Villanova University - Online Master of Science in Analytics Program
The online Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) program at Villanova University Online offers targeted training in the business applications of big data technology and science. The program focuses on how information technologies are used to collect, sort, and analyze data that can then be deployed to make more effective business decisions. The 36-credit degree can be completed in as few as 24 months by students who take one or two classes per quarter, each of which is the equivalent of half an academic semester. It requires no campus visits and is designed to accommodate students who may already be working full time or have other outside work and/or family commitments.
Villanova University Online employs a cohort model for online learning which facilitates peer-to-peer interaction by organizing students into groups, or cohorts, that progress through the program together. Classes involve a mix of asynchronous and synchronous instruction, coordinated though an online learning platform that encourages students to interact with classmates and gives them individual access to professors during virtual office hours. Pre-recorded lectures and most other course materials are available to students 24/7. In addition, there are some live synchronous elements that require students to be present online at specific times.
The online MSA program draws on the considerable resources of the Villanova School of Business and the school’s Center for Business Analytics. It includes faculty with expertise in business, analytics, computer science, statistics, and mathematics. Students are expected to complete 11 three-credit courses, including four foundation classes: Introduction to Business Analytics; Introduction to Programming in R; Data Models and Structured Data Analysis; and Multivariate Data Analysis. There is additional core coursework in Enterprise Data Management, Business Intelligence, and Analytical Methods for Text and Web Mining. The program culminates in an Analytics Practicum. This functions as a capstone project in which students are given the opportunity to apply their training to a real-world data analytics problem in partnership with organizations affiliated with Villanova and the Center for Business Analytics.
The Villanova School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).