Business Intelligence & Analytics Major

Business Intelligence and Analytics (BIA) majors acquire general business skills plus knowledge and experience in the theory of decision making, process analysis, database management, decision support systems, data visualization, data mining, statistical analysis, business analytics, competitive intelligence, knowledge management, business intelligence, supply chain, operations management, and enterprise security. Technology employed in the DSS curriculum changes to ensure that we stay on the leading edge, and includes Microsoft Office, Oracle, SAP, Python, R, JMP, Minitab, Tableau, Alteryx, and Power BI.

The area of Business Intelligence and Analytics is critical to helping students understand data. You'll learn to use the information to guide organizations in making strategic business decisions. Advances in technology have helped organizations collect a vast amount of data ranging from customer preferences to trends in sales. 

The Department of Decision and System Sciences is dedicated to equipping students with the relevant skills to succeed in a technology-driven, data-intensive world.   The BIA Programs focus on technology-related activities that:

  • enhance technology use,
  • data transformation, and
  • analytics-based decision making.

Graduates go on to work in any discipline where strong technology, analytics and business intelligence skills are needed. We strive to create ethical, socially aware, technology-savvy leaders and problem solvers who contribute to a wide array of professions and professional environments. We provide industry-focused programs that prepare students to transform data into actionable knowledge to drive decision-making. Students are discerning in their use of information and are critical thinkers and effective communicators of meaningful analysis.

Outcome 1: Students will be able to prepare data of any size for data mining analytics.

Outcome 2: Students will demonstrate the use of data mining models that can identify hidden patterns and rules.

Outcome 3: Students will be able to identify and minimize biases in data collection, and correctly interpret BI&A results.

Outcome 4: Students will be able to communicate clearly and effectively in composing and delivering oral presentations to the target audience. 

Outcome 5: Students will be able to weigh the ethics and the impact on society when confronted with a business decision making situation.

Cornerstone Core Curriculum Requirements

Consist of 14 core and 2 overlay requirements.  See below for additional detailed information on each of these requirements.

First Year Course Requirements
ENG 101Craft of Language3
World History Course Area3
Philosophy Requirements
Either Level One or Level Two (but not both) -- must be Ethics designated. If approved, philosophy courses may count for a student's Writing Intensive overlay. Students may not double-count the same course as Philosophy Level Two and as a Mission Overlay course.
Philosophy Level One3
Philosophy Level Two3
Theology & Religious Studies Requirements
If approved, Theology & Religious Studies courses may count for a student's Writing Intensive overlay. Students may not double-count the same course as CCC Theology and as a Mission Overlay course.
Theology3
Religious Studies3
Diversity & INT 151 Requirements
A student's Diversity course may not count for any other CCC course area requirement or as their Mission Overlay course. If approved, Diversity courses may count for a student's Writing Intensive Overlay requirement. INT 151 may not count for any other CCC requirements. This course must be taken in the first two years
Diversity3
INT 151Inequality in American Society1
Math & Natural Science Requirements
If approved, Math & Natural Science Requirements may count toward overlay requirements.
Mathematics3-4
Natural Science4
Social Science Requirement3
If approved, such Social Science Requirement may count toward a student's overlay requirements.
Non-Native Language Requirement3-4
A single Non-Native Language course may not count as an overlay course but a second language course fulfills a student's Mission Overlay requirement.
Literature Requirement3
If approved, Literature courses may count toward a student's overlay requirements.
Fine and Performing Arts, Creativity, and Design Requirement3
If approved, Fine and Performing Arts, Creativity, and Design courses may count toward a student's overlay requirements.
Overlay Requirements
Writing-Intensive3
If approved, Writing-Intensive courses may double count as major courses, minor courses, electives, or as any CCC course area requirement except for the first-year courses (World History and Rhetoric and Composition).
Mission-Overlay3
Mission Overlay courses may double count as major courses, minor courses, elective courses, or any of the following CCC course areas: Fine and Performing Arts, Creativity, and Design, Literature, Mathematics, Natural Science, or Social Science.
Total Hours47-49

Business Foundation 

ACC 101Concepts of Financial Acct3
ACC 102Managerial Accounting3
DSS 100Excel Competency1
DSS 200AI in Business3
DSS 210Business Statistics3
DSS 220Business Analytics3
ECN 102Introductory Economics Macro3
FIN 200Intro to Finance 13
or FIN 225 Fund of Quantitative Finance
MGT 110Essent'ls of Organzational Beh3
or MGT 120 Essentials of Management
MGT 360Legal Environment of Business3
MKT 201Principles of Marketing3
BUS 495Business Strategy3
Total Hours34
1

ECN 101 is a prerequisite for FIN 200 and may count towards the Cornerstone Core Curriculum Social Science requirement.

Major Requirements 

Six courses (note that students may take one elective from outside the DSS department, the second elective must be a DSS course)

Required Core
DSS 315BIA Concepts & Practices3
DSS 330Database Management3
DSS 420Introduction to Data Mining3
DSS 435Advanced Business Analytics3
DSS Electives (Select two of the following):6
Open Source Program Lang
Data Wrangling & Visualization
Data Wrangling: Ethics Int.
Analytics Cup
Alternative Risk Financing
Six Sigma Apps & Foundations
Statistical Programming Lang
Machine Learning for Bus I
Machine Learning for Bus II
Supply Chain Analytics
DSS Special Topics I
DSS Special Topics II
Independent Study I
Independent Study II
Game Theory
Food Marketing Research
Health Info Management Systems
Calculus (will count for CCC: Mathematics)3-4
Precalculus
Differential Calculus
Fundamentals of Calculus
Calculus I
Total Hours21-22

Free Electives

Graduation requires 120 credits. Any credits necessary to reach that number outside of the CCC and major requirements are considered free electives. 

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallHours
DSS 100 Excel Competency 1
ACC 101 Concepts of Financial Acct 3
MGT 110
Essent'ls of Organzational Beh
or Essentials of Management
3
ECN 101
Introductory Economics Micro
or Introductory Economics Macro
3
Mathematics (MAT 123, 155 or 161) 3-4
ENG 101 Craft of Language (or World History) 3
 Hours16-17
Spring
ACC 102 Managerial Accounting 3
ECN 102
Introductory Economics Macro
or Introductory Economics Micro
3
Non-Native Language 3-4
ENG 101 Craft of Language (or World History) 3
Literature 3
INT 151 Inequality in American Society 1
 Hours16-17
Sophomore
Fall
DSS 200 AI in Business 3
DSS 210 Business Statistics 3
MKT 201 Principles of Marketing 3
FIN 200 Intro to Finance 3
Theology 3
 Hours15
Spring
DSS 220 Business Analytics 3
Diversity 3
Natural Science 4
Philosophy Level One 3
Free Elective/Writing Intensive consider FMK 250, HAD 304 3
 Hours16
Junior
Fall
DSS 315 BIA Concepts & Practices 3
DSS 330 Database Management 3
MGT 360 Legal Environment of Business 3
Free Electives 6
 Hours15
Spring
DSS 435 Advanced Business Analytics 3
DSS 420 Introduction to Data Mining 3
Philosophy Level Two 3
Free Electives 6
 Hours15
Senior
Fall
Major Elective 3
BUS 495 Business Strategy 3
Fine & Performing Arts, Design & Creativity 3
Free Electives 6
 Hours15
Spring
Major Elective 3
Religious Studies 3
Free Electives 6-9
 Hours12-15
 Total Hours120-125