Purdue launches online analytics degree

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management will begin offering an online Master of Science in Business Analytics in fall 2020.

The degree is aimed at working professionals. Students will receive broad exposure to various functional areas of business and how they use information to make more informed decisions. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the need for business analysts to increase 14% by 2024, and this degree will prepare participants for a wide variety of roles within the industry. 

“We are proud to offer the number one-ranked residential data science program in the country, according to CIO magazine, and our business analytics faculty are consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally by U.S. News & World Report,” said David Hummels, the Dr. Samuel R. Allen Dean of the Krannert School. “Those same faculty are now offering an online business analytics program that is rigorous and relevant to working professionals.

“The demand for technical and analytical expertise is exploding. With this degree, we’ll be able to expand our reach far beyond our campus boundaries and help meet this tremendous need.”

The program can be completed in three semesters. It will provide students with skills to work in cross-disciplinary teams and across functional boundaries. It features immersion electives in specific areas, such as disruptive technologies in artificial intelligence. Participants also may take a practicum course to implement the knowledge they have learned in other courses. Future plans for the program include specialized tracks such as supply chain analytics, marketing analytics, cybersecurity and data science. 

Professor Dilip Chhajed, associate dean for online programs, said typical courses in the program will consist of case studies, class discussions and exercises to maximize peer-to-peer learning. An emphasis will be placed on both technologies and techniques, twin requirements in the emerging world of big data, according to a recent McKinsey & Co. report.

Students will work in close connection with the Krenicki Center for Business Analytics and Machine Learning, which offers data analytics-oriented initiatives spanning all areas of business and economics. Participants also will be able to take advantage of Purdue’s many resources in data analytics, including the Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security (CERIAS), one of the world’s leading research and education centers in information security. CERIAS will collaborate with the Krannert School in developing courses for the online program.

“This program takes advantage of Purdue’s strong STEM reputation while also capitalizing on synergies at the Krannert School,” Chhajed says. “Students will enhance their critical analytical thinking and communication skills, and they will be able to do so without a disruption to their careers or their families.”

Learn more information about the Master of Business Analytics degree or enroll in the program online.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to today’s toughest challenges. Ranked the No. 6 Most Innovative University in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at purdue.edu.

Media contact: Joseph Paul, 765-494-9541, paul102@purdue.edu

Writer: Tim Newton, tnewton@purdue.edu

Sources: David Hummels, hummelsd@purdue.edu

Dilip Chhajed, dchhajed@purdue.edu