The University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business is adding a fully online component to its part-time M.S. in Business Analytics program.
Starting in the fall, students will be required to complete 10 graduate level hours of coursework, as well as participate during weekly online discussion sessions. In-person classes are offered in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids.
“This is a new path to earn a degree through our part-time Master’s in Business Analytics Program, one that provides the flexibility that students tell us they want,” said Ann Campbell, executive officer for the business analytics department, in a statement.
The college had offered the master’s degree and a certificate in business analytics through in-person classes until the COVID-19 pandemic forced classes entirely online in 2020. When in-person classes resumed in Fall 2021, Ms. Campbell said 83% of the 376 students enrolled preferred to continue online.
Analysts believe growth in the field will continue to soar. It is projected the need for business analytics experts will jump by 16% in Iowa in the coming decade, according to the press release.
The business analytics program was awarded the UPS George Smith Prize in October in honor of the department’s expertise in preparing students for careers in the field. Ranganath Nuggehalli, the principal scientist of operations research at UPS, spoke during the lecture ceremony touting the company’s innovative ORION routing system which recalculates individual package delivery routes throughout the day as traffic conditions, pickup commitments and delivery orders change.
The UI part-time MBA program was named the number one part-time program in Iowa for the 13th year in a row in March, according to a U.S. News & World Report ranking. It is ranked #36 nationally.
Part-time MBA programs are assessed by U.S. News with a combination of data points that include peer assessment, average GMAT/GRE scores, average undergraduate GPA, years of work experience and percentage of full-time vs. part-time MBA program enrollment. Statistical data was collected fall 2021 and early 2022.
The University of Iowa also released a $2.4 million phase one proposal to renovate 3,800 square feet of Hardin Library of Health Sciences during a presentation to the Board of Regents.
