Business Analytics

Entry requirements

2:2 Hons degree (UK or equivalent) in a quantitative discipline such as Mathematics and/or Statistics or Engineering. Businesss and Management degrees with a very strong quantitative component may also be considered. Information Technology and Computer Science degree are only suitable with very strong quantitative content.

Marks should be consistently at 2:2 level throughout your undergraduate studies.

Previous studies need to have included topics such as mathematics, probability, statistics, econometrics, game theory, data analysis, operations research, simulation, and business modelling. Prior study in computer programming is not required.

If you have studied outside of the UK, we would advise you to check our list of international qualifications before submitting your application.

Months of entry

October

Course content

We live in a world where analytical decision-making happens every second. Data is collected about everything in order to construct, operate and maintain systems. If you want a career in decision support, operational research, industrial engineering or management science, the MSc Business Analytics is the ideal programme for you.

This course will train you in analytical decision-making. Not only do you learn the theory of business analytics but also how to apply it in practice. This involves generating relevant business insights using data-driven methodologies and tools. Our programme is one of the few to teach the entire Business Analytics life cycle, covering descriptive, predictive and prescriptive analytics.

We have excellent partnerships with industry business analytics practitioners. We constantly update this programme to reflect the dynamically changing landscape of business analytics. We place a very high emphasis on creating graduates with skills that are valuable in the job market. For example, you will experience a real-life analytics project as part of your course.

Lancaster University is a pioneer of analytics in UK and Europe. We were one of the first universities in the UK to establish an Operational Research department, which developed into Business Analytics. More than 50 years on, we are still at the forefront of applying analytics to business in teaching and research.

Our academics are leaders in fields such as forecasting, optimisation, simulation and stochastic modelling. You will learn technical aspects like machine learning and data mining. We also have domain expertise like logistics and supply chain analytics, healthcare analytics, sports analytics, network analytics, marketing and pricing analytics.

Our graduates become business analysts, data scientists, analytics engineers and logistics consultants, and some also go into academic research. Many students get job offers whilst still studying.

Course Content

The MSc in Business Analytics consists of compulsory and optional modules, plus a project. The compulsory modules ensure that you have a firm grounding in important subjects. The wide range of optional modules allows you to specialise in subjects that particularly interest you.

During your first term from October to December you will study four core modules:

• Operational Research and Prescriptive Analytics
• Statistics and Descriptive Analytics
• Python Programming for Problem Solving
• Forecasting and Predictive Analytics

The second part of the course runs from January to May, and includes the Analytics in Practice module plus three optional modules.

From May to September you will choose one of the two dissertation modules.

• Dissertation (Industry)
• Dissertation (Research)

Information for international students

We may ask you to provide a recognised English language qualification, dependent upon your nationality and where you have studied previously.

We normally require an IELTS (Academic) Test with an overall score of at least 6.5, and a minimum of 6.0 in each element of the test. We also consider other English language qualifications.

If your score is below our requirements, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language programmes.

Contact: Admissions Team +44 (0) 1524 592032 or email pgadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk

Fees and funding

www.lancaster.ac.uk/pgfunding