Online Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics
Learn how to make informed, data-driven business decisions with Penn State's 9-credit online Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics. Learn how to apply data analytics to meet your organization's business objectives — and leverage this information to gain a competitive advantage.
The Penn State Difference
Offered in partnership with the Penn State Smeal College of Business, you can learn from the same faculty who teach in resident programs at Smeal, which is AACSB–accredited and consistently recognized by employers for having outstanding graduates.
Business Analytics Curriculum: More Than Predictive Analytics
The focus of the business analytics curriculum is to explore and analyze data to support data-driven business decisions through the complete spectrum of analytics activities:
- descriptive (what happened)
- predictive (what will happen)
- prescriptive (what should happen)
In addition to learning how to use optimization and forecasting techniques, you can gain a practical skill set to perform tasks in various areas of business, such as marketing, supply chain management, operations, and risk management.
The courses offer you the chance to build expertise in business analytics software such as:
- Microsoft Excel
- Power BI Desktop
- R
- RStudio
- Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)
- Solver (in Excel)
- Generalized Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS)
- Silver Decisions
Start with a Business Analytics Certificate and Step Up to a Master's Degree
The Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics consists of three courses from the Master of Professional Studies in Data Analytics – Business Analytics option. You can begin by pursuing the certificate, and then choose to continue and apply to the master's degree program. If you apply and are accepted to the master's degree program, you can apply the 9 credits from the certificate toward the degree.