Focused on Career Advancement

Take advantage of the strong outlook for business analysts (12% growth over the next decade)—Nebraska Business will enable you to advance your career by strengthening your skills in quantitative business methods, tools, and software.

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Fair Tuition

$650 per credit hour—a savings of almost $18,000 compared to similarly ranked programs.

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Start Your Application

June Start

Apply by April 1

August Start

Apply by July 1

January Start

Apply by November 1

Review Admission Requirements

Review Admissions Process

Admission Requirements

Prospective students will be evaluated on the basis of work experience (including military service), undergraduate degree and performance (recommended minimum 3.0 GPA), prior graduate study, and standardized test scores (GMAT or GRE). These do not guarantee admission; they ensure that the application will be reviewed for admission. Students who are denied admission will need to submit a separate application and application fee if they choose to reapply in future semesters.

Deadlines

You may apply for admission for the fall, spring or summer semesters. Students admitted before the semester starts may take classes in either or both of the eight-week terms (term A or term B) offered that semester. If you miss the semester deadline, you will be considered for admission in the following semester. Application deadlines are July 1 for the fall semester, November 1 for the spring semester, and April 1 for the summer semester.

Prerequisites

You are expected to have developed proficiency in using Microsoft Excel before beginning the program.

Application Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree, 3.0 GPA Recommended
Official transcripts are required for admission. Transcript instructions for both domestic and international students can be found in the “Review Admission Process” tab above.

Along with a bachelor’s degree and GPA of 3.0 or higher, we recommended that you have relevant work experience. Students with less than a 3.0 GPA, or without GMAT or GRE scores, but who have substantial relevant professional experience, will still be considered for the program.
GMAT or GRE Score
A GMAT score of 600 is recommended. Alternatively, a comparable GRE score will be considered. Scores must be from the last five years.

If you choose to take the GMAT, please have your results forwarded to Nebraska (school code S40-HW-48). Once you take the exam, enter your unofficial scores into the graduate application. Please visit the official GMAT website for more information and to register for the test.

If you choose to take the GRE, please have your results forwarded to Nebraska (school code 6877). Once you take the exam, enter your unofficial scores into graduate application. A comparison tool is available to see how your GRE scores compare to our recommended 600 GMAT. Please visit the official GRE website for more information and to register for the test.

Some applicants are eligible to request a GMAT/GRE waiver based on any of the following qualifications: 1) significant managerial, operational or decision-making experience and evidence of strong prior academic performance; 2) earned a Ph.D., JD, MD, or Pharm D; 3) currently enrolled in medical school; or 4) admitted to the Nebraska College of Law.
Professional Résumé or CV
Your résumé should include relevant work experience, education, skills, professional and community involvement, and other professional credentials.
Three Reference Names and Contact Information
All three references must be former or current supervisors or professors. No recommendation letters are needed. Nebraska will contact your references only if the committee deems it necessary.

TOEFL Exam (only for international students)

International students must include a TOEFL score. You will need a minimum score of 550 written, 213 computer-based, 80 iBT. Alternatively, you may submit IELTS scores. A minimum score of 6.5 IELTS is required.

Requirements During the Program

Once you are admitted, you will be required to maintain a cumulative college GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, along with grades of C or better in each of the courses.

Admissions Process

Apply

Apply online and submit the $50 application fee.

Apply Online Now

Upload Supporting Documents

All Supporting Documents including unofficial transcripts and test scores are uploaded directly via the graduate application.

You are required to submit an unofficial transcript from each post-secondary institution you have attended during the application review process.

Submit Official Transcripts

If you are admitted, you will be required to submit an official transcript sent directly from each institution you have attended to The Office of Graduate Studies. We recommend that you complete this task before your admitted term begins. A hold will be placed on your account if they do not receive your official transcripts by October 1 for the fall term, February 1 for the spring term and July 1 for the summer term. Students will have until that day to submit official transcripts or your admission will be rescinded.

Transcripts can be sent electronically to graduate@unl.edu or by mail to

University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Graduate Admissions
1100 Seaton Hall
Lincoln, NE 68588-0619

International Student Transcript Submission

If you are an international student, please refer to the Nebraska Office of Graduate Studies for transcript and document information.

International Transcript Information

Additional information on Application Requirements can be found at Graduate Studies website.

I started with Nebraska's business analytics graduate certificate because the upfront commitment of hours was not as extensive and I could still roll all of the courses into the full master's if I continued. I was able to immediately apply and try out models, processes and concepts learned in class at work. I have been promoted several times throughout my time pursuing the certificate and master's in business analytics. I credit the program for equipping me on how to generate new analytical concepts and processes at work.

Casey Christensen, '20, Business Insights Engineer

#3Career Services in the world

Financial Times (2022)

#14 best online master's in business programs

in the nation (U.S. News & World Report, 2023)

12% Job Growth Forecasted

Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Sign up and we’ll send you what you need to know about the M.S. in Business Analytics.

If you have immediate questions, contact our Business Graduate Programs Office at businessgrad2@unl.edu or 402-472-2338.

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Learn How to Make Better Business Decisions

A business analytics degree has broad appeal for employers and is designed to build on any background. You will master skills that are transferable to any industry where interpreting and applying data leads to better decisions.

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Relevant & Interactive Classes

Nebraska pairs easy-to-use and engaging course technology with world-class Big Ten faculty to give you a dynamic, yet accessible learning experience.

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Balance Coursework with Life Commitments

Your current job and commitments are priorities—yet balance is possible. Nebraska’s classes are offered online in 8-week sections and are optimized for mobile platforms.

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Connect with Big Ten Faculty

Whether your background is in business or another discipline, your professors will engage you with the latest topics and methods in business analytics, as representatives of one of the best performing academic conferences in the nation.

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Grow Your Network

After gaining access to a global classroom, you can make meaningful connections to experienced colleagues around the world.

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Collaborate with Career Advancement Professionals

Resources such as a career coach, a strong culture of networking and our online resume review will help launch you ahead in your career.

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Fair Tuition

$650 per credit hour
30 total credit hours required*

Nebraska’s M.S. in Business Analytics is one of the best values for the money because of our combination of fair program cost and strong preparation for career advancement.

The flat $650 per credit hour rate applies to all students, regardless of where you live. Compared to similar programs, our students pay over $18,000 less over the course of the program.

*Based on 2022–23 Tuition Rates

Our students are trained to apply state-of-the-art quantitative methods and related tools, including software and programming languages such as R and SQL, which are in high demand.

Dr. Jennifer Ryan, Department Chair and Professor of Supply Chain Management and Analytics and Van Horne Family Endowed Chair

Master the Fundamentals through Core Coursework

Business analysts are paving the way for innovation in productivity and competition. Core courses for the M.S. in Business Analytics program will provide you with comprehensive skills directly applicable to this emerging discipline.

24

Core Credit Hours

12 credit hours of business fundamentals +
12 credit hours of analytics methods

+

6

Elective Credit Hours

=

30

Credit Hours to Your M.S. Business Analytics

100% Online

8-week courses

Financial Accounting

This course builds an understanding how financial transactions, company investments, and operating activities are recorded into financial statements. You will gain insights on economic events and accounting from a user’s perspective.

Managerial Marketing

Following a four-stage learning approach, this course introduces marketing management theory and practice. This course emphasizes decision-making in product distribution, personal selling, advertising, pricing, and the development of integrated marketing programs, with the goal of better analyzing market forces.

Supply Chain Management

Effective supply chain management can help a company develop and sustain a competitive advantage. This course considers how supply chain management can be used to support corporate-level strategies. Students will learn how supply chain management can create value for customers, and will develop an understanding of the relationship between operations, supply chain management and other parts of the organization.

Business Analytics

Business analytics is the process of transforming data into information and insights that can be used by organizations to make better decisions. The course introduces the technical procedures that are used to describe data, to make predictions based on data, and to use those predictions to support decision-making.

Predictive Analytics

As one of the three main categories of analytic tools, predictive analytics involves applying knowledge management to analyze large quantities of data. This course will introduce students to analytic methods and statistical programming languages, such as R, that are commonly used for predictive analytics in business.

Data Management and Organization

The growth of information technology and statistical analysis in all sectors of the economy creates a need for individuals with advanced training in database technology. This course challenges you to study databases from the perspective of their logical organization and physical design, as well as from the perspective of managers and applications programmers. SQL, the database querying language, will be introduced in this course.

Business Data Mining and Descriptive Analytics

Data mining uses quantitative analysis to identify actionable information from large quantities of data in support of business decision-making. This course focuses on how descriptive data mining can be successfully applied in business and describes the statistical and artificial intelligence tools that are most commonly used in industry.

Risk and Simulation Modeling

This course addresses the simulation of business systems that are subject to uncertainty and risk. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to perform the entire process of designing a simulation model, implementing it in appropriate software, executing the simulation, collecting and analyzing output data, and using the results to evaluate alternative decision scenarios.

See a List of Electives

MS in Business Analytics Electives

Advanced Marketing Analytics

In this course, students gain an overview of web, social media, and consumer text analytics; analyze consumer data streams from the Internet, mobile devices, and sensors; and handle very large volumes of data. General data analysis software operation for various marketing problems, marketing platform software for general and specific tasks, and learning machines in marketing are also covered.

Data Driven Marketing Strategy

This course is designed to help students understand how analyzing marketplace data can improve business decision-making. The course focuses on the use of quantitative analysis to support marketing mix and resource allocation decisions, and introduces rigorous tools for measuring the effectiveness of marketing expenditures. Traditional marketing measures, such as awareness, preference, loyalty, customer satisfaction, distribution levels, and market share, are also considered.

Introductory Econometrics

This course is designed to give undergraduate and master’s level economics students an introduction to basic econometric methods, including economic model estimation and analyses of economic data. Hypothesis formulation and testing, economic prediction and problems in analyzing economic cross-section and time series data are considered.

Advanced Descriptive Analytics

Descriptive analytics focuses on descriptions and reports of what has happened. This course demonstrates advanced descriptive analytics tools, and covers algorithmic methods such as cluster analysis, text mining, and link analysis. Issues related to Big Data and Internet of Things (IoT) are also discussed.

Prescriptive Analytics

Prescriptive analytics focuses on the use of data from the other business analytics domains, such as descriptive and predictive analytics, to achieve strategic and operational objectives. This course introduces analytical methods and software commonly used in optimization modeling in businesses.

Project Management and Implementation

Project management involves efficiently and effectively managing people and resources to accomplish a new activity, including budgeting, scheduling, and risk management. This course equips students with the tools and techniques used for planning and managing projects, from initiation through implementation.

Advanced Supply Chain Technology

Technological advancements related to supply chain management include sensor systems, Internet of Things, radio frequency identification systems, automated storage and retrieval systems, and distribution routing systems. This course guides you in learning the characteristics of these systems and how they can support and improve supply chain management.

Decision and Risk Analysis

This course explores theory and practice of decision-making under uncertainty, graphical modeling techniques including influence diagram and decisions trees, the value of information, utility theory foundations, risk preference, multi-attribute decision modes, and the economic justification of projects.

Project Management

A single project can have various moving parts. This course prioritizes project development, selection, planning, budgeting and cost estimation, scheduling, and termination, as well as the project manager’s role.

Focused on Your Advancement

With a comprehensive combination of courses, Big Ten faculty and intuitive technology, the M.S. in Business Analytics will help you to develop quantitative skills that are transferable across industries.

Designed for Balance

Each course follows an 8-week schedule, which means you can continue advancing your career while excelling in your current position. This format allows you to take multiple classes per semester, concentrate on one concept at a time, and keep your family commitments.

Designed by Experts

Classes are designed by faculty who are experts in advancing research and leading conversations on the future of business. Engage with Big Ten faculty as you advance your career.

Built with Leading-Edge Learning Technology

The online program for M.S. in Business Analytics uses the Canvas learning management system, which is designed for easy and efficient use.

Guided Video Walkthroughs

Forget the standard PowerPoint presentation. Professors will frequently serve as on-camera guides to break down the lesson.

A Classroom in Your Pocket

Our mobile app will send you notifications for course updates and give you the option to message faculty or jump into coursework no matter where you are.

Connect with Your Professors

The online program allows you to learn from anywhere in the world, but it doesn’t mean your professors will be distant. You can make the same connection with your instructors as students on campus.

Consistent Class Structure

Tech stress won’t slow you down as you easily jump from one class to the next, finding a consistent structure that helps you focus on what’s important.

Technology Requirements

Minimum technology requirements include a webcam and microphone, as well as an operating system that is compliant with the online learning platform, Canvas.

Screen Size

Canvas is best viewed at a minimum resolution of 800x600. If you want to view Canvas on a device with a smaller screen, we recommend using the Canvas mobile app.

Operating Systems

• Windows 7 and newer (users on Windows 10 need to download the 10 Anniversary Update to submit Canvas assignments)
• Mac OSX 10.6 and newer
• Linux - chromeOS

Mobile Operating System Native App Support

• iOS 7 and newer (versions vary by device)
• Android 4.2 and newer

Computer Speed and Processor

• Use computer less than 5 years old if possible
• 1GB of RAM
• 2GHz processor

Internet Speed

Along with compatibility and web standards, Canvas has been carefully crafted to accommodate low bandwidth environments.

Minimum of 512kbps

Screen Readers

• Macintosh: VoiceOver (latest version for Safari)
• PC: JAWS (latest version for Internet Explorer)
• PC: NVDA (latest version for Firefox)
• There is no screen reader support for Canvas in Chrome

Additional Requirements

Some courses may require additional technological components. Please review the syllabus and contact the instructor with specific questions about technology required for a given course.

Supply Chain

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Expert and Personalized Career Coaching

Connect to a Personal Career Coach

Graduate students and alumni in business analytics can schedule an appointment with a Career Coach for a session in person or via online video chat. Your Career Coach will help you assess where you currently are in your career, what experiences you might need to move forward, review relevant job opportunities, help you market yourself effectively and connect you to alumni working in your desired field.

Beyond B School

Beyond B School is a career management resource for all business graduate students. It covers job searching topics such as resumes, interviewing and cover letters. Beyond B School differentiates between other career management resources by thinking about how to market oneself as an experienced professional and highlighting the value the MBA brings.