MBA in Business Analytics: Syllabus, Subjects and Books

Master’s of Business Administration in Business Analytics is a new and emerging discipline in business. In this regard, the syllabus of such MBA programs is closely related to the conventional MBA courses in the beginning. But, they are different as the course approaches its closure.

The subjects you will learn in this course include big data management, business analytics, data modelling, qualitative and quantitative methods, to name a few. Besides the core subjects such as Marketing and Operations, HR Management remains a part of its syllabi. 

Semester-Wise MBA in Business Analytics Syllabus

MBA in Business Analytics is a new discipline in business. And, more and more institutions are currently developing their curriculum for it. However, a standard MBA degree in Business Analytics is of 2-years and divided into 4 semesters. 

In this regard, the following are the MBA in business analytics subjects divided into a semester-wise tabular format:

Semester 1:	Semester 2:
Quantitative Methods	Operations Management
Managerial Economics	Financial Management
Management Information Systems	Financial Analytics
Marketing Management	Human Resource Management
Financial Accounting	Research Methods
Data Modelling	Business Intelligence
Organisational Behaviour	Stochastic Modelling
Statistical Analysis	Optimization Analytics
Computational Methods	Corporate Communication
Semester 3:	Semester 4:
Predictive Analytics	Big Data Analytics
Risk Management	HR Analytics
Data Mining	Operations and Supply Chain Analytics
Marketing Analysis	Strategic Management
Simulation Modelling	Legal and Ethical Aspects of Analytics
Analytics Systems Analysis & Design	Project Management
Professional Development	Professional Development
Elective Paper(s)	Elective Paper(s)

It is also important to understand that not all of these subjects may occur under the same semester. Some institutes focus only on core courses in the first and second semesters and only introduce data and analytics related courses in the latter part of the curricula. 

List of Subjects for MBA in Business Analytics

The MBA in Business Analytics Subjects includes a variety of core subjects such as Finance, HR and Marketing, as well as data analytics subjects such as Big Data management, Marketing Analytics, among others. 

The following list contains the wide range of subjects you may have to learn if you’re an MBA in Business Analytics aspirant:

Subjects	About the Subjects
SEMESTER 1
Quantitative Methods, Research Methods	This course teaches you about the various methods to perform quantitative research.
Managerial Economics	This course clears out your fundamental concepts on economics of business,
Management Information Systems	This teaches you how to use a management software to streamline back end operations.
Marketing Management	This teaches you the fundamentals of marketing management and the theories around marketing.
Financial Accounting, Financial Management, Financial Analytics	This course teaches you the core concepts of financial accounting required in a business
Data Modelling, Stochastic Modelling, Simulation Modelling	This course is highly specialised and teaches you how to form models from data insights.
Organisational Behaviour	This course on organisation behaviour teaches you how employees behave in a corporate hierarchy.
Statistical Analysis	This coursework teaches you how to leverage statistics for business process optimisation.
Computational Methods	This course provides you with tools to understand computational methods that help a business strive in this new age digital world.
SEMESTER 2
Operations Management	This course teaches you the fundamentals of operations management.
Human Resource Management, HR Analytics	You will learn how to manage employee relations and recruit talent particular to your field through this subject.
Business Intelligence	You will learn how to understand and use the insights gained from diurnal business operations.
Optimisation Analytics	You will learn how to maintain an optimal level of seamless business operations in the back end in this course.
Corporate Communication, Professional Development	You will learn the soft skills to communicate under a high pressure professional setup.
SEMESTER 3
Predictive Analytics	You will learn how to use the data and the insights to provide predictions on the future business decisions.
Risk Management	This course teaches you how to manage risks that your business might face in the near future.
Data Mining	You will learn how to scrape and vault massive data from the internet using command line and programmatic softwares.
Marketing Analysis	You will learn how to understand the market systems and analyse the consumer behaviour in each market sector.
Analytics Systems Analysis & Design	This course teaches you how to understand, apply and design relevant business systems that make processes effective.
SEMESTER 4
Big Data Analytics	You learn how to manage and use large volumes of data for company gains and make processes more efficient.
Operations and Supply Chain Analytics	You will learn the core concepts of operations and supply chain management with the use of analytics softwares to make this process seamless.
Strategic Management	You will learn how to use business strategies to make the most out of your products or services.
Legal and Ethical Aspects of Analytics	You will learn all the laws and regulations effective in the corporate environment.
Project Management	You will learn how to manage a project from the start to its deployment.
Product Management	You will learn how to manage the entire life cycle of a product launched by a business.

This is not an exhaustive list. Moreover, there is also a wide range of elective subjects that you can opt from too. 

These subjects may include Big Data Analytics, Brand Management, Machine Learning and Deep Learning for Businesses, Business Intelligence, Business Modelling, Strategic Thinking and Decision Making, Risk Analytics, to name a few. Most top B-schools in India try to maintain a vast pool of elective choices for the MBA aspirants to opt from. 

Subjects in MBA Business Analytics First Year

The subjects in MBA Business Analytics for the first year include core MBA subjects and the fundamentals of business analytics. The list of subjects for MBA in business analytics are as follows:

SEMESTER 1: In the 1st semester of pursuing an MBA in Business Analytics you will learn the core courses in management. These include subjects such as financial accounting, managerial economics alongside courses such as Statistical Analysis and Computational Methods.	SEMESTER 2: You will be introduced to subjects such as research methods, business intelligence, optimisation, etc. You will also learn a few core subjects such as corporate communications, HRM, operations and financial management.
Quantitative Methods	Operations Management
Managerial Economics	Financial Management
Management Information Systems	Financial Analytics
Marketing Management	Human Resource Management
Financial Accounting	Research Methods
Data Modelling	Business Intelligence
Organisational Behaviour	Stochastic Modelling
Statistical Analysis	Optimization Analytics
Computational Methods	Corporate Communication

A few of these subjects are a part of the core and a handful of them are elective subjects depending on the institution and the duration of the course offered. 

Subjects in MBA Business Analytics Second Year

While most of the core subjects of MBA in business analytics are taught in the first 2 semesters of the course, the second year is crucial to the degree. This is the period where electives can be opted for and a more in-depth study of analytics methods are carried out:

SEMESTER 3: In the 3rd semester of MBA in Business Analytics you will learn how to design analytics systems and market analysis. It also includes subjects such as risk management, predictive analysis and data mining.	SEMESTER 4: This is the last semester of the course. You will learn business regulations, strategy, and analytics used in businesses during this phase. You will also gain industry exposure during this phase and work on real time projects.
Predictive Analytics	Big Data Analytics
Risk Management	HR Analytics
Data Mining	Operations and Supply Chain Analytics
Marketing Analysis	Strategic Management
Simulation Modelling	Legal and Ethical Aspects of Analytics
Analytics Systems Analysis & Design	Project Management
Professional Development	Product Management

Elective Subjects for MBA in Business Analytics

The following is the list of a few elective subjects that you can opt for if you are an MBA in Business Analytics aspirant:

Business Forecasting

Business Analytics and Intelligence

Business Optimization

Artificial Intelligence & Deep Learning

Data Analytics

Supply Chain Analytics

Marketing Analytics

Social Media Analytics

Social Entrepreneurship

Sports Analytics

Model-Business Decision

Infrastructure Development

Indian and International Perspectives

PPPs and Regulation

Corporate Valuation

Digital Marketing

Research for Marketing Decisions

Brand Management

Entrepreneurship in Action

Personal Values, Goals and Career Options

Creating High Performance Organisations

Green Business Management (ESG)

Supply Chain Management

Technology and Operations Strategy

Global Securities Markets

Strategic Thinking and Decision Making

Indian Economy and Policy Matters for Business

Reinforcement Learning

Corporate Governance

Moreover, the exact range of elective subjects depend on the institution as well as the duration of the MBA programme being offered. 

MBA in Business Analytics Syllabus of Top Management Colleges in India

The MBA in Business Analytics syllabus of Top Management Colleges in India covers a mix of subjects such as Marketing, Operations, Finance, Statistical Methods, Human Resource Management, Organisation Design, similar to conventional MBA degrees. 

Besides, it also allows you to explore subjects such as Artificial Intelligence & Deep Learning, Multivariate Data Analysis, Business Optimization, Business Intelligence and Forecasting, Model-Business Decision, Supply Chain Analytics, Marketing Analytics, Digital Marketing, Strategic Thinking and Decision-Making, Brand and Product Management, Research Methods for Business Analytics, Big Data, among others. 

Institutions such as IIM Bengaluru, IIM Calcutta, NMIMS Mumbai are among the top B-Schools in India that provide a MBA degree in Business Analytics. A few of these subjects are a part of the core and a handful of them are elective subjects depending on the institution and the duration of the course offered. 

Best Books for MBA in Business Analytics

There are a wide range of affordable books that you can buy and study from at your own pace. These books encompass various aspects of pursuing an MBA in Business Analytics. A few of these books have been listed in the table below:

Sl No	Name of Book	Author/Publisher	About the Book
1	Business Analytics for Decision Making	Regi Matthew  Pearson Publication	This is a beginner friendly book that outlines the fundamental aspects of Business Analytics. It is quite easy to read and follow.
2	Business Statistics: A First Course	David M. Levine, David F. Stephan Pearson Publication	This is a beginner friendly book that elaborates the technical concepts of using statistical methods for daily business operations.
3	Managerial Economics: Analysis, Problems, Cases (An Indian Adaptation)	Lila J. Trueet, Dale B. Truett  Wiley Publication	This book encompasses the several analytical methods used at the Indian Industries and resolves various cases with fruitful insights any MBA aspirant can learn from.
4	Strategic Analytics: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review	Eric Siegel, Edward L. Glaeser, Cassie Kozyrkov, Thomas H. Davenport Harvard Business Review	This book contains industry leading strategic insights into various international business processes. It is usually updated regularly to address the new techniques being used in the market.
5	Data Science For Business: What You Need To Know About Data Mining And Data-Analytic Thinking	Foster ProvostTom Fawcett O'Reilly India	This is one of the most comprehensive books on the use of data across a variety of disciplines in business including business analytics and testing business models and statistical methods.

Hence, if you are an MBA in Business Analytics aspirant, you can take up any of the books mentioned above and read it. This will help you understand the discipline better and make your MBA journey a positive experience. Moreover, MBA in Business Analytics also has its alternatives. Should you be interested only in data analytics, you can also take up other professional certification courses related to that field.