics will continue through summer 2019, as long as space remains available.

Completed applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

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UVA’s MSBA application for the 2020-2021 class will open in September 2019.