Deep Technical Expertise. Strategic Business Application.
Get More Information
Deep Technical Expertise. Strategic Business Application.
Get More Information
Home
Online MS in Business Analytics

Technical Proficiency + Business Strategy: The Online Master of Science in Business Analytics

The future of business is being directed by data science and analytics. William & Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business delivers an Online Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program that equips ambitious professionals with the deep technical expertise and strategic business knowledge needed in our data-driven world. As a “Public Ivy” institution, William & Mary combines academic precision with industry-relevant application, preparing you to transform complex data into strategic insights that drive business success.

When you enroll in our accelerated program, you’ll complete the Foundations in Business Analytics Certificate within just five months at no additional time or cost. This valuable credential immediately enhances your resume while you continue toward earning your full Master’s in Business Analytics online in as few as 16 months—a qualification that commands respect and opens doors to advanced career opportunities.

Online MSBA at a Glance

Why Choose William & Mary’s Online Master’s in Business Analytics?

William & Mary’s Online MSBA program delivers exceptional career impact through a unique combination of technical acumen and strategic business application. Our alumni experience remarkable career growth:1

78%
of MSBA alumni surveyed reported receiving or expected to receive a promotion within six months after graduation
32%
average salary increase reported after graduation
$125,488
average salary for alumni surveyed shortly after graduation

As Bloomberg’s #1 Business School for Learning2 and with Princeton Review’s #5 ranking for Best Business Professors,3 our Online MSBA places you among the elite. The program’s blend of technical depth and strategic focus ensures you’ll graduate with analytical capabilities and leadership skills employers demand.

Visit admissions

Master Advanced Analytics Skills That Employers Demand

The William & Mary Online MSBA program gives you an unmatched competitive advantage by developing expertise that spans technical proficiency and business leadership. Position yourself for success in high-growth analytics roles across industries with skills that rank among U.S. News & World Report’s Best Business Jobs list.

Our curriculum is designed to maximize your computing and modeling proficiency while honing your ability to apply data science to strategic business planning. You’ll master industry-standard tools and techniques, including:

  • Python and R programming for business applications
  • Machine learning and artificial intelligence implementation
  • Data visualization and dashboard creation
  • SQL and advanced database management
  • Cloud computing and big data technologies
  • Optimization and prescriptive analytics

Prepare for high-growth analytics roles, including:

  • Operations Research Analysts: 23% growth4
  • Market Research Analysts: 8% growth5 and #6 in Best Business Jobs6
  • Management Analysts: 11% growth7 and #3 for Best Business Jobs6

The Online Master of Science in Business Analytics program goes beyond theoretical knowledge, teaching you to integrate analytics into business processes, visually convey insights from complex data and champion the importance of data-driven decision-making at any organization.

Guillermo Rodriguez-Abitia
“Technically speaking, we are very strong. Our students know Python and SQL, and how to apply them to build decision-making models. That's a highly sought after skill and you don’t see it taught this strongly in other programs.”
– Guillermo Rodriguez-Abitia, Ph.D., Faculty Director, Online MS in Business Analytics

A Curriculum Built for Data and Strategy Leaders

The Online MSBA program from William & Mary blends technical acumen with strategic business knowledge through a carefully crafted curriculum. Developed in consultation with employers, graduates and our Business Analytics Advisory Board, our program ensures you graduate with a tangible advantage in this high-demand field.

Our 32-credit curriculum consists of:

  • 2 prerequisite courses (8 credits)
  • 1 optional pre-program course worth 0 credits
  • 8 core courses (32 credits)

Prerequisite Courses (8 credits)*

BUAD 512A: Probability and Statistics with R (4 credits)

This course introduces the R programming language to teach statistical analysis within a business environment. The course covers basics of data management and wrangling in R, probability and probability distributions, and statistical techniques including statistical inference, hypothesis testing, analysis of variance and an introduction to regression analysis.

BUAD 512B: Business Modeling with Python (4 credits)

This course covers the use of the Python programming language in the context of modeling business problems. Particular attention is given to learning the power and flexibility of using Python in business settings commonly encountered. The mechanics, syntax and semantics of the language is emphasized. The course includes in-depth coverage of Python data types, control flow, functions, packages, data wrangling, data visualization and matrix manipulation.

Core MSBA Courses (32 credits)

BUAD 5112 Competing Through Business Analytics (4 credits)

This course will include a survey of the state-of-the-art in business analytics, exploring how companies use it for competitive advantage and identifying factors for successful strategic and operational support as business intelligence tools. Topics will include business metrics used for performance measurement and incentives, effective information communication, visualization, process improvement, the development and application of algorithms and ethical implications.

BUAD 5772 Database and Data Warehouses for Business Intelligence (4 credits)

This course covers fundamental topics related to developing and using databases and data warehouses to provide business intelligence (BI). The course includes: in-depth coverage of structured query language (SQL), stored programs and database design and implementation, data warehousing concepts, dimensional modeling (star schemas), the extraction/transformation/load (ETL) process and online analytical processing (OLAP)/ BI functionalities.

BUAD 5052 Decision Modeling (4 credits)

Decision modeling provides a framework on how to develop models that improve decision-making under uncertainty. Using a variety of statistical techniques, students will learn how to apply decision models within a variety of business contexts.

BUAD 5092: Optimization and Prescriptive Analytics (4 credits)

Optimization is a prescriptive analytics methodology designed to yield the best solution to a given problem. This applied optimization course will examine optimization through a business analytics lens. Students are exposed to the theory and application of optimization, including linear programming, nonlinear programming, discrete optimization, specialized networks and heuristics.

BUAD 5122: Machine Learning and Predictive Analytics (4 credits)

This course is designed to provide students with a deep understanding of the theory and practice of supervised and unsupervised learning, including regression, classification and clustering. An important part of this course is the use of statistical software, which is used extensively in labs and assignments.

BUAD 5132: Big Data and Cloud Computing Technologies (4 credits)

This course is designed to provide students with a deep understanding of big data and cloud computing. The data storage and retrieval techniques that have served the information processing industry for decades have proven inadequate in the face of the huge collections of data. This course will focus on applications of big data and cloud computing techniques that will be used to process large-scale data sets.

BUAD 5802: Artificial Intelligence Applications for Business (4 credits)

This course focuses on artificial intelligence (AI) applications in business, and covers implementations of contemporary AI techniques, such as deep learning, natural language processing and planning for solving business problems.

BUAD 5762 Business Analytics Capstone Project (4 credits)

This experiential-based practicum course will include a comprehensive business analytics project that students will complete in small work teams. The projects will be hosted by businesses, government, or non-profit organizations.

*Note: BUAD 512A and 512B are prerequisites for the remainder of the program. Students may be able to satisfy these prerequisites with courses from other sources, and they should inquire about their eligibility during the admission and onboarding process if they wish to do so.

Master’s in Business Analytics Online Capstone Project

The capstone project is the culmination of your Online MS in Business Analytics experience, where you’ll work in small teams to solve real business challenges for actual organizations. These projects integrate the skills you’ve developed throughout the program:

  • Defining and framing complex business problems
  • Developing systematic approaches using analytics
  • Applying appropriate methodologies and quickly prototyping solutions
  • Generating innovative solutions and communicating them persuasively

Through this hands-on experience, you’ll demonstrate your ability to transform data into actionable insights that drive organizational success. Recent capstone projects have included machine learning implementations for healthcare providers, customer segmentation analyses for retailers and predictive models for financial institutions.

Two students working at a startup

MSBA Online Program Career Growth

The Online Master of Science in Business Analytics program delivers exceptional career outcomes, with graduates launching successful careers across diverse industries and roles:

Data Scientist
at Booz Allen
Cloud Engineer
at Amazon Web Services
Executive Director
at JP Morgan Chase
Senior IT Analyst
at JP Morgan Chase
Senior Defense Machine Learning Engineer
at Octo
Business Operations Analyst
at Navy Federal Credit Union

With the skills you’ll develop in our Master’s in Business Analytics program, you’ll be qualified for high-demand roles including data scientist, analytics manager, business intelligence developer, data engineer and machine learning engineer.

Explore Careers

Foundations in Business Analytics Certificate

The Online Foundations in Business Analytics Certificate provides a strategic entry point to your analytics journey. Complete just three courses in five months to gain essential business analytics tools and skills that can immediately launch you into analytics-driven roles.

When enrolled in the William & Mary Online MSBA program, you’ll earn this certificate automatically within your first five months of study at no additional time or cost. This valuable credential enhances your resume and LinkedIn profile while you continue toward your full degree, giving you immediate leverage in the job market.

Learn More

The certificate consists of:

  • 12 credits
  • 3 courses
  • 2 programming languages
  • 100% online format

All credits earned in the certificate program seamlessly apply toward the full online business analytics master’s if you choose to continue your education.

Join a Diverse, Dynamic Learning Community at William & Mary

The William & Mary Online MSBA program brings together professionals from diverse backgrounds, creating a rich learning environment where you’ll gain insights not only from our expert faculty but also from peers with varied perspectives and experiences.

Take a look at the story told by our cohort demographics, and consider what you could learn not only from our Master of Science in Business Analytics program curriculum and faculty, but also from a diverse cohort of peers:1

37%
students of color
8 years
average work experience
35%
female
32
average age

This diversity creates invaluable networking opportunities and collaborative learning experiences that extend beyond the classroom. You’ll build connections with fellow analytics professionals while gaining exposure to different industry applications and approaches to data challenges.

More Than a Degree.
This Is Your Launchpad.

A William & Mary education is not just a degree but a unique connection to a tight-knit community of students, alumni, bold educators and driven, principled, connected leaders. Build your brand with a university known for breaking barriers, championing integrity and channeling academic grit since its inception.

The Raymond A. Mason School of Business imparts essential business knowledge and builds the dynamic mindset necessary to lead in today’s challenging and rapidly changing business environment. As an online graduate business student, you will:

✓ Graduate with the perspective to envision and enact positive change
✓ Access mentorship and experiential learning opportunities
✓ Receive personalized career support
✓ Build a lasting network to bolster your career for years to come

Download Program Brochure

This will only take a moment.
By clicking "Get Program Brochure" and submitting this form, I agree to receive text messages, emails and other communication regarding educational programs and opportunities, and to be contacted by William & Mary and Everspring, its authorized representative. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. Reply HELP for help and STOP to cancel. View our privacy policy and disclosures.

More Information

Explore Our Admissions Requirements

Learn about tuition and financial aid options

Schedule a conversation with an admissions outreach advisor

Discover career support for students and alumni

Contact us with your questions

Interested in Our Online Programs?

Jun
13
Priority Application Deadline
June 13
Fall 2025 Term
Jul
25
Application Deadline
July 25
Fall 2025 Term
Aug
25
Next Start
August 25
Fall 2025 Term
Schedule a Call
Start an Application
Sources
  1. Based on a limited sample of self-reported data from alumni of William & Mary’s Online MSBA program from graduating cohorts between 2021 and 2025
  2. Retrieved on May 5, 2025, from bloomberg.com/business-schools/william-and-mary-mason 
  3. Retrieved on May 5, 2025, from princetonreview.com/business-school-rankings?rankings=best-professors
  4. Retrieved on May 5, 2025, from www.bls.gov/ooh/math/operations-research-analysts.htm 
  5. Retrieved on May 5, 2025, from www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/market-research-analysts.htm 
  6. Retrieved on May 5, 2025, from money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/rankings/best-business-jobs 
  7. Retrieved on May 5, 2025, from www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/management-analysts.htm