Business Intelligence Master’s Degrees

The University of Arizona offers a Graduate Certificate in Business Intelligence & Analytics (Certificate NDP) that can be completed entirely online. The program is designed for IT professionals, business analysts, project managers, marketing analysts, researchers, and others whose job involves analyzing data for business decisions. Applicants should have a bachelor's degree with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, although students with a lower GPA may be granted probationary admission. Standardized test scores are not required for this program. The curriculum includes three courses, for a total of nine credits, and students are required to maintain a 3.0 GPA to complete the certificate.

Students earning an MBA from California State University San Bernardino can choose a focus on Business Intelligence and Information Technology. The MBA requires 60 credit units, including eight units in foundation courses, 28 units in core courses, 20 units in the focus area, and a culminating project and MBA portfolio. The focus area has four required courses and one elective. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree with a GPA of 3.0 or higher for their last 90 quarter credits. Students with extensive work experience or high standardized test scores may be admitted with a 2.5 GPA. GRE or GMAT scores are required unless the applicant has a graduate degree with a 3.0 GPA, five years professional or managerial experience, or a 3.5 undergrad GPA.

The University of California, Irvine has an online Graduate Certificate in Business Intelligence & Data Warehousing offered through the Division of Continuing Education. The program is designed for data systems modelers, IT managers, business analysts, database administrators, data architects, and chief information officers whose job requires taking data from multiple databases or sources and combining them to generate reports and other information. Professionals who request this kind of data are also welcome in the program. The curriculum includes three classes, which must be taken in order. Members of the advisory committee for this program represent organizations such as Northrop Grumman, Pacific Life, Capital Group, Experian, and Numen Consulting.

Students earning a Master of Science in Healthcare Decision Analysis from the University of Southern California can choose a concentration in business intelligence. This is a 33-credit program that students can complete in 12 to 15 months. The program is open to full-time and part-time students. On-site classes meet two weekends (all day Saturday and Sunday) per semester. Some courses have an online option or asynchronous lectures that require less travel to campus. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree with an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. GRE scores are required, although USC may grant exemptions to applicants who already have an advanced degree in science, economics, or business or who have at least 10 years professional experience in the health care industry.

American Sentinel University's Master of Science in Business Intelligence and Analytics (MSBIA) is offered in an entirely online format. Online classes run for eight weeks and incorporate weekly online discussion forums. Classes start monthly, allowing students to enter the program at any time. The MSBIA is a 36-credit program, and students are allowed to earn up to 18 of those credits through prior life experience credit and transfer of credit from another university. Required courses cover topics such as data analytics, business performance management, customer relationship management, data storage, and strategic management of technology and innovation. Students must complete a capstone research project to earn the degree. Applicants to the program must have earned a bachelor's degree with a GPA of at least 2.0 from an accredited college or university. American Sentinel has a career resource center that helps students and alumni prepare resumes, sharpen interview skills and search for jobs.

Aspen University offers a totally online Master of Science in Technology and Innovation - Business Intelligence and Data Management with no requirements for students to spend time on campus. Applicants should have a bachelor degree in a technical area such as computing, engineering or math. Students are required to take two proctored exams during the program, one at the mid-point, or after completing six courses, and the second after the student has completed 12 courses. Students may use a proctor or proctoring center near their home location. After the second exam, students must complete a capstone project where they apply the skills and knowledge they have gained to a project related to their work environment. There is a 10-week time limit for completing the capstone.

Colorado State University's Global Campus offers an online Graduate Certificate in Business Intelligence with no requirements to attend any face-to-face sessions. To earn the certificate, students must complete four graduate-level courses totaling 12 credits. In the program, students learn how to collect and analyze statistical information, spot trends, make projections, and use data to drive strategic plans. Students have the option of earning a stand-alone graduate certificate to increase their skill sets and earning potential, or of using the specialization to customize a master's degree. The business intelligence specialization is available with nine Global Campus master's programs, including those leading to a master's in management, criminal justice, finance, information technology management, and health care administration.

Students earning the online Master of Science in Information Systems through the University of Colorado Denver's School of Business can choose a concentration in Business Intelligence that is delivered entirely online. The curriculum requires candidates to complete 30 credits to earn the degree. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree, but admission is not limited to students with specific majors. Applicants must submit GMAT scores. While work experience is not a requirement, the admissions committee looks favorably upon relevant experience and a record of increasing responsibilities in a job. Students can enter the program in the fall, spring or summer semester. Students in the program may apply for the MS in Information Systems Scholarship.

The University of New Haven offers an MBA with a concentration in Business Intelligence. The concentration has four courses, two required and two selected from a short menu of approved courses. Overall, the curriculum requires students to complete six core courses, which can be waived based on a student's undergraduate studies, and six advanced courses, which cannot be waived, as well as the concentration classes. New Haven's graduate school uses a trimester calendar with three full-length terms plus a shorter summer session each year, and students can complete the MBA in 12 to 22 months of full-time study. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree, but the program is open to students with any undergrad major. GRE or GMAT scores are required.

Nova Southeastern University's College of Engineering and Computing offers a Graduate Certificate in Business Intelligence/Analytics that students can complete online with no need to come to campus. Applicants to the program should have a bachelor's degree in an area such as management information systems, computer information systems, IT, business administration or a related field. Applicants should have an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.5 and should have experience in computer applications. The curriculum includes five courses, with the final course being a capstone project that requires students to develop a business intelligence application that results in measurable benefits to an organization. Students can enter the program I the fall, spring, or summer term and complete the certificate in about 18 months.

The Warrington College of Business Administration at the University of Florida offers a Master of Science in Information Systems and Operations Management (MSISOM) program with three tracks: information technology, supply chain management, and business intelligence and analytics. Students with a business background are required to complete a minimum of 36 credits, while those with a non-business background have to complete at least 40 credits. All MSISOM students are encouraged to seek out internship opportunities in order to acquire career-related experiences that may not be available in a classroom setting. Internships are evaluated on a pass/fail basis only, except for students with a business background who may register their internship as an elective course for a maximum of two credits.

Students accepted to the Master of Science in Information Systems program offered at De Paul University are required to complete 52 graduate credit hours for the degree. A standard concentration option is available, which provides students with a grasp of general IS skills and competencies. This option also allows students to create an individualized plan of study. There are four other areas of concentration available: business intelligence, business and systems analysis, database administration, and IT enterprise management. Each concentration has specific introductory, foundation, and elective course requirements. Introductory courses may be waived for students with adequate coursework or relevant professional experience. Those who pass a Graduate Assessment Examination in the field covered by the introductory course may also be granted a waiver.

Northwestern University offers an online program leading to an Advanced Graduate Certificate in Analytics and Business Intelligence for IT Professionals. Applicants must have a graduate degree, although it does not have to be in IT. The program prefers that students have at least three to five years of professional experience in a related field. Additionally, applicants should have taken classes in calculus and linear algebra and have training or experience in relational databases. The curriculum includes four courses, and students who have already taken equivalent classes may be allowed to select another course in the field to replace that class. Credits earned in the certificate program cannot be transferred to the corresponding graduate degree program. Students may enter the program any quarter.

The University of Illinois at Springfield has an online Graduate Certificate in Business Intelligence that students may earn as a stand-alone credential or as part of their work toward a Master of Science in Management Information Systems or another master's program. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree with a minimum GPA of 2.5. Applicants to the MIS program must have two semesters of accounting classes, a semester of statistics, and the ability to program in a high-level language such as C++ or Java. To earn the certificate, students are required to complete three graduate level courses, which may have prerequisites of their own.

Valparaiso University offers a full-time global MBA program and a part-time professional MBA with evening classes where students earn a variety of certificates on their way to an MBA. Students in either program can earn a certificate in business intelligence as part of their studies. The Valpo MBA offers experiential learning such as internships and field projects. The full-time program uses a cohort model and starts in August. The part-time evening program has six start dates each year. Applicants must submit GMAT or GRE scores, official transcripts, personal statement, resume, and two letters of recommendation. Students may be able to transfer up to six credits from an AACSB-accredited program.

Aarhus University in Denmark offers an MCS in Business Intelligence that uses English for instruction in all of the classes. This is a four-semester program that includes core courses in the first semester, specialization classes in the second semester, electives in the student's area of interest during the third semester, and a master's thesis in the final semester. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree and must have taken undergraduate courses in quantitative methods, managerial economics, operations management, marketing, finance and accounting, organizational leadership, and microeconomics. The university will assess applicants' undergraduate transcripts to determine if they need to take additional classes to meet the minimum requirements.

The Master of Science in Information Systems Engineering degree offered at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev is comprised of 36 credits and has a focus on data mining and business intelligence. There are eight courses (24 credits) that all students are required to take. The remaining 12 credits to complete the degree will come from electives and the final Master thesis. All interested students with a bachelor's degree from an accredited university are considered for admission. However, those without adequate preparation in the field of computer science, industrial engineering, information systems engineering, or software engineering may be required to take supplementary courses. Students have access to the Big Data Lab, which aids in undertaking large-scale tasks such as anomaly detection and high-dimensional clustering.

De Montfort University in Leister, England, has an online option for its program leading to a Business Intelligence Systems and Data Mining Master of Science. Full-time students can complete the program in three semesters, with the final semester dedicated to an individual capstone project. Part-time students can complete the degree in two to six years. Applicants should have the equivalent of a British Honours degree in a relevant subject, and the college will consider applicants from anywhere in the world. Individuals who have extensive industry experience but no formal academic training may apply and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The program was developed in association with SAS, and instructors are SAS accredited.

Baker College has an MBA in Business Intelligence that is offered through Baker Online. There is no on-campus requirement, and students can choose from four start dates each quarter. The program is designed for managers of departments other than information systems who want to learn about emerging information technologies and subjects such as data mining, analytical processing, and how information can be used to improve decision-making. The MBA program requires candidates to complete at least 53 quarter credit hours, with 33 credits in core business classes and 20 credits in the business intelligence major. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree with a GPA of 2.5 or higher and a minimum of three years of full-time professional work experience. Submitting GRE or GMAT scores is optional.

Capella University has an online Graduate Certificate in Business Intelligence that students can complete in as few as eight months. The program includes five courses, all from the MBA program, and students may transfer those credits to the MBA program should they decide to pursue that degree. Capella offers the program in two formats, a traditional structured format and the FlexPath program which allows students to work at their own pace. Applicants to the traditional program must have a bachelor's degree with a GPA of at least 2.3. FlexPath applicants must have a bachelor's degree in business or a similar field with a GPA of 2.5. Alternately, FlexPath applicants with a degree in another field can show five years of relevant professional business experience.

Capella University offers an online MBA in Business Intelligence that allows students to take traditional classes or to use the university's FlexPath option, which allows students to move through the material at their own, faster, pace. MBA classes are 12 weeks long with a one-week break between quarters. Students in the Business Intelligence program must earn 48 credits to graduate, including 33 credits in MBA core courses and 12 credits in specialization courses, which cover topics such as statistical methods, management decision methods, and data mining. Students must also complete a capstone project that requires them to apply their knowledge to a project related to their career. Applicants to the traditional program must have maintained a 2.3 GPA or higher while earning their bachelor's degree. FlexPath applicants must have a degree in business or a related field (such as accounting) or else have at least five years of relevant business experience.

Grantham University offers a completely online Master of Science in Business Intelligence with multiple start times throughout the year. The program requires students to complete 37 credits, including 12 required courses and a one-credit Graduate Student Success class. Required courses cover topics such as balanced scorecards and performance dashboards, decision support and intelligent systems, management of information systems, and data warehousing. To earn the degree, students must complete a capstone project in business intelligence where they apply their knowledge to a real-world issue. Students are encouraged to select a work-related project that will benefit their company and help them to grow professionally. Applicants must have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited college with a minimum GPA of 2.5. Grantham accepts transfer credits and may grant credit for other experiences, such as military experience and employer courses. The college offers an online jobs portal and online employer information sessions for students and alumni.

The Missouri University of Science and Technology has an online program leading to a Graduate Certificate in Business Intelligence created for IT professionals, database administrators, and people whose role includes business analysis. The four-course program has two required classes and two restricted electives. Applicants must have at least a bachelor's degree, but the college does not require the degree to be in any specific discipline. All applicants must have at least one year of professional work experience since receiving their undergraduate degree. Students who complete all the coursework can apply the credits toward an MBA or Master of Science in Information Science and Technology at Missouri S&T and are eligible for GRE and GPA waivers for those programs.

The Keller Graduate School of Management at DeVry University has an MBA with a Business Intelligence and Analytics Management concentration. The degree requires students to complete 48 credits, including 10 required core courses plus the concentration. The business intelligence and analytics management concentration has two required courses, and students select two more courses from a short list of approved electives. Courses are delivered in eight-week terms, and students can take classes on campus, online, or a combination of the two. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree, but the school does not require any specific undergraduate majors. Applicants must have adequate proficiency in math and verbal skills, which the university determines by GRE or GMAT scores.

Carnegie Mellon University offers the Business Intelligence and Data Analytics (BIDA) track of its Master of Science in Information Technology program in a part-time, online format. Students can complete the degree completely online, viewing campus lectures with on-demand streaming at a time of their choice. The program may include some live components, such as a web conference with a guest speaker. To earn the degree, students must complete 144 units of coursework, which is equivalent to 12 semester-long classes. Requirements include 60 units of core classes and 84 units in electives. Students may do independent study for up to 12 units of electives, and they may transfer credits worth 24 units from other graduate programs. Applicants to the BIDA program must have a bachelor's degree, a minimum of three years of full-time professional experience in a related field, an undergraduate-level object-oriented programming class, and the ability to synthesize complex concepts.

Carnegie Mellon University offers students a part-time online program leading to a Master of Science in Information Technology - Business Intelligence and Data Analytics. The program is designed for experienced IT professionals who want to increase their skills and continue to work while studying. Applicants should have at least three years of full-time professional experience in a relevant field. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited school, and they must have completed at least one class in object-oriented programming. Once admitted, students must complete the required 144 units of course credit within five years. Students may enter the program in the fall, spring, or summer term, and there is no requirement to attend any meetings on campus.

Middle Tennessee State University offers a Master of Science in Information Systems (MSIS) degree with four concentration areas: business intelligence and analytics, information security and assurance, IS general, and IT project management. Applicants with relevant academic and/or professional history can enroll in just 10 courses to complete the program. Applicants without this background may be required to take additional courses. Most courses follow a hybrid delivery system that is comprised equally of classroom instruction and online study. The submission of GRE or GMAT (preferred) scores is a requirement for admission. However, applicants with a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 from an AACSB-accredited school of business are exempt from this requirement. A limited number of graduate assistantships are available to qualified MSIS students.

The University of Texas at Dallas offers a Graduate Certificate in Business Intelligence and Data Mining that students can complete online. Offered jointly by the Naveen Jindal School of Management and SAS Institute, the program incorporates the latest technology from SAS. The curriculum requires students to complete four graduate-level courses, and students may enter the program in the fall, spring, or summer term. The program is open both to students who are currently enrolled in UT Dallas and to non-degree-seeking students. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree, but they are not required to submit any test scores. International students are not allowed to enroll as non-degree-seeking students.