MS Business Analytics (MSBA)

• PROGRAM PROFILE

  Pacing: Full-time

  Duration: 16 months

  Format: In-Person

  Class Schedule: Weekdays on campus.

  Student Profile: Early-career professionals

  STEM Designation: For international applicants, this program is eligible for the OPT-STEM extension

BUSINESS ANALYTICS PROGRAM BENEFITS

• TRANSFORMING STUDENTS TO BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS

  Transitioning one’s mindset from an undergraduate student to a data professional is an important journey. When done well, as much as half of the learning process in a top graduate program happens outside the classroom and beyond the coursework. It is through workshops, industry events, social events, and other weekly opportunities that students build additional skills in the MSBA program. At Marshall, the journey each day is to prepare for greater career success.
  

• REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE THROUGH CASE COMPETITIONS
  

  Our Marshall Case Competition Program ensures students have opportunities to be market ready with real-world project experience. Students combine what they are learning in the classroom with their industry interests and collaborate with diverse, cross-functional teams, making the case competition experience as valuable as an “internship in a week.” Real-world unstructured problems, real teams, real impact. Our opportunities are extensive and inclusive of all MS Business Analytics students, with a case team of over 200 data professionals.

  The MSBA Marshall Global Case Competition program is founded on partnerships with professionals and mentorships for students. Why wait for summer to build a project portfolio? We bring market leading opportunities to you at Marshall.

• UNIQUE, FUN & COLLABORATIVE CULTURE
  

  The Business Analytics program fosters a culture where students work closely together and support each other. As the criteria of today's data science professionals is the ability to work in teams, the MSBA program provides students the ability to fine tune that skill set. Students are provided the tools and environment to build a strong team and collaborate on outcomes, allowing them to enhance their leadership skills and create the optimal career path.
  

BUSINESS ANALYTICS CURRICULUM

Academic Overview

The Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) degree requires 33 units, taken in 3 semesters (with the flexibility of extending to 4 semesters): Fall, Spring, and Fall. There are 21 units of required coursework, including an internship opportunity, plus 12 units of coursework chosen from a list of electives.

USC MSBA's Three Pillars: Computer Science; Statistics, Machine Learning, Optimization; and Business Strategy.

Sample Schedule

Actual schedules may differ between students for various reasons and will be determined with the guidance of the Academic Advisor.

First Semester (Fall)
GSBA 542: Communication for Management (1.5 units)
GSBA 545: Data Driven Decision Making (1.5 units)
DSO 545: Statistical Computing and Data Visualization (3 units)
DSO 576: Algorithmic Thinking with Python (3 units)
DSO 552: SQL Databases for Business Analysts (1.5 units)
DSO 555: Advanced Databases for Business Analysts (1.5 units)

Second Semester (Spring)
DSO 510: Business Analytics (1.5 units)
DSO 530: Applied Modern Statistical Learning Methods (3 units)
Elective (3 units)
Elective (1.5 units)

Summer
DSO 595: Internship in Data Sciences or Operations (0-1.5 units)

Third Semester (Fall)
DSO 573*: Data Analytics Driven Dynamic Strategy & Execution (3 units)
Elective (3 units)
Elective (3 units)
Elective (1.5-3 units)

*DSO 573 can be replaced with DSO 574: Getting Ready for Big Data or DSO 556: Business Models for Digital Platforms

CLOSE

Electives

Programming:

• Data Cleaning
• Data Wrangling
• Data Visualization
• Web Scraping
• Database Management
• Python (Main Language of Study), R, SQL, NoSQL

Statistics + Machine Learning

• Probability Distributions
• Inferential Statistics
• Supervised Learning Methods (linear regression, logistic regression, lasso, ridge regression, decision trees, LDA, QDA, KNN, PCR, neural networks, random forests, SVM)
• Unsupervised Learning Methods (k-means, hierarchical clustering)
• Deep learning (CNN, RNN, LSTM, GAN)
• Simulation Models, Linear, Non-linear, Discrete, Dynamic Optimization

Business Strategy

• Marketing Analytics, Fraud Analytics, Operations Analytics, Game Analytics, Time-Series Analytics, Healthcare Analytics, Supply Chain Analytics
• Pricing Strategies
• Text Analytics & Natural Language Processing
• Business Communication
• Dashboarding, Consultation, Collaboration, Strategy
• Problem Solving, Problem Framing

CLOSE

APPLYING TO MSBA

APPLICATION DEADLINES

	Deadline
Round 1	November 1, 2024
Round 2	January 15, 2025
Round 3	March 1, 2025
Round 4	April 15, 2025

Round 1 and 2: Priority Consideration for scholarships. 

International Applicants: We highly encourage you to apply for admission in Round 1 or 2, as we cannot guarantee an admission decision in Round 4 for international applicants due to visa and immigration matters.

• APPLY NOW
• REQUEST INFO
• ADMISSIONS INFO
• ADMISSIONS EVENTS

STUDENT LIFE

• Business Analytics Student Association

  The Business Analytics Student Association (BASA) is a student-led organization dedicated to empowering MSBA students with the necessary networking and professional skills to succeed in their careers. Additionally, we aim to enrich the student experience and establish a strong community of business analytics professionals within USC and beyond. To achieve this, we offer a diverse range of opportunities including workshops, networking events, case competitions, social gatherings, and more.
  

  VISIT THE BASA SITE Business Analytics Student Association

Why Marshall

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• Career Pathways

  Marshall graduate students are actively sought by the world's leading companies Amazon, Google, Salesforce, BCG and Goldman Sachs. Benefitting from Marshall's deep industry ties, they are leaders in a range of industries from Technology, Entertainment and Interactive Gaming to Healthcare, Consulting and Financial Services.
  

  MORE Career Pathways
• Trojan Network

  The Marshall Trojan network links students and business leaders around the globe. Over 90,000 Marshall alumni worldwide create a proactive pay-it-forward culture that drives powerful career outcomes. There is simply no other alumni network quite like it.
  

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• Real-World Learning

  Every Marshall graduate student has opportunities to integrate and apply what they learn in the classroom to real challenges outside the classroom. Learning by doing trains leaders to be visionary and resilient.
  

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• Faculty Expertise

  USC Marshall faculty come from a wide array of backgrounds and disciplines. They engage in collaborative and inter-disciplinary teaching to explore business challenges and opportunities from a variety of viewpoints. They incorporate case studies, current events, career panels, and industry speakers to support academic content with real-world perspectives.
  

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• Global School in the Heart of LA

  Located in the heart of Los Angeles, USC Marshall is embedded in one of the most vibrant global economies and part of a large, diverse university community committed to a culture of inclusion, collegiality, cooperation, and team work. Our students, faculty and alumni play leading roles in the industries that have built and continue to drive L.A. forward - from real-estate and accounting, to marketing and finance, to entertainment and tech.
  

  MORE Global School in the Heart of LA

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PROGRAM SHOWCASE: MSBA

BUSINESS ANALYTICS FACULTY

• Dawn Porter

  • Fubon Chair in Teaching Excellence
  • Academic Director, MS Business Analytics
  • Professor of Clinical Data Sciences and Operations

  Dawn Porter is a statistician who has published in Management Science and is the coauthor of Basic Econometrics (fifth edition). Prior to joining USC, she served on the faculty at Georgetown University. Professor Porter has consulted for KPMG Consulting, Ginnie Mae, Inc., and Toys R Us.

• Mohammed Alyakoob

  • Assistant Professor of Data Sciences and Operations

  Mohammed's research examines the economic and societal impact of digital marketplaces, with a focus on examining and measuring the role of traditional barriers, related to market structure, race, and expertise, among others, on limiting the equality of benefits derived from these platforms.
  

• Arif Ansari

  • Professor of Clinical Data Sciences and Operations

  Arif Ansari is an expert in the area of data mining, business intelligence, data warehousing, and intelligent systems and technologies, a field in which he has fifteen years of research experience. He has published in IEEE Transactions on Systems and Man and Cybernetics.
  

• Cosimo Arnesano

  • Assistant Professor of Clinical Data Sciences and Operations

  Cosimo Arnesano, Ph.D., MBA is a highly educated and experienced professional with a strong background in research services and business analytics implementation. With a Ph.D. in multiple fields and an MBA from the University of Southern California, Cosimo possesses a diverse skill set that includes fluorescence microscopy, biomedical engineering, Project/Operations Management, ML/AI, and more. His current interest focuses on how AI/ML can be applied to business processes, and their implications in the short and long run.
  

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STAY CONNECTED

• CONTACT US

  University of Southern California
  Marshall School of Business
  Popovich Hall, Suite 308
  Los Angeles, CA 90089-2633
  

  Phone: 213-740-7846

  Email: gradadmissions@marshall.usc.edu

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