Business Analytics, MBA
The Business Analytics MBA major is designed to build deep competency in the skills needed to implement and oversee data-driven business decisions, including
- collecting, managing and describing datasets,
- forming inferences and predictions from data and
- making optimal and robust decisions.
Business analytics makes extensive use of statistical analysis and the applications of business analytics span all functional areas.
Business analytics has emerged in recent years as a powerful and required capability for firms in competitive markets. The quantity, quality and diversity of available data have never been greater, which has created new and significant opportunities for organizations to use data to improve their decisions with respect to both internal resources as well as external interactions with suppliers and customers.
Students choosing the Business Analytics MBA major are ideally suited for the growing set of careers broadly defined under the header of “data science” with responsibilities for man¬aging and analyzing data. In addition, the major provides an excellent complement to students who choose to focus on one of the functional areas of business (e.g., accounting, finance, marketing, operations).
For more information: https://mba-inside.wharton.upenn.edu/buan-major/
Curriculum
A minimum of 19 course units is required for graduation.
Major electives taken on a pass/fail basis cannot be counted toward the Business Analytics major. Up to one (1) CU from a list of pre-approved non-Wharton courses may be counted towards the major.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Business Analytics Major Requirements | ||
| Core Requirements | ||
| Regression Analysis for Business | ||
or STAT 6210 | Accelerated Regression Analysis for Business | |
| Quality and Productivity | ||
or OIDD 6150 | Operations Strategy | |
| Business Analytics | ||
| 4 course units from the following: | 4 | |
| Financial Reporting and Business Analysis | ||
| Financial Disclosure Analytics | ||
| Business Analytics with Data for Non-Coders | ||
| Special Topics | ||
| Investment Management | ||
| Financial Derivatives | ||
| Data Science for Finance | ||
| FinTech | ||
| Healthcare Data and Analytics | ||
| Big Data, Big Responsibilities: Toward Accountable Artificial Intelligence | ||
| People Analytics | ||
| Data and Analysis for Marketing Decisions | ||
| Analytics and AI in Digital Marketing and Social Media | ||
| Marketing Analytics (Students cannot count both MKTG 7520 and MKTG 8520 towards the BUAN major; they can only count ONE of the two courses) | ||
| Pricing Policy | ||
| Models for Marketing Strategy | ||
| Applied Probability Models in Marketing | ||
| Experiments for Business Decision Making (Center Special Topic) | ||
| Special Topics - Marketing Analytics (Students cannot count both MKTG 8520 and MKTG 7520 towards the BUAN major; they can only count ONE of the two courses. ) | ||
| Thinking with Models: Business Analytics for Energy and Sustainability | ||
| Scaling Operations: Linking Strategy and Execution | ||
| Analytics for Services | ||
| Analytics for Revenue Management | ||
| Mathematical Modeling and its Application in Finance | ||
| Advanced Topics: Supply Chain Analytics (Operations Analytics) | ||
| Enabling Technologies | ||
| A.I., Business, and Society | ||
| Real Estate Data Analytics | ||
| Modern Data Mining | ||
| Statistical Computing with R | ||
| Data Collection and Acquisition: Strategies and Platforms | ||
| Forecasting Methods for Management | ||
| Predictive Analytics for Business | ||
| Applied Machine Learning in Business | ||
| Text Analytics | ||
| Sports and Gaming Analytics | ||
| Data Analytics and Statistical Computing | ||
| Introduction to Python for Data Science | ||
| Modern Regression for the Social, Behavioral and Biological Sciences | ||
| Up to 1 course unit can come from the following list: | ||
| Applied Machine Learning | ||
| Machine Learning | ||
| Big Data Analytics | ||
| Database and Information Systems | ||
| Programming Languages and Techniques | ||
| Introduction to Software Development | ||
| Introduction to Computer Systems | ||
| Data Structures and Software Design | ||
| Computer Systems Programming | ||
| Applied Research Methods to Inform Policy and Practice | ||
| Survey Methods & Design | ||
| Regression and Analysis of Variance | ||
| Measurement Theory and Test Construction | ||
| Structural Equations Modeling | ||
| Statistical and Data Mining Methods for Urban Data Analysis | ||
| Geospatial Cloud Computing & Visualization | ||
| Geospatial Data Science in Python | ||
| Introduction to Data Analysis for Social Impact | ||
| Select 5.5 course units of electives | 5.5 | |
| MBA Core Requirements | 9.5 | |
| Total Course Units | 19 | |
MBA Core Requirements
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | ||
| Select one of the following: | 0.5-1 | |
| Fundamentals of Financial Accounting | ||
| Fundamentals of Financial and Managerial Accounting | ||
| Finance 1 | ||
| Corporate Finance | ||
| Select one of the following: | 0.5-1 | |
| Corporate Finance | ||
| Corporate Finance (Half CU) | ||
| Macroeconomics | ||
| Select one of the following: | 0.5-1 | |
| Macroeconomics and the Global Economic Environment | ||
| Macroeconomics and The Global Economic Environment (Half CU) | ||
| Legal Studies | ||
| LGST 6110 | Responsibility in Global Management | 0.5 |
| or LGST 6120 | Responsibility in Business | |
| or LGST 6130 | Business, Social Responsibility, and the Environment | |
| Microeconomics | ||
| BEPP 6110 | Microeconomics for Managers: Foundations | 0.5 |
| BEPP 6120 | Microeconomics for Managers: Advanced Applications | 0.5 |
| Management | ||
| MGMT 6100 | Foundations of Teamwork and Leadership | 0.5 |
| MGMT 6110 | Managing Established Enterprises | 1 |
| or MGMT 6120 | Management of Emerging Enterprises | |
| Marketing | ||
| MKTG 6110 | Marketing Management | 0.5 |
| MKTG 6120 | Dynamic Marketing Strategy | 0.5 |
| or MKTG 6130 | Strategic Marketing Simulation | |
| OIDD | ||
| Select one unit of the following: | 0.5-1 | |
| Quality and Productivity | ||
| Business Analytics | ||
| Online Business Models and the Information-Based Firm | ||
| Innovation | ||
| Operations Strategy | ||
| Enabling Technologies | ||
| Managerial Decision Making | ||
| Statistics | ||
| STAT 6130 | Regression Analysis for Business 2 | 1 |
| or STAT 6210 | Accelerated Regression Analysis for Business | |
| Management Communication | ||
| Select one of the following options: | 0.5 | |
| Management Communication 3 | ||
or WHCP 6180 | Entrepreneurial Communication | |
| Second Year Requirement: | ||
| Students must satisfy the following requirements during their second year in the program: (1) maintain a Wharton GPA that is greater than 2.33 in each semester of their second year, and (2) have no more than 4 CU of Wharton courses with a grade less than or equal to 2.33 (C+ or lower) in their second year. | ||
| Total Course Units | 9.5 | |
- 1
- 2
STAT 6210 is by placement only.
- 3
Enrollment in WHCP 6180 requires pre-approval.
The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2025 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.
The Global Experience Concentration facilitates MBA student participation in a study abroad program. Students must complete two full credit units in an approved International Exchange Program at the partner university’s location. In addition, students must take one full credit unit of internationally focused MBA electives to satisfy the concentration requirement.
Curriculum
Students must complete two full credit units in an approved International Exchange Program at the partner university’s location. Approved International Exchange Programs include:
- Australia – AGSM, Sydney
- Brazil – COPPEAD, Rio de Janeiro
- Chile – Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago
- China – CEIBS, Shanghai
- China – Peking University, Beijing
- France – HEC/ISA, Paris
- France – INSEAD, Fontainebleau
- Hong Kong – HKUST, Kowloon
- India – ISB, Hyderabad
- Israel – IDC, Herzliya
- Israel – Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv
- Italy – SDA Bocconi, Milan
- Japan – Keio University, Tokyo
- Netherlands – RSM, Rotterdam
- Philippines – AIM, Makati City
- Singapore – INSEAD, Singapore
- Spain – IESE, Barcelona
- Sweden – Stockholm School of Economics, Stockholm
- Thailand – Sasin, Bangkok
- United Kingdom – LBS, London
In addition to two full credit units taken in an approved study-abroad program, students must take one full credit unit of internationally focused MBA electives to satisfy the concentration requirement. The electives should be selected from the list below and cannot be taken on a pass/fail basis.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Global Experience Concentration | ||
| Students must complete 2 CU in WHG 5000-level or above | 2 | |
| Select at least 1 CU from the following: 1 | 1 | |
| Accounting | ||
| Taxes and Business Strategy | ||
| Business Economics and Public Policy | ||
| Energy Markets & Policy | ||
| Climate and Financial Markets | ||
| Economic Globalization: Policy, History and Contemporary Issues | ||
| Finance | ||
| International Financial Markets and Cryptocurrencies | ||
| Global Valuation and Risk Analysis | ||
| International Banking | ||
| Central Banks, Macroeconomic Policy and Financial Markets | ||
| ESG and Impact Investing | ||
| Energy Finance | ||
| Health Care Management | ||
| Comparative Health Care Systems | ||
| Private Sector Role in Global Health | ||
| Legal Studies and Business Ethics | ||
| Law of Corporate Management and Finance | ||
| Management | ||
| Political Environment of the Multinational Firm | ||
| Corporate Diplomacy | ||
| Strategy and Environmental Sustainability | ||
| Global Management of Digital Businesses | ||
| Managing and Competing in China | ||
| Private Equity in Emerging Markets | ||
| Global Growth of Emerging Firms | ||
| Advanced Global Strategy | ||
| Comparative Capitalism | ||
| Marketing | ||
| Operations, Information, and Decisions | ||
| Global Supply Chain Mgmt. | ||
| Risk Analysis and Environmental Management | ||
| Environmental Sustainability and Value Creation | ||
| Real Estate | ||
| Global Real Estate: Risk, Politics and Culture | ||
| International Housing Comparisons | ||
| Total Course Units | 3 | |
- 1
Global Modular Courses (0.5 CU) offered in a foreign location also count.
Other courses with substantive international content may be counted upon approval of the concentration adviser.
Concentration advisor: Alyssa Swanson