MS in Business Analytics

Define business analytics.

Gabelli School graduates shape the field on a daily basis.

Business analytics involves applying models, methods, and tools to data, producing insights that lead to informed business decisions.

Its time is now. Why? The business world is complex. Data is everywhere. Businesses have realized that to stay ahead, they need to master analytics. The websites of every major news organization on Earth are full of stories about how business analytics is changing the way we work.

At Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business, we understand how important data-driven decision-making is to companies large and small, for-profit and nonprofit. We also understand the enormous challenge of reaching that potential. The Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) is a rigorous, hands-on program that will train you in the art and science of this discipline.

Encompassing the entire life cycle of the methodology behind an analytics project, the Fordham MSBA prepares you to contribute on the job from day one. An MSBA-specific board of alumni and industry advisors reviews our curriculum each year to incorporate the most contemporary methods and tools. You will learn to put these methods into practice in the context of your specific business environment, becoming mindful of data security, governance, ethics, privacy, and the need to add value through your work.

Full-time and part-time options

The MSBA has two schedule choices:

• A one-year full-time program
• A part-time program spread over a longer time frame, such as two years—ideal for professionals who don’t want to leave their jobs while they pursue the degree

The Gabelli School edge

The Gabelli School MSBA is tightly tied to the industry. New York City analytics executives and firms that recruit MSBA graduates work closely with our program director to continually enhance the curriculum. It makes the program uniquely equipped to respond to changes in business and advances in technology as they happen.

Put New York to work for you. MSBA students often do projects for the New York City government. Paid and unpaid internships are available all over Manhattan. Right on campus, MSBA students are leaders in our Design Lab, applying a research lens to issues drawn directly from the business world (read an online magazine story about it here).

An active Fordham Business Analytics Society will keep you busy—and give you great conversation material for job interviews—through our annual March Data Crunch Madness competition, workshops, industry panels, and field trips, all developed in cooperation with the faculty.

The Gabelli School MSBA program is STEM-approved, offering international students the ability to work for a longer period without immediate need of sponsorship.

Ideal candidates

The MSBA degree is ideal for anyone who wants to use data-science-driven analytical tools and technologies to uncover business solutions. Whether you’re a recent college graduate looking to enrich your skills, credentials, and marketability before entering the workplace, or a working professional hoping to advance your career through a specialty in business analytics, the Gabelli School will provide the specific mix of competencies employers are looking for.

Academic preparation

The program is designed to accommodate students with a wide variety of backgrounds. Candidates with any bachelor’s degree can succeed in the MSBA: Typical undergraduate majors include business, economics, computer science, engineering, or statistics, but analytics-minded students who began their education in humanities or the arts are at home here, too. Some of our students already have earned a master’s degree in another discipline, including an MBA.

Admission to the program is competitive and requires a strong GMAT or GRE score, persuasive recommendation letters, and a successful phone interview. Learn more about the Gabelli School’s graduate admissions process.