Iowa State Business Analytics Ranking: 21
With the ever-growing rafts of data right at our fingertips, the problem of not enough information is totally antiquated. Now our problem is we have too much of it, and sifting through the mountains of numbers and facts to achieve real insight is a huge challenge.
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Business analysts and data scientists are here to help, though. People who have the ability to seek meaning from the noisy flood of metrics are becoming ever more valuable. If you enjoy the challenge of extracting and analyzing data, then using it to help companies make better decisions, then the Iowa State business analytics program might be a good fit.
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about the program.
How Long Is the Iowa State Business Analytics Program?
The program is 21 months long. At only 30 credit hours, however, you should be able to work while attending school. Many of the courses are online, making it easier for you to pursue them at your own rate, during evenings and on weekends. Three on-campus courses are taught in a one-week residency format, making it possible for students to earn this degree mostly online. As long as you are able to travel for the in-person courses, you can remain where you are the rest of the time.
What Will You Learn?
“The Master of Business Analytics is an interdisciplinary graduate program for employed professionals that addresses the challenges of dealing with data analytics and business intelligence in the ‘Big Data’ environment,” explains the Iowa State program page. In order to do this, it teaches insight from a range of disciplines, including “Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Statistics, and Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering.”
Specifically, students will learn skills such as:
- Data analytics and reporting
- Statistical and predictive modeling
- Consumer sentiment analysis
- Project management
- Knowledge discovery
- Segmentation analysis
- Data visualization
- Risk management and fraud detection
- Text mining
- Process improvement
The program finishes with a capstone project that enables students to put their new skills to use in a real-world scenario.
What Opportunities Does the Program Offer?
First and foremost, this program is perfect for individuals who already have significant duties on their plate. If you have a family or a job and don’t want to uproot, you can take this program in a distance-learning model. Just be aware that on top of tuition and other expenses, you will have to travel to attend in-person courses three times during the program.
This is a benefit as well, as compared to other online programs. The face time allows you to connect with professors and students, allowing to you form those lifelong connections that can be so valuable later on when you’re looking for jobs. Even if you aren’t quitting your current job to attend school, you will still appreciate these when it comes time to make a switch later, or when your company is partnering with other important people and organizations in the field.
The program states that it is “especially suited for professionals with work experience in a data analytics-related field. GRE or GMAT test scores are not required to apply.” That means that people who have experience in the field can apply based on that, and don’t have to spend a lot of time and money studying for tests they will never take again.
How Can You Pay for School?
The total estimated cost of this program is $25,000. This is about a quarter the cost of a private university, many of which cost $50,000 or more for a one-year program. Many students will still need financial aid, for which you can apply through the school’s financial aid office. Scholarships are free money (as opposed to loans that must be paid back), so you should definitely look into that as well.
Why Iowa State University?
Iowa State is a leading public research university, and holds special weight in the Midwest. It’s in the top 150 for national universities and in the top 100 for best value universities. If you’re interested, we invite you to reach out to learn more today.