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Benchmarking Academic Programs in Business Analytics

Author

Listed:
  • Michael F. Gorman

    (University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio 45469)

  • Ronald K. Klimberg

    (Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19131)

Abstract

Interest in business analytics (BA) is currently popular. Professional consultancies and software houses are both touting it as the next wave in business, claiming that the need for BA skills is large and growing. Universities are beginning to respond by offering undergraduate majors and minors, Master of Science degrees, certificates, and concentrations within their Master of Business Administration programs. But what subjects are being covered in these programs? We surveyed some of the largest, most established, and best-known programs (predominantly in the United States, but some international) and interviewed representatives of these programs to better understand the requirements for students entering, the required and elective course topics covered, and job opportunities for graduates. In this article, we summarize our findings and provide some conclusions about analytics programs, including the current landscape, suggestions for development, and our vision for the future. We believe this report is useful to institutions that offer analytics programs, to those considering such offerings, and to the employers who are hiring analytics professionals. These employers need to better understand the skills that professionals are acquiring. Finally, it should help prospective students who seek to understand the analytics programs being offered to find the best match for their skills and interests.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael F. Gorman & Ronald K. Klimberg, 2014. "Benchmarking Academic Programs in Business Analytics," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 44(3), pages 329-341, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:orinte:v:44:y:2014:i:3:p:329-341
    DOI: 10.1287/inte.2014.0739
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Matthew Liberatore & Wenhong Luo, 2011. "INFORMS and the Analytics Movement: The View of the Membership," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 41(6), pages 578-589, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Melissa R. Bowers & Jeffrey D. Camm & Goutam Chakraborty, 2018. "The Evolution of Analytics and Implications for Industry and Academic Programs," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 48(6), pages 487-499, November.
    2. Kala C. Seal & Linda A. Leon & Zbigniew H. Przasnyski & Greg Lontok, 2020. "Delivering Business Analytics Competencies and Skills: A Supply Side Assessment," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 50(4), pages 239-254, July.
    3. Melissa R. Bowers & Kenneth C. Gilbert & Charles E. Noon, 2019. "Innovative Collaboration Between Industry and Academics: Meeting Industry’s Future Talent Requirements," Service Science, INFORMS, vol. 49(6), pages 397-406, November.
    4. Coleen R. Wilder & Ceyhun O. Ozgur, 2015. "Business Analytics Curriculum for Undergraduate Majors," INFORMS Transactions on Education, INFORMS, vol. 15(2), pages 180-187, January.
    5. Omar, Yamila M. & Minoufekr, Meysam & Plapper, Peter, 2019. "Business analytics in manufacturing: Current trends, challenges and pathway to market leadership," Operations Research Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 6(C).
    6. Michael F. Gorman, 2017. "Interfaces Editor’s Statement," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 47(1), pages 1-3, February.
    7. Chun-Miin (Jimmy) Chen, 2020. "Introduction to Probability: Bison Hold’em Poker Game," INFORMS Transactions on Education, INFORMS, vol. 20(3), pages 154-164, May.
    8. Wendy Swenson Roth & Brett P. Matherne, 2023. "Case Article—Using Moneyball to Introduce Students to Data Analytics: Illustrating the Data Analytics Life Cycle," INFORMS Transactions on Education, INFORMS, vol. 24(1), pages 1-5, September.
    9. Michael F. Gorman, 2016. "Editorial: The 11th Rothkopf Rankings: 28 Years of Tracking Applied Research in Academia," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 46(3), pages 264-276, June.
    10. Andrew Armacost & James Lowe & Jesse Pietz & Kiel Martin & Joseph Wilck & Drew Ives, 2018. "Developing Operations Research Practitioners: United States Air Force Academy Operations Research Program," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 48(6), pages 500-509, November.
    11. Amy L. Phelps & Kathryn A. Szabat, 2017. "The Current Landscape of Teaching Analytics to Business Students at Institutions of Higher Education: Who is Teaching What?," The American Statistician, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 71(2), pages 155-161, April.
    12. Paula Carroll, 2023. "Analytics Modules for Business Students," SN Operations Research Forum, Springer, vol. 4(2), pages 1-20, June.
    13. Aaron Babier & Craig Fernandes & Ian Yihang Zhu, 2023. "Advising Student-Driven Analytics Projects: A Summary of Experiences and Lessons Learned," INFORMS Transactions on Education, INFORMS, vol. 23(2), pages 121-135, January.
    14. Ramayya Krishnan & Alfred Blumstein & Jon Nehlsen, 2018. "Designing and Sustaining an Award-Winning Analytics Educational Program: The Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 48(4), pages 372-383, August.

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