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. These statistical and optimization tools, necessary for analyzing large and unstructured data sets, are applied to actual data in the classroom, teaching students in the program how to 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 also apply for admission to this program.

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 (gradadm.usc.edu/). International applicants are advised to see the instructions for international students published in the USC Graduate Admissions website (gradadm.usc.edu/apply/international-students/).

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 that include required course work and electives. The program may be completed on a full-time 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 elective units. 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 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 - Select 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 Blended Data Business Analytics for Efficient Decisions Units: 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 Business Decision Modeling and Risk Analysis Units: 1.5
DSO 545 Statistical Computing and Data Visualization Units: 1.5, 3
DSO 547 Spreadsheet Modeling for Business Insights Units: 3
DSO 548 Emerging Technologies in Supply Chain Management Units: 3
DSO 550 Applying Analytics to Human Capital in Business Units: 1.5
DSO 552 SQL Databases for Business Analysts Units: 1.5
DSO 553 NoSQL Databases in Big Data Units: 1.5
DSO 559 Introduction to Python for Business Analytics Units: 3
DSO 562 Fraud Analytics Units: 3
DSO 565 Supply Chain Analytics Units: 3
DSO 570 The Analytics Edge: Data, Models, and Effective Decisions Units: 3
DSO 572 Strategies for Digital Analytics Units: 1.5
DSO 573 Data Analytics Driven Dynamic Strategy and Execution Units: 3
DSO 578 Fundamentals of Sports Performance Analytics Units: 1.5
DSO 579 Advanced Sports Performance Analytics Units: 1.5
Additional Electives: Up to 6 units may be selected from the following:
DSO 531 Digital Foundations for Business Innovation Units: 1.5
DSO 551 Digital Transformation in the Global Enterprise Units: 3
DSO 554 Digital Strategies for Sustainability in Global Markets Units: 3
DSO 556 Business Models for Digital Platforms Units: 3
DSO 574 Using Big Data: Challenges and Opportunities Units: 3
DSO 580 Project Management 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/programs/graduate-programs/graduate-certificates/graduate-certificate-in-business-analytics.

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