About Business Analytics, MSc - at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU)

The rapid growth of available data is transforming the way managers, accountants, investors, and marketers are working. The ability to integrate big data into their analyses, business plans and decisions is becoming essential if firms are to maintain their competitive advantage.

The MSc Business Analytics programme is a response to these changes in the economic and technological environment. It aims to transform business students into multi-talented professionals, standing in-between their core field of expertise (such as management, finance, and marketing) and information technologies.

In addition to advanced modules in finance, marketing and management, the programme offers a deep understanding of the most up-to-date methods for data-processing (such as machine learning, data mining) and data management. Our teaching philosophy is practice-oriented. With this in mind, after an intensive 12-month period of study you will have the opportunity to complete your training with a six-month internship within a company.

You will benefit from the Big Data Analytics and Technology Centre that has been set up at XJTLU in collaboration with IBM and the Suzhou International Science-Park Data Centre (SISDC). Business analytics training will be available, utilising IBM software, and you will have the opportunity to apply for internships or projects at SISDC.

Graduates of this programme, as with all XJTLU masters degrees, earn a University of Liverpool degree that is recognised by the Chinese Ministry of Education.

International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) is one of an elite group of institutions worldwide to be accredited by the AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), a globally recognised standard for the highest quality in business education. Only five per cent of business schools worldwide have been awarded the accreditation and IBSS is the youngest school ever to have achieved it.

Why should I study Business Analytics at XJTLU?

• Access the Big Data Analytics and Technology Centre
• Benefit from a strong focus on practical data processing and analysis skills
• Have opportunities to complete internships
• Take advantage of industry links with local companies
• Earn a University of Liverpool degree that is recognised by the Chinese Ministry of Education.

Knowledge and skills

The MSc Business Analytics programme will equip you with:

• A rich understanding of the opportunities and threats posed to organisations by the current increase in data availability
• An ability to analyse, model and investigate large networks of peoples and companies.
• An appreciation of the ethical issues and risks related to the advent of interconnected databases
• Knowledge and understanding of current practices, theories and issues in a traditional field of business studies
• Skills in data processing (descriptive statistics, econometrics and machine learning), problem solving and decision-making (using statistical and data analyses to resolve organisational problems)
• Proficiency in the use of a wide variety of statistical packages suitable for analysing large data sets.

Modules

• Core modules

  • Introduction to business analytics
  • Contemporary issues in the ethics of business analytics
  • Econometrics
  • Databases and data management
  • Data mining and machine learning
  • Social network analysis
  • Big Data: applications in business
  • Internship report/dissertation.

  Specialised pathway modules

  • Finance pathway: Financial Analysis, Portfolio Management
  • Marketing pathway: Social Media Marketing, Marketing Management
  • Management pathway: Strategic Business Analysis, Strategic Operation Management, Modelling and Simulation of Operations.

• Specialised pathway modules

  • Finance pathway: Financial Analysis, Portfolio Management
  • Marketing pathway: Social Media Marketing, Marketing Management
  • Management pathway: Strategic Business Analysis, Strategic Operation Management, Modelling and Simulation of Operations.

• The completion of additional learning activities is required to obtain your Masters degree. Normally, required ALA hours will be distributed evenly across each semester, amounting to 200 hours per semester. Part-time programmes will normally require 100 to 150 hours per semester.

  The additional learning activities on MSc Business Analytics include:

  • Introduction to Research Methods
  • Personal and Employability Skills
  • Postgraduate English
  • Chinese Language
  • Graduate Teaching Assistantship
  • Graduate Research Assistantship
  • Independent Study with an IBSS Tutor
  • Participation in IBSS research seminar series
  • Writing of Scholarly Research Paper
  • Presentation of Scholarly Research Paper
  • Thomson One Certificate Achievement
  • EIKON Certificate Achievement
  • Datastream Certificate Achievement
  • Professional Software Skills
  • Volunteer Work for University and School Projects and Events
  • In-Company Project
  • Field Trip/Company visit
  • Career Development Activities
  • Graduate Work Placement
  • SAP TERP10

Careers

Business analytics skills are in high demand in every sector of the economy, particularly within the fast-growing service sectors (e.g. finance, retail, marketing, and information technology). The typical positions our graduates target include data or information analyst, technical consultant, IT-related project manager, and customer relationship management (CRM) analyst.

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Entry requirements for this course

Contact Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) to find course entry requirements.

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View all courses at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU)

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