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.

The traditional undergraduate programs includes a minimum of 120 credits distributed across three components: A General Education component divided into Signature Courses, Variable Courses, and an Integrative Learning requirement; a Major and Divisional component; and Free Electives. In addition to course requirements as specified in each area, students must complete one certified course in each of the following overlay areas1:

  1. Diversity, Globalization or Non-western Area Studies,
  2. Ethics Intensive
  3. Writing Intensive, and
  4. Diversity
1

Overlay requirements are part of the 120 credit requirements

General Education Signature Courses

See this page about Signature courses

General Education Variable Courses

See this page about Variable courses. Six to Nine courses

General Education Overlays

See this page about Overlays.

General Education Integrative Learning Component

See this page about Integrative Learning Component. Three courses:

ILC 1: Economics3
Introductory Economics Macro
ILC 2: Math3
Differential Calculus
Fundamentals of Calculus
Calculus I
ILC 3: Non Department ILC: Select one from the following courses:3
Accounting
Fin Acc Info Sys I
Management Acc Info Systems
Business
Business Strategy
Computer Science
Computer Science I
CSC I:Programming Fundamentals
English
Writing for Organizations
Scientific Writing
Finance
Markets and Institutions
Fund of Quantitative Finance
Mathematics
Math of Games & Politics
Psychology
Intro Research Method Soc Sci
Research Methods
Theology
Technology Ethics
Total Hours9

Business Foundation 

Ten courses, including:

ACC 101Concepts of Financial Acct3
ACC 102Managerial Accounting3
DSS 100Excel Competency1
DSS 200Intro to Information Systems3
DSS 210Business Statistics3
DSS 220Business Analytics3
FIN 200Intro to Finance3
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 Strategy 13
or ACC 423 Accounting Control Systems
Total Hours31
1

Accounting Majors can choose between ACC 423 and BUS BUS 495

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
Fin Acc Info Sys III (ACC majors only)
Open Source Program Lang
Insurance Data & Analytics
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 (Majors only & permission of the Chair)
Independent Study II (Majors only & permission of the Chair)
Game Theory (ECN majors only)
Food Marketing Research (FMK majors only)
Total Hours18