Online MS in Business Analytics

Drive effective business strategy with modern data analytics skills

This program is currently on hiatus and is not accepting applications at this time. To learn more, or to inquire about the future status of this program, please contact smithmasters@umd.edu.

Fast-Track Your Career with Analytics

The Maryland Smith Online Business Analytics program introduces you to the tools and techniques you’ll need to leverage big data for forecasting, prediction and managerial decision making. You’ll learn how to develop robust models, create data-backed business strategies and effectively communicate them with visualization tools. Smith is committed to "democratizing analytics" — making these skills accessible and attainable for students from any academic background.

Online program to fit into your schedule

Cohort-based online program that fits into your schedule

You’ll get the flexibility of an online program, with the same great teaching and supportive culture as our on-campus programs.

Finish your degree program in as few as 20 months

Finish your degree program in as few as 20 months

Begin your degree in the fall or spring semester, whichever works best for you, wherever you are.

30 credits combining live and asynchronous coursework

30 credits combining live and asynchronous coursework

Live sessions in addition to asynchronous coursework allow you to engage real-time with your cohort and faculty, building your network.

GMAT and GRE waivers are available. Connect with us to see if you are eligible.

Academics

Get a foundation, build advanced skills, and then utilize electives to focus on what matters for your career.

Smith’s expert faculty will guide you through a curriculum carefully designed to build your quantitative modeling and data analysis skills. These highly desirable skills will set you apart in an increasingly competitive job market.

APPLIED ANALYTICS FOR YOUR CAREER GOALS

Smith offers tracks in healthcare, marketing and finance to give you tools that are relevant to your career. Customize your program with courses in healthcare operations management, health informatics, advanced marketing analytics, financial analytics and other application courses.

“The program taught me how to ask the right questions, questions that I didn’t even know were possible. It opened my eyes to new ways to analyze and clean data, and to new tools and software that were available to me. Before this program, I didn’t know what I didn’t know.”

— Nikolh Nemard
BS Management Information Systems
MSBA ’20
Senior Data Analyst, Aledade

View Nikolh's Profile

ACQUIRE VALUABLE SKILLS

Language and Tools

Python
R
SQL
Tableau

Cloud Computing Infrastructure

Spark
Amazon Web Services
Hadoop
Hive

Methodologies

Neural Networks
Classification and Regression Trees
NLP and Text Analytics
Cluster Analysis

Business Imperatives

Forecasting and Predictive Analytics
Customer Segmentation and Targeted Marketing
Risk Assessment and Management
Anomaly Detection and Resolution

Curriculum Overview

Who is right for this program?

Problem-solvers from any discipline or academic background can be successful in the Online MSBA program. The program attracts working professionals and recent college graduates from diverse academic backgrounds who are seeking to strengthen their quantitative abilities and want to help companies fuel growth and change through data.

Analytics Bridge Program

No coding experience? No problem.

Been out of school for a few years? Can’t remember what a derivative is? The Analytics Bridge program is designed for you. Mini courses and workshops get you up to speed in math, statistics, coding and key technology skills, to help you transition back to school and begin the program with confidence. The Analytics Bridge Program will start 4-6 weeks before the program starts.

Quant Catch-up

Calculus mini-course
Statistics mini-course

Programming Catch-up

R skill building workshops
Python skill building workshops
SQL skill building workshops

General Skills

Technology
Problem-solving strategies

“At first it felt like I was learning from a firehose, grappling with all these concepts and terms I had never heard before. My saving grace was really the faculty, because every time I got tripped up or lost my way someone would be just an email or zoom meeting away.”

— Jason Fowler
BA Psychology and Theatre Studies
MSBA ’21
Coordinator for departmental event advising, UMBC

View Jason's Profile

Expert Faculty

Learn from some of the best faculty in the world.

Maryland Smith’s amazing faculty are passionate about research, teaching and mentorship. Their commitment to creating a vibrant, intellectual community where you’ll be challenged to learn and grow is unmatched. Your teachers will be supportive, accessible and dedicated to creating a learning environment where students can succeed. They will be part of your network for life.

Designed and built statistical and optimization solutions for supply chain management, retail planning, airline operations, logistics, and pricing and revenue management.

Helped Fortune 500 companies deliver practical algorithmic solutions that demonstrate measurable customer value.

Suresh Acharya

Winner of Krowe Teaching Award and 12 annual teaching awards.

Recipient of numerous accolades, including the Paul D. Converse Marketing Award, the Robert J. Lavidge Global Marketing Research Award and the Buck Weaver Award, and is among the top 2% of the most-cited scholars and scientists worldwide.

Expert in consumer science and behavior using statistical and econometric methods and marketing decision making.

Michel Wedel

Expert in statistics and quantitative methods for business decision-making.

Member, Data, Analytics and Statistics Instruction group from the Decision Science Institute.

Member, Consortium for the Advancement of Undergraduate Statistics Education.

Gisela Bardossy

Academic Director

Suresh Acharya
Academic Director, MS in Business Analytics Program
suresh12@umd.edu

Faculty

M. Gisela Bardossy

Associate Clinical Professor
bardossy@umd.edu

Progyan Basu

Clinical Professor
pbasu@umd.edu

John Bono

Associate Clinical Professor
jbono@umd.edu

Mary Beth Furst

Interim Assistant Dean for Flex & Online MBA Programs
mbfurst@umd.edu

P. K. Kannan

Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives
pkannan@umd.edu

Elinda F. Kiss

Associate Clinical Professor
ekiss@rhsmith.umd.edu

Liye Ma

Associate Professor
liyema@umd.edu

Kislaya Prasad

Research Professor
kprasad@umd.edu

David M. Waguespack

Associate Professor
dwaguesp@umd.edu

Michel Wedel

Distinguished University Professor
mwedel@umd.edu

“The OMSBA opened new paths and taught me the fundamental skills I needed for the workforce. I interviewed with incredibly competitive companies that would have been out of reach previously. This program has been extremely beneficial for my career — it’s been everything I wanted.”

— Dan Waldman
BS Journalism
MSBA ’21
eCommerce Analyst, Chewy

View Dan's Profile

Get the Maryland Advantage

The Maryland Advantage program was established to help business master’s degree applicants have a simpler admissions process. Benefits for candidates may include:

A scholarship award
A GMAT/GRE waiver
Priority admissions decision
A career coaching session

Maryland Advantage program for the Online MS in Business Analytics program can provide GMAT/GRE waivers for students who meet certain requirements for previous coursework or have commensurating professional experience. View the graduate admissions test section on our admissions page for further details and to submit the Maryland Advantage program form.

“I loved moving through all of the core courses with my cohort. We had group chats to support each other. Some of my classmates didn’t have a background in anything data-related, so we’d point them to resources and answer their questions. It was always so easy to have a conversation and work through things virtually”

— Emilia Cruz
BS Math and Computer Science
MSBA ’20
Management Consultant, Booz Allen Hamilton

View Emilia's Profile

Career Support

Maryland Smith’s Office of Career Services (OCS) can help you bridge the gap between your current role and your dream job.

You’ll have one-on-one access to a career coach who will provide you with personalized tips on how to articulate your strengths when interacting with employers.

Maryland Smith OCS Services Include:

Online career webinars
External job search strategy
Internal promotion strategy
Networking preparation
Mock interviews
Coaching

Learn more about career support

POTENTIAL ANALYTICS CAREER PATHS

Management Analyst

Management Analyst
$83,610

Operations Research Analyst

Operations Research Analyst
$83,390

Medical and Health Service Manager

Medical and Health Service Manager
$99,730

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics and Burning Glass Technologies: Labor Insight

“In four years, I have to get a job when I get out of the Air Force after twenty years. I’m using this program to bridge a gap of knowledge I didn’t have. I’m learning how to build models and discuss statistics in a business-related fashion.”

— Michael Wadleigh
MSBA ’21
BS Technical Management
Aircraft Mechanic, United States Air Force (Master Sergeant/E-7)

View Michael's Profile

MSBA Advisory Council

Advisory Councils keep us actively engaged with industry leaders and experts, who bring their real-world experience to help shape what students learn, match classroom lessons to real-world needs, and widen the pipeline for internship and job opportunities.

MEET THE ADVISORY COUNCIL

Admissions

We welcome ambitious, highly motivated professionals who seek a rigorous academic program taught by our world-renowned faculty in a supportive environment. We have two start dates, fall and spring. The next cohort starts in January.

For further qualification requirements and to learn about our GMAT/GRE waiver, please visit our admissions page.

This program is currently on hiatus and is not accepting applications at this time. To learn more, or to inquire about the future status of this program, please contact smithmasters@umd.edu.

Scholarships

The Smith School of Business bestows financial awards to a select number of applicants based on scholastic merit, professional accomplishment and evidence of leadership. All applicants whose applications are complete by the application deadline receive automatic consideration. This merit-based scholarship award ranges from $5,000 to $15,000. Learn more about our scholarships, Double Terp Award, Smith Corporate Partnerships, and the FedGrant Program.

Contact Us

Email: smithmasters@umd.edu
Phone: 301-405-2559

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