BUSINESS ANALYTICS graduate certificate

• WHO CAN APPLY? The certificate can be completed as a part of the WSU MBA Program in the Goddard School of Business and Economics or as a stand-alone certificate.
  • NOTE: The Business Analytics Certificate is designed for those who may or may not have technical backgrounds or experience with Business Analytics.
• DELIVERY: The courses will be conducted in eight week blocks.  Each course will be offered virtual (online).  Select courses may be available face-to-face.
• PREREQUISITES: Applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or be in the final stage of completing the undergraduate degree. Prerequisite classes may apply for select courses. See course description below. Basic computer competency is required.
• GRADE REQUIREMENTS: Students must complete all program courses with a grade of “C” or higher. In addition, the overall program GPA must be 3.0 or higher.
• CREDIT HOURS: 15 total credit hours including 12 required hours and 3 elective hours. The following is a list of available courses:

FOUR (4) REQUIRED COURSES 
 

• MBA 6160  |  Applications of Decision Models (3 cr)

  MBA 6160
  APPLICATIONS OF DECISION MODELS (3 cr)
   

  INSTRUCTOR: Ben Barazza
  TAUGHT: Fall, Spring (block 2)
  DELIVERY: Virtual

  This course presents a rigorous treatment of quantitative decision-making with emphasis on data collection, analysis, and model building. This course emphasizes experience in structuring realistic business problems, collecting data, developing an appropriate model for analysis, and interpreting and defending results. A number of cases are employed. Additional foundation course work in statistics may be required prior to course registration as per department advisement and student’s program of study requirements.
  
  Pre-requisite(s): MBA 6050, MBA 6051, or equivalent courses in statistics.
  Note: Course offerings are subject to change.

• MBA 6620 | Data Mining for Businesses (3 cr)

  MBA 6620
  DATA MINING FOR BUSINESSES (3 cr)
   

  INSTRUCTOR: Alex Jensen
  TAUGHT: Spring (block 2)
  DELIVERY: Virtual

  The broad availability of data, either within organization or about market trends, has led to increasing interest in the methods for extracting useful information and knowledge from data. This course will change the way you think about data and its role in organization. We will examine how data mining technologies can be used to improve decision-making.  We will study the principles and techniques of data mining, and we will examine real-world examples and cases to place data-mining techniques in context, to develop data-analytic thinking, and to illustrate that proper application is as much an art as it is a science.

• MBA 6660 | Forecasting for Business (3 cr)

  MBA 6660
  FORECASTING for BUSINESS (3 cr)
   

  INSTRUCTOR: Sandeep Rangaraju
  TAUGHT: Spring (block 1)
  DELIVERY: Virtual

  This course is intended to provide students with applied interest with up to date techniques used in the forecasting of time series. These techniques will be motivated by specific practical problems and will be used in forecasting practices. Although the flavor of this course will be mainly applied, we will need to review and develop some technical background. The emphasis of the class is on practical application and computer implementation.

• MBA 6260 (6810) | Data Visualization Using Tableau (3 cr)

  MBA 6260
  DATA VISUALIZATION USING TABLEAU (3 cr)
   

  INSTRUCTOR: Scott Fowler
  TAUGHT: Spring (block 2)
  DELIVERY: Virtual

  This course will provide students with a solid foundation for understanding several data analysis tools through learning experiences in real business situations. This course will help students develop skills with several of the market leading data analytic tools.

ADD ONE (1) OF THE FOLLOWING ELECTIVES 
 

• MBA 6310  |  IT in the Enterprise (3 cr)

  MBA 6310
  IT IN THE ENTERPRISE (3 cr)
   

  INSTRUCTOR: Jeff Clements
  TAUGHT: Fall, Spring (block 1)
  DELIVERY: Virtual

  Information technology from an enterprise perspective with an orientation toward the management of technology for competitive/ strategic advantage. Managers will be increasingly responsible for making decisions with respect to implementing new technology. This course will provide the background knowledge to enable managers in traditional business units to function as full participants in decisions involving the purchase and application of technology to create a business advantage.

• MBA 6640 | Cyber Security (3 cr)

  MBA 6640
  CYBER SECURITY (3 cr)
   

  INSTRUCTOR: Chris Block
  TAUGHT: Fall (block 2)
  DELIVERY: Face-to-Face
  INDUSTRY CERTIFICATE EARNED: Security+

  This course covers the basic principles and concepts in information assurance. It examines the managerial, operational, and organizational issues of securing information systems. Topics include legal and ethical issues in computer security; privacy concerns; malware; security awareness at the executive, technical and user levels; physical security, personnel security issues; policies and procedures; the need for enterprise security awareness; and the need for an enterprise security organization. Case studies and exercises in the computer lab will be used to provide examples of the need for organizations to develop security procedures and policies.

• MBA 6670 | Cloud Computing (3 cr)

  MBA 6670
  CLOUD COMPUTING (3 cr)
   

  INSTRUCTOR: TBD
  TAUGHT: Fall (block 1)
  DELIVERY: Virtual and Face-to-Face
  INDUSTRY CERTIFICATE EARNED: AWS

  Cloud computing is widely used by nearly all organizations to store and process data, host applications, and scale growth effectively. This course will look at how cloud providers (AWS) operate. It will also discuss issues related to security, maintenance, scalability, cost effectiveness, service models, architecture, and deployment models.

• MBA 6680 | Graduate Consulting Project  (3 cr)

  MBA 6680
  GRADUATE CONSULTING PROJECT (3 cr)
   

  INSTRUCTOR: Francois Giraud-Carrier
  TAUGHT: Fall, Spring (block 1 or 2)
  DELIVERY: Virtual

  Graduate students are given the opportunity to consult with an existing organization, make recommendations for improvements, and assist in implementing changes in the organization. Students meet periodically with supervising faculty to review results. Prerequisite: Instructor approval.

• MBA 6800 | Directed Study (1-3 cr)

  MBA 6800
  DIRECTED STUDY (3 cr)
   

  INSTRUCTOR: Francois Giraud-Carrier
  TAUGHT: Fall, Spring (block 1 or 2)
  DELIVERY: Virtual

  Directed individual study and research on special topics related to business. May be repeated for a cumulative total of three credits. Prerequisite: Written approval of MBA program and instructor.