Mar 29, 2024  
2015-2016 Graduate Catalog 
    
2015-2016 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Dual MS-MBA Program – Business Analytics / Business Administration


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Haslam College of Business

The Master of Business Administration program and the Department of Business Analytics and Statistics offer a coordinated dual program leading to the conferral of both the Master of Science degree with a major in Business Analytics and the Master of Business Administration degree with a major in Business Administration. The dual program saves the student approximately 15 hours (one semester) over the time that would be required to earn both degrees independently.

The establishment of the dual program recognizes the increasingly complex world of business and the importance of technical and analytical skills in using data to make strategic and tactical business decisions, the complementary nature of the graduate MBA and MS Business Analytics programs, and the intellectual benefits inherent in concurrent study of both business modeling and analytical tools.

The program is designed to accommodate students who are interested in: (a) careers that will involve data-mining but want to understand the broader business environment, (b) careers in management that will require interpretation of data derived from business analytics tools, and (c) careers where specialties in decision-making and forecasting based on modeling techniques are required.

Admission  

Applicants for the MS-MBA Business Analytics program must make separate application to and be accepted by the Office of Graduate Admissions for the Master of Business Administration and the Master of Science with a major in Business Analytics. Students should indicate on both applications the intent to pursue the dual MS-MBA program. Students accepted for both the MBA and MS degree programs will be assigned to an advisor from the MBA program and another from the business analytics MS program. These advisors will be responsible for course approval and supervision of the students’ progress through the dual program.

After the MBA application deadline of February 1, applications by United States citizens and permanent residents will be considered as space allows. The MBA Program requires a GMAT score for admissions consideration. Additional information is required and different application dates are established by Graduate Admissions for international students.

Requirements

The Master of Business Administration will award up to 15 hours of credit toward the MBA for acceptable performance in approved graduate-level courses offered in the MS Business Analytics Program. The Department of Business Analytics and Statistics will award up to 9 hours of credit toward the MS Business Analytics for acceptable performance in approved courses offered in the Master of Business Administration. The approval of courses is the responsibility of the student and the student’s assigned advisors. A total of 62 graduate hours is required for the dual program.

Students may begin their studies in either the MS Business Analytics or the MBA program, but may not enroll in MS Business Analytics course work while completing the first year of the MBA curriculum. During the first year in the MBA program, students register as Master of Business Administration program students. After the first year, any term in which students take a mixture of MBA and MS Business Analytics courses, they are classified and registered as MS Business Analytics students.

A dual program candidate must satisfy the graduation requirements of both the MS in Business Analytics and the Master of Business Administration. Students withdrawing from the dual program before completing both degrees will not receive credit toward graduation in either degree program for courses taken in the other degree program, except as such courses qualify for credit without regard to the dual degree program. The MS and the MBA degrees will be awarded upon successful completion of the requirements of the dual program.

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Haslam College of Business