The Bachelor of Science in Business Analytics major (STEM-designated) will cover the essential business concepts and skills to allow students to understand business strategies, objectives, and operations. It will provide students with in-depth knowledge and technical skills on how to collect, process, analyze, visualize, and ultimately make sense of large amounts of business data for better decision-making for a wide variety of organizations and industries. In addition to these skills, students will be able to formulate important insights from data analysis and visualization to communicate and support business insights and findings.
To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the liberal studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.
The full policy can be viewed here.
In addition to University Requirements:
Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.
| Minimum Units for Completion | 120 |
| Highest Mathematics Required | MAT 121 |
| Additional Admission Requirements | Required |
| University Honors Program | Optional |
| AZ Transfer Students complete AGEC-B | Recommended |
| Progression Plan Link | View Progression Plan |
Purpose Statement
The Bachelor of Science in Business Analytics major will provide students with in-depth knowledge and technical skills on how to collect, process, analyze, visualize, and ultimately make sense of large amounts of business data for better decision-making for a wide variety of organizations and industries.
The business analytics major will cover the essential business concepts and skills to allow students to understand business strategies, objectives, and operations. In addition to these skills, the major will include the necessary skills for students to be able to technically prepare, explore, and analyze data. Students will formulate important insights from data analysis and visualize data to communicate and support business insights and findings. Additionally, all students will complete a certificate offered by the W. A. Franke College of Business. The completion of this certificate will provide flexibility in the major and the opportunity for students to pursue their passions and strengths.
Graduates of the business analytics major will obtain skills and experience in tools and applications such as Microsoft Excel, Tableau, RapidMiner, and Power BI. These tools allow for the preparation, analysis, and visualization of data. Additionally, they will learn to use Python programming to technically handle business analytics and decision-making. Depending on the certificate completed, students can use and learn additional analysis tools. They will also learn how to work with and query databases and data warehouses and how to mine and acquire data. Additionally, students will learn experimental A/B tests and apply appropriate statistical concepts and techniques to perform valid and valuable analyses. Students will also learn how to interpret findings and results and how to professionally communicate their findings to their intended audiences.
Within the business analytics major, students will learn by completing projects and applying concepts and skills to business problems. They will work with a variety of data and datasets to practice and apply their learning. They will have opportunities to make decisions in simulation tools, as well as work with real business problems and organizations. They will experience organizing and presenting findings and conclusions. Students will have learning experiences using data and results to support and justify their decisions and conclusions.
This degree could prepare students for one of the following jobs:
Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
Admissions to Northern Arizona University qualifies you for admission to the preprofessional program in The W. A. Franke College of Business. You must meet the following requirements to enter our professional program.
This major requires 73 - 82 units distributed as follows:
Business Analytics Coursework (58 - 61 units)
Certificate or Business Elective Coursework Requirement (15 - 21 units)
Select one of the following options.
Certificate Requirement Option (15 - 21 units)
Students enrolled in this plan may not enroll in or pursue the following due to the number of overlapping units:
Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.
You may take these remaining courses from any of the academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or liberal studies requirements.
We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.
All transfer credits must be approved by the FCB and are subject to guidelines listed in the current general catalog. The FCB does not accept upper-division transfer credits from programs not accredited by the AACSB (such as the University of Phoenix or the Bachelor of Business Administration program at NAU-Yuma).
Students must complete the following courses at the FCB: BAN 486C (Capstone Experience) and the junior writing requirement (if filled by MGT 350W (Business Communication)). Students who satisfy the junior writing requirement with ENG 302W (Technical Writing) must complete that course at Northern Arizona University.
You must have completed all of the coursework used to fulfill these requirements within the last 10 years.
Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.