The Online Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics is designed for students who desire a sequence of graduate-level courses that focus specifically on Business Analytics and that are delivered through an online instructional environment.

Business analytics—the management, analysis, and utilization of data in strategic, operational, and tactical decision making—is increasingly critical as businesses around the world seek out new areas of competitive advantage. In recent years, CIOs have identified analytics and business intelligence as top priorities for the competitiveness of their enterprises.

Lubar College of Business faculty use a vast array of business analytics software tools—including Business Objects, Excel Data Mining Client, Python, R, SAP BW, SAS, SPSS, SQL Server BI Development Studio—and other outstanding technologies and resources to deliver this program online to a worldwide audience. The curriculum includes predictive modeling, forecasting methods, data warehousing and data mining, web mining and analytics, marketing analytics, and customer relationship management.

Students who complete this certificate will gain a substantial competitive edge in pursuing a career as a business analytics manager, business intelligence consultant, business analytics systems analyst, business analytics solution architect, business intelligence specialist, business intelligence analyst, business intelligence developer, BI & reporting manager, data mining/reporting analyst, marketing analytics consultant, or online marketing analytics manager.

This program can be completed as a standalone certificate or in combination with a master’s degree program.

Admission Requirements 

Application Deadlines

Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.

Admission

Students currently enrolled in a UWM graduate program are eligible to earn the Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics. Persons not currently enrolled must apply for admission to the Certificate and must possess, at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree with an overall GPA of 2.75 or better.

Application

  • Students wishing to obtain this certificate must declare their intention by applying to the program office or director.
  • All graduate certificate applicants—even those already enrolled in a UWM graduate program—must apply to the Graduate School through the Panthera Admission Application.
  • Graduate degree and previously admitted graduate non-degree students who decide to pursue a certificate program must submit the Panthera application before completing 6 credits in the certificate sequence.
  • Applicants must possess a baccalaureate degree and have a minimum 2.75 cumulative undergraduate grade point average to be admitted into a certificate program.

Credits and Courses

BUSMGMT 709Predictive Analytics for Managers3
Select four courses from the list below:12
Business Forecasting Methods
Web Mining and Analytics
Big Data in Business
Marketing Analytics
Database Marketing
Machine Learning for Business
Business Intelligence Technologies & Solutions
R Programming for Business Analytics
Total Credits15

Additional Requirements

Transfer Credit

No more than 20% of the required credits may be taken at an institution other than UWM. These courses are subject to Graduate School transfer policy and must be approved by the director of the certificate program.

Grade Point Average Requirement

A minimum cumulative 3.00 grade point average in certificate courses taken at UWM is required.

Articulation with Degree Programs

  1. Credits and courses required for a certificate may double count toward meeting UWM graduate degree requirements subject to the following restrictions:
    • Degree programs must approve the courses from certificates that can double count toward the degree.
    • All credits taken in completion of certificate requirements may count towards a UWM graduate degree as long as they do not contribute more than 90% of the total credits needed to obtain the degree. (Note: Students in PhD programs must still complete the minimum residency requirements)
    • Certificate courses used toward meeting degree requirements must be completed within the time limit for transfer credit.
  2. Courses completed for a degree may be counted toward a subsequent certificate, subject to all certificate policy requirements.
  3. A course may count toward no more than one certificate and one degree.
  4. Students may not earn a certificate subsequent to a concentration in the same area.

Time Limit

Certificate program time limits shall be established as follows:

  • 18 or fewer credits/Three years from initial enrollment in the certificate sequence.
  • 19 or more credits/Four years from initial enrollment in the certificate sequence.

For certificates that are designed as add-ons to degree programs and are awarded concurrent with the degree, the time limit shall be the same as that of the degree program.