Business Analytics Graduate Certificate

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The Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics provides students with the tools, ideas and frameworks that will aid them in making business decisions in a scientific manner, based on actual data, to improve the performance of their organization. Students in the program acquire the statistical and optimization tools necessary to analyze large and unstructured data sets and make optimal decisions to improve the performance of their organization.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must satisfy the standard Marshall graduate admission requirements. A few years of work experience is preferred, but not required. GMAT or GRE scores are required. International applicants who did not spend four years completing a bachelor’s degree at an American, British, Canadian or Australian college or university must submit TOEFL, IELTS or PTE scores.

Individuals applying for admission to the Master of Science in Business Analytics should not apply for admission to this program also.

Application Procedure

Prospective students who have not previously taken graduate-level (post-baccalaureate) business statistics must apply to begin the program in the fall semester. Prospective applicants who have taken a graduate-level business statistics course may apply to begin the program in the fall, spring or summer.

Applications are submitted online through the USC Graduate Admissions Website (http://gradadm.usc.edu/). International applicants are advised to see the instructions for international students published in the USC Graduate Admissions Website (http://gradadm.usc.edu/apply/international-students/).

A complete application includes the online application form, an application fee, test scores, an essay, two letters of recommendation and official transcripts from all institutions attended.

Current USC students and USC alumni are not required to submit an application fee, new test scores (if previously submitted), transcripts to verify degrees earned prior to their attendance at USC, or letters of recommendation.
All other applicants must submit all documentation identified in the online application instructions.

Degree Requirements

The Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics requires 15 units including required course work and at least 9 units of course work chosen from a list of electives. The program may be completed on a full-time (3-5 courses per semester) or part-time basis.

Students who have taken master’s-level managerial statistics at another institution or as part of another program at USC prior to application may petition to replace the managerial statistics requirement with a fourth elective. Such a replacement must be requested as an attachment to the application for admission and, if approved, will be included in the offer of admission.

Required Courses

GSBA 506a Applied Managerial Statistics Units: 1.5 and
GSBA 506b Applied Managerial Statistics Units: 1.5
or
GSBA 516 Essentials of Data Analysis and Modeling Units: 1.5 and
GSBA 545 Data Driven Decision Making Units: 1.5
or
GSBA 524 Data Science for Business Units: 2, 3
DSO 510 Business Analytics Units: 1.5, 3

Electives - Complete at least 9 units from the following to total 15 units.

DSO 516 Probability and Data Modeling Units: 1.5
DSO 522 Applied Time Series Analysis for Forecasting Units: 1.5, 3
DSO 528 Data Warehousing, Business Intelligence, and Data Mining Units: 1.5, 3
DSO 529 Advanced Regression Analysis Units: 3
DSO 530 Applied Modern Statistical Learning Methods Units: 3
DSO 534 Discrete-Event Simulation for Process Management Units: 1.5
DSO 536 Monte Carlo Simulation and Decision Models Units: 1.5
DSO 545 Statistical Computing and Data Visualization Units: 3
DSO 547 Designing Spreadsheet-Based Business Models Units: 3
DSO 562 Fraud Analytics Units: 3
DSO 570 The Analytics Edge: Data, Models, and Effective Decisions Units: 3
DSO 573 Data Analytics Driven Dynamic Strategy and Execution Units: 3
MKT 566 Marketing Analytics Units: 3

Note:

For current USC graduate students, courses credited to the Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics may be completed in conjunction with course work required for the program in which the student is already enrolled. Applicability of these courses to the student’s primary degree program is determined by the student’s home department. Current MBA students may apply all 15 units of the graduate certificate program to their MBA degree.

For USC alumni, courses completed in conjunction with the individual’s prior degree may not be credited toward the certificate. Appropriate substitutions for required courses will be determined and documented by the program director.

Successful completion of the program is documented on the student’s transcript and acknowledged with a certificate (diploma) awarded by the university.

For additional information, visit marshall.usc.edu/GCRTAnalytics.