Overview

Businesses are increasingly collecting large amounts of information about their customers and activities. This ‘big data’ is big news with the media, businesses and government as they consider how to use this mass of information in a meaningful way.

Analysts use their expertise to make sense of this information, interpret it and uncover hidden patterns and important insights, enabling evidence-based business decisions. As a result, they’re in very high demand with employers on the lookout for analysts in every sector.

This course gives you an insight into business analytics and explores how organisations can thrive during the big data revolution. You’ll develop decision-oriented, quantitative analytical skills in a management context, and learn to sift intelligence from the growing volume and variety of data collected on many aspects of life.

Combining theoretical concepts with practical application, you’ll develop a unique mix of quantitative and behavioural skills relevant to data analyses, effective decision-making and management.

Learning and teaching

We use a variety of teaching and learning methods to help you make the most of your studies. These will include lectures, seminars, workshops, online learning, computer classes and tutorials.

Independent study is also vital for this course allowing you to prepare for taught classes and sharpen your own research and critical skills.

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

Assessment methods emphasise not just knowledge, but essential skills development too. You’ll be assessed using a range of techniques including exams, group projects, written assignments and essays, in-course assessment, group and individual presentations and reports.

Career opportunities

From day one, we encourage you to think beyond your time at Leeds and reflect on a meaningful career. Graduates of the MSc Business Analytics and Decision Sciences can expect to have the quantitative skills to analyse complex business information and use the resulting intelligence to inform business decisions.

You’ll be ideally placed to pursue a career in analytics and decision-making, general and specialist management roles in a range of industries, or as a business or market analyst.

Recent Leeds graduates are now working in business analytics roles for companies such as eBay, Amazon, NHS trust, Transport for London, The Home Office, Capital One, KPMG, the Department of Health, and Dell International.

Demand for experts in business analytics is growing rapidly and Leeds University Business School is at the forefront of developments in this area.