Frequently Asked Questions About Corban’s Master of Business Intelligence & Analytics

1. What is business intelligence and analytics? Business intelligence is a combination of systems and processes that help businesses make smarter, data-driven decisions. Processes such as data mining, data visualization, and reporting are integral to business intelligence. Through these processes, businesses gather and analyze data to better understand how they arrived at their present situation, and how to proceed in the future in a way that responds to trends in the marketplace, meets consumers’ needs, and increases efficiency. Business analytics is an integral piece of the puzzle that allows for these data-driven decisions. Business analytics—the process of collecting, compiling, and analyzing data—is what makes intelligent business decisions possible. While data scientists analyze the raw data and utilize advanced statistics and predictive analytics to discover patterns and correlations, business intelligence uses that information to make actual business decisions.

2. What can you do with a Master of Business Intelligence & Analytics? A Master of Business Intelligence & Analytics prepares you for a variety of data-related careers, from data science to operations analytics. As businesses increasingly see the need for gathering data and transforming it into useful information for decision-making, opportunities in this field continue to grow. With this degree, you’ll be equipped to come alongside a business or organization you’re passionate about and help them make smarter decisions for future success.

3. What type of person is best suited for this program? If you have a passion for helping people use information to solve problems, a career in data analytics might be for you! You’ll also benefit from having a background in computer science, business, business analytics, mathematics, or related fields. (In fact, a variety of careers in analytics consistently make Top Ten careers for mathematics majors).

4. Since this program is brand new, how do I know it provides the quality education I will need? Our MBIA faculty are the same experienced faculty who teach for Corban’s other business programs. In fact, the MBIA curriculum strategically uses courses from the MBA to give you the same foundation students have been receiving for years. You’ll find a solid program taught by exceptional full-time faculty.

5. This program is all online. What kind of availability can I expect from faculty? Corban’s faculty are committed to engaging with each of their students, whether in the classroom or online, and have designated office hours when you can share questions and concerns. You can count on faculty to respond via email, video conference, and more to make sure you’re understanding the material. They care about you and your goals, and they’ll help you achieve them.

6. What industries could I work in with this degree? A wide variety of industries need people who can prepare and analyze data. For-profit businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, healthcare agencies, and more need people who can analyze, interpret, and make decisions based on large amounts of data. Most organizations and agencies that provides services or products to people are constantly in search of intelligible data generated by their clients and consumers in order to meet market demands and improve their product or service.

7. What advantage does this program give me over a bachelor’s in business, or even a traditional MBA? Business intelligence and analytics is a very focused aspect of business. While the MBA or bachelor’s in business will give you a well-rounded understanding of business, from human resources to management, business intelligence & analytics focuses on the increasingly influential trend of using “big data” to inform business decisions. You could consider the MBIA a unique specialization of the MBA, which will prepare you for a very specific role within a larger organization.

8. What kind of salary could you expect with an MBIA? Your salary potential will depend on what sort of organization or agency you work for, as well as your specific role in the data analytics process. But here are just a few examples of what you could be making with this degree: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, operations research analysts earn a median salary of $83,390. Market research analysts earn $63,120, and database administrators earn a median salary of $90,070.

9. Is the career outlook good for someone with an MBIA? Never has our society had as much access to data and information as we do today, and companies need people who can make sense of that data. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is an increasing demand for people with business intelligence and analytics skills. For example, jobs for database administrators are projected to increase by 9% from 2018-2028. (The average growth rate for all occupations is just 5%.) In the same timeframe, careers for market research analysts are projected to increase by 20%!

10. How will the MBIA help my career? In addition to providing you with specialized skills in business intelligence and analytics, you’ll benefit simply from earning your master’s degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, earning your master’s degree could increase your earning potential by almost 20%.Plus,part of the MBIA curriculum includes foundational businesses courses, similar to those you’d find in an MBA. By the time you graduate, you’ll have a solid business foundation with courses such as Technology and Operational Management and Finance, Reporting, and Control.

More questions about Corban’s MBIA? Learn more here or reach out to admissions@corban.edu.