Business Analytics (MSc)

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Course Overview
Key Facts
Course Outline
Why Choose This Course?
Course Fees
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Sinead Jacobsen - MSc (Business Analytics) Student Rakshith Gowda - MSc (Business Analytics) Student Denis Dennehy - MSc (Business Analytics) Programme Director Bill Schmarzo - CTO of Hitachi Vantara Business Information Systems Talks Postgraduate Open Day

Course Overview

The MSc. in Business Analytics provides students with the skills and knowledge to manage and develop business analytics within organisations. The programme is designed as a specialist course, which assists students in blending their existing talents with the technological skills and business knowledge needed to use and manage big data and business analytics in modern knowledge-based organisations.

The programme is a taught Masters programme and consists of lectures, workshops, guest lectures from industry experts, and hands-on technology tutorials. Modules are assessed via continuous assessment, written assignments, applied projects and written examinations.

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Programme learning outcomes

Upon completion of the MSc. Business Analytics, students will have acquired industry-standard skills and in-depth knowledge to:

Understand and be able to use specific IT which is used in developing business analytics.
Analyse and solve business problems using applied data analytics tools and techniques.
Understand and apply techniques for managing Information Technology in organisations.
Identify, analyse and solve applied problems in individual and team-based settings.
Apply effective decision making to global business problems.

Business Analytics Class 2019–20

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Applications and Selections

Applications are made online via the NUI Galway Postgraduate Applications System.

Who Teaches this Course

Requirements and Assessment

Semester One exams: December.

Semester Two exams: April/ May.

A range of assessment methods are integrated and assessed throughout the programme. These include projects, reports, presentations, and case studies.

Key Facts

Entry Requirements

Applicants should normally hold

a qualification from a university or other internationally recognised academic institution or authority, corresponding to Level 8 of the Irish National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), to a minimum standard of Second Class Honours (or equivalent).
IELTS score of 6.5 or equivalent, if applicable.
The qualification must include an element of quantitative techniques, for example, graduates of Business Studies, Engineering, Computer Science, other Sciences, Mathematics or other courses that have some quantitative content.

Additional Requirements

Duration

1 year, full-time

Next start date

September 2021

A Level Grades ()

Average intake

100

Closing Date

Please refer to the offer rounds/closing date webpage.

NFQ level

Mode of study

Taught

ECTS weighting

Award

Masters

CAO

Course code

1MBY1

Course Outline

The MSc. Business Analytics consists of 90 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System). All modules are worth 5 ECTS, with the exception MS5103 Business Analytics Project (30 ECTS).

Semester I

MS805: Database Systems
MS806: Business Applications Programming
MS5104: Decision Theory & Analysis
MS5105: Statistical Techniques for Business Analytics
MS5107: Business Modelling & Analytics

Elective Modules (a total of 10 ECTS is required)

MG557: Strategic Management (5 ECTS)
MS804: Systems Development & Project Management (5 ECTS)

Semester II

MS802: Information Systems Strategy and Innovation
MS809: Enterprise Systems
MS810: Information Systems Security & Ethics
MS810: Advanced Applications Programming
MS5106: Data Science & Big Data Analytics
MS5108: Applied Customer Analytics
MS5103: Business Analytics Project (Group Project)

Career Development & Student Support

Students are encouraged to actively avail of the career and personal support services that is provided as part of the MSc Business Analytics programme and the wider university.

Workshops tailored for business analytics students include:

Masterclass talks - Representatives from companies including Pramerica, AIB, An Garda Síochána (Irish police service), and the Analytics Institute of Ireland discussed the benefits/challenges of embedding analytics in an organisation and the importance of management skills.
Cross-cultural communication skills workshop (Accredited and facilitated by the Irish Council for International Students).
Navigating graduate recruitment in Ireland.
CV writing and interview preparation.
Building a professional online profile using Twitter and LinkedIn.
A dedicated student support advisor for business school students.
Employer and career events organised by the NUIG Careers Office throughout the year.

Curriculum Information

Curriculum information relates to the current academic year (in most cases).
Course and module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Glossary of Terms

Credits: You must earn a defined number of credits (aka ECTS) to complete each year of your course. You do this by taking all of its required modules as well as the correct number of optional modules to obtain that year's total number of credits.
Module: An examinable portion of a subject or course, for which you attend lectures and/or tutorials and carry out assignments. E.g. Algebra and Calculus could be modules within the subject Mathematics. Each module has a unique module code eg. MA140.
Subject: Some courses allow you to choose subjects, where related modules are grouped together. Subjects have their own required number of credits, so you must take all that subject's required modules and may also need to obtain the remainder of the subject's total credits by choosing from its available optional modules.
Optional: A module you may choose to study.
Required: A module that you must study if you choose this course (or subject).
Required Core Subject: A subject you must study because it's integral to that course.
Semester: Most courses have 2 semesters (aka terms) per year, so a three-year course will have six semesters in total. For clarity, this page will refer to the first semester of year 2 as 'Semester 3'.

Year 1 (90 Credits)

Why Choose This Course?

Career Opportunities

The MSc (Business Analytics) provides students with the skills and knowledge to manage and develop business analytics within organisations. It has been designed as a specialist programme to fill the 17,000 additional jobs in Business Analytics that will be created in Ireland over the coming years (Expert Group on Future Skills Needs in Ireland). The programme is also aligned with Ireland’s National Skills Strategy 2025 by placing a strong focus on providing skills development opportunities that are relevant to the needs of learners, society and the economy.

Graduates have found employment in:

‌ Business Analytics MSc Employer Cloud V2

Graduate Roles:

Data Analyst
Business Analyst
Credit Risk Analyst
Computer Analyst
Operation Specialist
Global Customer Master Data Analyst
Supplier Implementation Associate
Tax Technologist
Business Modeller
Senior Business Analyst
DevOps & Security Consultant
HR Reporting Administrator

Learn More -Business Analytics Infographic

J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics MSc Business Analytics Merit Scholarship

NUI Galway is offering two merit Scholarships for the MSc in Business Analytics commencing September 2021; one scholarship up to the value of 50% of the EU tuition fees and one scholarship up to the value of 50% of the non EU tuition fees.

For more information: business@nuigalway.ie. Please note that to be considered for this merit based scholarship, applicants must be accepted to their chosen programme, have achieved a H1 (or international equivalent) in their primary degree and must complete an online Scholarship Form. An individual student can only be in receipt of one Scholarship or fee waiver at any given time.

Masterclasses

Examples of speakers in Business Analytics:

Speaker Name	Title	Affiliation
Lorcan Malone	CEO	Analytics Institute of Ireland
Dr. Gurchand Singh	Head of Garda Síochána Analysis Service	An Garda Siochana (Irish Police Service)
Bill Schmarzo	CTO	DellEMC Global Services
Paul Cashman	Business Analytics Manager	AIB (Financial Services)
Peter McCrystal	Data Scientist	Pramerica (Financial Services)
Pamela Devins	Career Development Consultant	NUI Galway
Dr. Patrick Mikalef	Research Fellow	Norwegian University of Science & Technology, Norway

Education in Ireland Blog:

Manish at NUI Galway tells us more about the benefits of choosing Ireland, Galway and MSc Business Analytics. Click here to read his blog.

Programme Director Dr Denis Dennehy is committed to Inclusive Teaching and Learning Practice, and the MSc (Business Analytics) received the NUI Galway Inclusive Teaching Team Award. More info>>

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Who’s Suited to This Course

Learning Outcomes

Work Placement

Study Abroad

Related Student Organisations

Course Fees

Fees: EU

€10,000 p.a. 2021/22

Fees: Tuition

€9,776 p.a. 2021/22

Fees: Student levy

€224 p.a. 2021/22

Fees: Non EU

€18,000 p.a. 2021/22

EU Postgraduate students in receipt of a SUSI grant – please note an F4 grant is where SUSI will pay €2,000 towards your tuition. You will be liable for the remainder of the total fee. An F5 grant is where SUSI will pay TUITION up to a maximum of €6,270. SUSI will not cover the student levy of €224.

EU Postgraduate fee breakdown = EU tuition + student levy as outlined above.

Note to Non EU students: Learn about the 24 month Stayback Visa here.

Find out More

Programme Director
Dr Denis Dennehy
E: denis.dennehy@nuigalway.ie

Programme Administrator
Ms Melissa O’Hea
T: +353 91 492 308
E: BIS@nuigalway.ie

Quick Links

Feedback from Industry

Bill Schmarzo | CTO, IOT and Analytics, Hitachi Vantara Honorary Professor

I was impressed with the quality and thoroughness of the NUI Galway's MSc (Business Analytics) program and the enthusiasm of the students. Not only does the program teach the important fundamentals of business analytics, big data and data science, but they encompass that learning within a broader design thinking approach that seeks to get the most out of every student. The success of the program speaks for itself in the number of students who are placed in high positions of responsibility at some of the leading companies throughout Ireland and the EU.

Paul McCartney | Head of HR at ANAM Technologies

Our solutions have a heavy reliance on our ability to rapidly process data and deploy cutting-edge BI Analytic tools to our Mobile Operator clients. A great deal of this critical analytical work has been achieved by utilising the skills and competencies of students who we have hired from NUI Galway’s, MSc in Business Analytics. We have found the students from this course ideally suited to working within the Anam product portfolio. All the students we have hired present an in-depth knowledge and excellent understanding of Business Analytics and related tools. This has enabled them to transition into the commercial world quickly and add immediate value to the Company. Having access to students from this progressive course has greatly helped the Company succeed in this key area and we look forward to hiring many more of these excellent students on an annual basis.

Lorcan Malone | Chief Executive of Analytics Institute of Ireland

The NUIG MSc In Business Analytics is a hugely impressive programme. The combination of expert tuition with deep industry engagement means that programme graduates will be highly sought after by leading employers in the sector

Eddie Morris | Support Team Manager, Cloud Product Support, SAP

Graduates from the MSc. in Business Analytics come to us with an industry-ready skillset; they have the right blend of business and IT skills we are looking for. In our experience at SAP this means these graduates hit the ground running adding value to our organization from day one. The graduates we hired from this course impressed at interview describing in detail the outcomes and deliverables of the projects they were involved in. They continue to impress with their ability and capacity to learn and contribute.

Neha Tyagi | Senior MI Analyst, Ulster Bank

The MSC. Business Analytics is a world-class course that is taught by qualified academics and researchers. It provided a positive student experience that included (i) international exposure to work with people from different countries, (ii) practical assignments, (iii) teamwork, and (iv) developing my communication skills.

Meet our Students

Faheem Azhar | MSc Business Analytics Scholar 2020-21

My goal as a Business Analyst is to help guide businesses in improving the processes and services with the help of IT tools and data analysis.  As I belong to a middle-class family, it was nearly impossible for me to manage the huge cost of my study abroad. I am extremely grateful for the Merit Base Scholarship opportunity provided by the NUI Galway. Their overall process to apply for the scholarship was straightforward forward and the Business department was always there to answer my questions regarding that.  The teachers and the students are very cooperative. The content covered in the courses especially the programming and analytics-related courses is tailored from a basic level, which is very handy for someone like me who came purely from a business background.

Leanne Ming Yuet Tang | MSc Business Analytics Scholar 2020-21

I choose to pursuit a MSc in Business Analytics because I really enjoy what I learnt during my FY of BComm. Despite the pandemic, NUIG has endeavoured its best to provide an accessible learning and collaborative environment for students using online platforms. In this course, I expand my knowledge in advanced analytics that contribute to today’s AI driven society. With well-structured programme materials and lecturers’ enthusiasm, I really enjoy my learning. As a result, I would strongly recommend this course to potential newcomers who are interested in the technical field.

Mark Towey | MSc Business Analytics Scholar 2020-21

The MSc in Business Analytics at NUIG gave me the ideal platform to start my career in analytics. Coming from a non-IT background I was nervous about the technical aspects of this course but I received excellent tuition and all staff and students on the course were extremely helpful and friendly. Learning programming languages such as Python, R and C# became my favourite modules of this course. There was a real emphasis on how we can use these technical skills to solve business problems and develop insights that businesses can act upon. The major project was a great experience in how to deal with a real-world business problem. We combined everything we had learned throughout the course to complete this project and I learned a lot from it. On reflection of the last year, it was a fantastic experience and I would encourage anyone to apply for this course as you gain a well-rounded education of all facets of business analytics. I am confident that I now have the technological skills and business knowledge needed to use and manage big data and business analytics in a modern organisation.

Meet our Graduates

Emma Marlborough | HRIS Analyst at Facebook

I found the course is well designed to accommodate students of various backgrounds. My HR background has been complemented with new technological skills. Being given the opportunity to work with a client for my capstone project equipped me with essential consultancy experience, learning first hand about business challenges when using analytics.

Jonathon Lawlor | Business Intelligence Analyst at ANAM Technologies Ltd

The programme provided fundamental topics such as Decision Theory and Analysis, Applied Customer Analytics and exposure to cutting-edge disruptive technologies. The emphasis and encouragement to develop fundamental skills including, (i) reflective and analytical thinking, (ii) communication, and (iii) leadership have already been and will continue to be used for the rest of my professional career.

Adrian Egan | Global Customer Master Data Analyst, MSD

The MSc in Business Analytics in NUI Galway offers great opportunities for people from diverse educational or professional backgrounds. It has an excellent blend of business and technical subjects that are in high demand by employers.

Anamika Parashar | Assistant Vice President at Citi

Although I had worked in financial services prior to pursuing my masters at NUIG, this programme enabled me to develop effective communication skills, understanding of business problems and being able to translate that problem into a solution using business analytics. The MSc in business analytics has greatly enhanced my analytical, programming and research skills, which enabled me to secure a position as technology Business Analyst, Citi Group.

Ahmed Elwardany | Business Insights Manager at LetsGetChecked

This programme enriched and developed my technical and business skills. It provided a solid foundation for transitioning my career towards business analytics through a blend of theoretical and practical learning activities. It was both a challenging and enjoyable journey that truly embraced cultural diversity in a friendly and supportive environment.

Rakshith Gowda | SAP/Tableau/Python/Cloud technologies Analytics developer

The pedagogy practised ensures that the course learning outcomes are met through hands-on activities using technologies such as SAP Business Intelligence, Amazon Web Services, Tableau, IBM SPSS, and SQL, R, and JAVA programming languages. Gaining experience as a Research Assistant LERO | The Irish Software Research Centre gave me an opportunity to work on an analytics-oriented research project between Dell Technologies and Lero.

Orla McHugh | Data Analyst at ESB

The M.Sc. in Business Analytics enabled me to gain a broad insight into the diverse areas within business analytics and to develop technical skills such as data mining and predictive analysis, which has enabled me to thrive in the analytics industry.

Sughosh Harve | AWS | DevOps | Kubernetes

I found the programme to be well structured and I liked the way it was presented in detail every week. I thoroughly relished every aspect of the course be it assignments, group work or the camaraderie with lecturers and my fellow classmates. I found the workshops and guest lectures conducted during the course of the programme to be very insightful.

Vernon D’Souza | Senior Data Analyst | Financial Services

“The inter-cultural experience, good rapport with lecturers, and modules that were structured to have a balance between business and technical domains with gradual exploration of deeper concepts such as decision making, statistics, data visualisation and project management are just a few of the many positive aspects of the MSc Business Analytics programme.

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