Business Analytics Minor

Enhance any major — and gain a competitive career advantage — with a minor in Oakland University’s business analytics program.

Organizations in nearly every industry rely on business analytics to stay competitive. Today’s employers increasingly seek out personnel who can apply business analytics to drive decision-making. At Oakland University, you don’t need to earn a bachelor’s in business analytics degree to get the skills sought after in the job market and make an impact in your field. Our business analytics minor allows you to major in your primary field of interest, while acquiring the specific business analytics skills that will enhance your marketability and attractiveness to employers. With a minor in business analytics, you’ll be more prepared than ever to start off strong in your career after graduation.

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Organizations in nearly every industry rely on business analytics to stay competitive. Today’s employers increasingly seek out personnel who can apply business analytics to drive decision-making. At Oakland University, you don’t need to earn a bachelor’s in business analytics degree to get the skills sought after in the job market and make an impact in your field. Our business analytics minor allows you to major in your primary field of interest, while acquiring the specific business analytics skills that will enhance your marketability and attractiveness to employers. With a minor in business analytics, you’ll be more prepared than ever to start off strong in your career after graduation.

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Business Analytics Minor: The Oakland University Advantage

Oakland’s major in business analytics is a good option for many students, but it doesn’t fit everyone’s needs. The minor in business analytics allows you pair another major with specialized technical knowledge that gives you an edge in the job market.

The business analytics minor gives you access to:

  • Expert faculty. Our business analytics courses are taught by seasoned faculty, not teaching assistants or graduate students. You’ll benefit from their deep research and business-consulting expertise when it comes to planning for and making big decisions about your future career.
  • A high-value undergraduate program. Oakland University was named a Best Value Business School for Business Majors by PayScale based on the return on investment in your education. You’ll graduate with versatile credentials and high earning potential while taking on less debt than you would at other business schools.
  • Specialized facilities. You’ll experience first-hand how professionals use data science skills in their business analytics careers. Our Business Data Analysis Lab features a stock ticker; Bloomberg terminals with real-time financial data; and more than 20 workstations that provide access to specialized databases, data analysis software, current and historical reports on commodities, and more.
  • Undergraduate research opportunities. You’ll have the opportunity to work alongside faculty mentors on cross-disciplinary research in the Data Science and Big Data Analytics Center. Through this partnership, you can learn how to apply business analytics skills to solve real-world problems in biomedical sciences, engineering, finance, and other industries.
  • Industry-recognized specialization. You can distinguish yourself in the job market without the need for a certificate in business analytics by earning Tier 2 Academic Specialization in SAS Analytics. This credential is offered in partnership with SAS, a global leader in data analytics software. Through the SAS Analytics program, you can earn a digital badge that affirms your proficiency in data mining, visual data analytics, machine learning, and other business analytics operations employers value.
  • Exciting extracurricular activities. Learn outside the classroom by participating in student groups such as the Association for Information Systems and the Society of Operations Management. These organizations complement what you’ll learn as a business analytics minor by offering career-building benefits such as mentorship programs, networking events, and guest lectures.
  • A prime location. Oakland’s location in metro Detroit gives you exceptional opportunities for business analytics internships, summer jobs, and other real-world opportunities with major companies such as Ally Financial, DTE Energy, and Quicken LoansGain.

What Business Analytics Career Opportunities Will I Find?

No matter your field of interest, minoring in business analytics gives you a competitive advantage in the job market after graduation. Informed, data-driven decisions are more crucial than ever for organizational success, so graduates with business analytics skills are in high demand in industries such as automotive, education, financial services, health care, human resources, and marketing.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects jobs in this field to grow faster than average in the coming years, with opportunities projected to increase by as much as 27% by 2026. You can use the minor in business analytics to pursue jobs such as: 

  • Business systems analyst
  • Clinical data analyst
  • Data scientist
  • Financial analyst
  • Management analyst
  • Market research analyst
  • Marketing analyst
  • Operations research analyst
  • Statistical analyst
  • Survey researcher

If you need extra help finding a career in business analytics or another field that’s right for you, you can rely on the School of Business Administration’s dedicated career services staff. They specialize in providing guidance about post-graduation plans to undergraduate business students as you prepare to enter the job market.

Business Analytics Courses: What You’ll Learn

You can tailor your coursework in Oakland University’s business analytics minor to make the program relevant to your major. Marketing majors may learn new ways to use social media to segment and target a customer base. Students in human resources management can find out how to predict whether an employee is likely to find success at a company. Accounting majors work out how to detect fraud by analyzing financial statements and transaction data. And operations management undergraduates could discover the most effective ways to build a call center staffing schedule or design a new distribution center.

A sampling of business analytics courses that count toward the minor include:

  • Applied Linear Models
  • Financial Derivatives
  • Forecasting
  • Introduction to Data Science
  • Management Science
  • Operations Analytics
  • Practical Computing for Data Analytics
  • Web Analytics

Minor in Business Analytics Program Resources

Learn more about Oakland University’s business analytics minor through the following resources:

Areas of Study Related to the Business Analytics Program

If you’re still trying to decide which undergraduate major will pair best with the business analytics program, you might want to look into some of the following degrees:

If you have further questions, reach out to one of our undergraduate college admissions counselors to talk in more depth.