There is no doubt that the Master's of Business Administration has become the benchmark for higher education in business and management. While it is difficult to forecast how healthy the economy will remain, both at the local and global levels, higher education and stronger networks will always serve the business professional and give him an advantage in a competitive marketplace. As CareerBuilder.com's Beth Braccio Hering writes, "Because of the recession's effect on employment, many companies have a wealth of talent to pick from at the moment and some can afford to be choosy in their hiring. Candidates need to score every point possible, and a graduate degree may give that extra edge." While having an MBA might be the difference between getting hired or not, it also has been proven to speed up a business professional's career goals timeline. In her work, The MBA Student's Job-Seeking Bible Elizabeth Freedman shares, "Having an MBA – as opposed to just a bachelor's degree in business – is sort of like traveling someplace by plane instead of taking the train…the MBA will get you there faster."
With today's ever-expanding size of big data and the need for properly trained information and marketing analysts, it is a great time to consider an online MBA with a specialization in Business Analytics. Many of the nation's top business schools have made huge advancements in tailoring their Analytics degree to meet the demands of real-world business. One such program is featured at the School of Business at Villanova University which offers a hybrid online MBA with an Analytics specialization with a curriculum "based on direct feedback from alumni, current students, corporate leaders, and subject-matter experts. This collaboration resulted in a selection of classes that emphasize a practical, real-world education and promote work across disciplines." Courses within this 48-credit hour program include Analyzing and Leveraging Data, Business Operations in the 21st Century, Information Technology as Strategic Lever, and Management for Innovation and Creativity. Students will gain a wealth of knowledge and learn from practical experience through this program's on-campus residencies and two practicums included both in the middle and the end of this degree's coursework.
Another high-ranking 100% online Master of Business Administration worth considering is featured at West Chester University of Pennsylvania's College of Business and Public Management. This 30-credit hour online MBA program features a Business Analytics Certificate students can receive after choosing three elective courses following the seven core courses for the degree. The Business Analytic-intensive courses included in this degree are Business Information Systems, which combines theories and case studies to find solutions to conflicts in business information, and Business Analytics, which has been designed to "introduce students to the fundamental tools and concepts of business analytics. Students will learn the essential elements of descriptive analytics, predictive analytics, and prescriptive analytics." Students round out their certificate with a course in Business Forecasting, which will sharpen a student's ability to use data and forecasting tools to make sound decisions in business.
Courses like Business Analytics, Data Mining Applications, Intro to Econometrics, and Strategic Database Marketing are all included in the online MBA with an emphasis in Business Analytics featured at the College of Business Administration at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Generally regarding this degree, the specialized curriculum offers a "broad understanding and knowledge of important business analytic topics and how they can be used to support decision making in all business areas, government, education, and agriculture." Specifically, the Strategic Database Marketing course covers "concepts of customer relationship management, integration with electronic commerce systems, analytical techniques, and ethics and practices of customer data privacy."
Each one of these excellent online MBAs offer a rigorous curriculum within nationally-recognized programs led by seasoned instructors.