BSAN - Business Analytics

This course provides an overview to the fundamentals of accounting and business information systems, through their uses of various software and software packages in addition to their functions and applications within an organizational environment. Topics within this course includes the basics of understanding business information systems; data communications; analytics utilizing spreadsheets and databases; adopting and managing information systems; effective use of networks and the ethical use of these systems within business and society.

This course introduces fundamentals of business analytics. Students are exposed to the basic concepts and modern tools related to explanatory and predictive models for decision making in a business context. Data collection, transformation, filtering, and basic analysis methods are discussed. Legal and ethical aspects concerning privacy and confidentiality in the current regulatory environment are reviewed. This course does not require students to have prior familiarity with the business analytics related concepts and tools.

Visualization techniques for business data are discussed in detail. Practical data visualization techniques for several improved decision-making and problem-solving scenarios will be discussed. The students will learn how to transform complex categorical data to equivalent easy-to-use visual representation. Current tools and development environments will be discussed.

Database concepts and design are covered, as well as database administration, relational and object oriented database systems and models, Internet database access and use of database software.

Business Intelligence curse offers an in-depth understanding of the modern tools and techniques for improved business decision making by utilizing the knowledge assets of an enterprise. Specifically classification, clustering, segmentation, decision support systems, search algorithms, data mining, factor and discriminate analysis and optimization concepts for both structured and unstructured data are discussed. Students will learn to use and design data analysis based solutions to real life business information problems.

This course is a hands-on study of the current data mining applications used for making business decisions. Using data from finance, operations, economics and other disciplines, students will learn various data mining techniques including decision trees, rule based reasoning, neural networks, and cluster analysis.

Students learn about and use data in decision making. This course emphasizes practical business applications; graphic and tabular summarization; measures of central tendency and dispersion; sampling distributions and estimation of important statistical parameters; hypothesis testing; analysis of variance; non-parametric methods; and single and multiple regression analysis. Excel is used to solve large scale case problems.

This course covers the development and utilization of quantitative models for business decisions (linear programming, decision theory, PERT/CPM, queuing theory, simulation, forecasting and inventory control). Business problems are analyzed and solved using the aforementioned methods.

Decision making and problem solving techniques for business data processing scenarios are discussed. Students learn the current data acquisition, filtering, processing, and query methods for strategic business decisions. Automated solutions for increased business efficiency in the form of macros, scripts, and similar other techniques are explained.

Foundations of business data warehousing concepts and their implementations in various business settings are reviewed. Business data warehouse development methodology and data warehouse planning stages are discussed. Identification of business requirements, feasibility analysis, and development of logical data warehouse models will be discussed. The students will learn the development of the data architecture as well as the implementation and administration of the data warehouse. 

Web Analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of detailed statistics about visits to a web site. Internet Analytics provides important information in order to optimize and improve the web site usability and performance. This course discusses a number of analytics techniques such as log files, cookies, web bugs, and paper tagging. It also covers the key performance indicators, website metrics. Additionally, it demonstrates how to setup and use some of the leading web analytics tools available such as Google Analytics and Visistats. These tools will help you track your Twitter, Facebook, and other social media marketing (SMM) technologies and determine if your SMM is working.

This hands-on course requires students to demonstrate proficiency in different aspects of business analytics with a semester project. The students are expected to employ the skills presented throughout the curriculum in an organized manner to solve realistic business data management problems. Mastery of skills for the student’s identified concentration is expected.