American University - Online Master of Science in Analytics (MSAn) Program
American University’s online Master of Science in Analytics (Analytics@American) program is offered through the Kogod School of Business and emphasizes the business and organizational applications of data gathering, modeling, and analysis. The aim is to give students a solid foundation for careers in business analytics, cybersecurity governance, financial analysis, marketing, and consulting, with five optional areas of concentration: Business Foundations, Cybersecurity, Consulting, Financial Analytics, and Marketing Analytics. The complete course of study comprises 33 credit hours of formal instruction, including two immersion sessions at the University’s Washington D.C. campus. The program can be completed in either 12 months or 15-months depending on full-time or part-time schedules.
The Analytics@American program utilizes synchronous instruction and covers the same curricular content as the university’s on-campus MS in Analytics degree. Students log in to scheduled lectures and discussions using a computer and a webcam. They are then given online access to Kogod faculty during designated office hours. The two capstone immersion sessions, which last three to four days, allow for one-on-one and group interactions with faculty and classmates, as well as with select leaders from the business community who are invited to give lectures and offer career advice. Students also participate in site visits where they solve real business challenges and work with real companies.
Drawing on MBA faculty resources from the Kogod School of Business, American’s online Master of Science in Analytics degree focuses on how the tools of data science and the descriptive, prescriptive, and predictive techniques of analytics are used in the business world to foster more effective and efficient decision making and strategic planning. The core requirements include six three-credit courses: Managerial Statistics, Management Information Systems, Database and Big Data, Business Insights Through Analytics, Predictive Analysis, and Business Intelligence. Students can then steer their degree toward one or more of the program’s concentration areas by selecting four additional three-credit classes from a range of electives. These include Management of Organizations and Human Capital (Business Foundations); Management Consulting Practices and Methodologies (Consulting); Forensic Accounting (Cybersecurity); Investment Analysis & Portfolio Management (Financial Analytics); and Brand Strategy (Marketing Analytics). The remaining three credits are accrued through participation in the two mandatory immersion sessions, which represent a capstone project or analytics practicum.
The Analytics@American program has rolling admissions and four annual start dates, in October, January, April, and July. American University’s Kogod School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).