Originally published in Carroll Capital, the print publication of the Carroll School of Management at Boston College. .
In 2020, the Carroll School鈥檚 Operations Management Department changed its name to Business Analytics, reflecting what John and Linda Powers Family Dean Andy Boynton referred to as a 鈥渢sunami鈥� in business as well as management education. The field of business analytics continues to balloon, fueled by the proliferation of digital technologies, including enormous amounts of customer data available to companies. Meanwhile, the number of Carroll School students choosing one of three concentrations offered by the department (Business Analytics, Operations Management, and Information Systems) has grown by more than five-fold over the past decade. The department has drawn nationwide notice, with the undergraduate program currently by U.S. News and World Report. Still, many people have basic questions about this phenomenon.
Business Analytics Professor Ji艡铆 Chod
What is Business Analytics?聽
For businesses hoping to stay relevant in an increasingly technological world, data is integral. Business analytics is not only the use of statistical, mathematical, and computer science techniques to聽understand and analyze this data, but also the process of communicating findings. An analyst equipped with the tools to understand and interpret complex data can 鈥渉elp organizations make informed decisions and find data-driven solutions to problems,鈥� says Ji艡铆 Chod, the Business Analytics Department chairperson and professor. This isn鈥檛 an industry, though. Business analytics classes prepare students to work across industries. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about taking messy data and making it readable for someonewho isn鈥檛 a data expert,鈥� says Madeline Cort茅s, assistant director for undergraduate career advising. All that helps firms understand customers better.
What can you do with these skills?聽
While the skills can be applied broadly, 鈥渢hey are critical for anyone wishing to start their career as an analyst,鈥� Chod says. Jane Ewald 鈥�20, a growth analyst at Grubhub, planned to go into marketing, but pursued business analytics as a co-concentration after learning how it could benefit her career. 鈥淎s an analyst with a background in marketing, I鈥檓 able to work on strategy聽and campaign creation, but also have a secret ingredient, which is data,鈥� she says.
Jane Ewald '20
Who's taking these Carroll School courses?聽
Everyone. All undergraduate students take three courses in the Business Analytics Department to equip them with the foundational components. This means every student is 鈥渆xposed to essential programming languages in the context of statistical analysis, machine learning, and data management,鈥� says Chod. Ewald adds that the curriculum teaches 鈥測ou how to look at the nitty-gritty of the data and also how to look at the big picture of what it means and why it is important.鈥� The courses are also finding their way into other departments, with classes like Data Analytics in Finance.
How else are students getting exposed to this field?聽
Cort茅s facilitates events through the career advising office, where students can ask alumni questions and inquire about opportunities. After graduation, the students find a welcoming job market, says Chod, noting that 83.5 percent of 2023 graduates with one of the department鈥檚 concentrations secured a job within a month of graduating, with an average starting salary of $90,787.
