Welcome!MSBA

New Student Orientation

August 20, 2019

Academic Structure on UMD Campus

Smith Business School

Decision, Operations and Information Technologies

MSBA ProgramMSIS Program

Who am I ?

Program Director, UG minor in Business Analytics

Academic Director, MSBA

Academic Director, Online MSBA

Dr. Frank Alt

Who are you?Country of citizenship (n=92)• China – 49 (53.3%)• India – 22 (23.9%)• Taiwan – 13 (14.1%)• U.S. – 5 (5.4%)• Hong Kong – 1 (1.1%)• Uzbekistan – 1 (1.1%)• Vietnam – 1 (1.1%)

Who are you? (cont’d)GenderFemale – 45 (48.9%)Male – 47 (51.1%)

?

Who are you? (cont’d)

GMAT GREAverage (Total Score) 670 319Average (Verbal Percentile) 61.3% 65.5%Average (Quant Percentile) 81.8% 86.9%

GMAT Total, GRE Total

720

700

680

660

640

620

GM

AT

To

tal

Boxplot of GMAT Total

330

325

320

31 5

31 0

GR

E T

ota

l

Boxplot of GRE Total

What is Business Analytics?

“The process of BA makes extensive use of data, statistical and quantitative analysis, explanatory and predictive modeling, and fact-based management to drive decision making.”

That results in a competitive advantage (Clearing the Confusion: The What and Why of Business Analytics, Information Management, 2010)

“ You can have data without information,

but you cannot have information without data”

D.K.Moran (American science fiction writer and computer programmer.)

CRISP - DM

MSBA Curriculum – Effective Fall 2019Fall 2019 (9 credits)• BUDT 758Q Data, Models, and Decisions (3cr CORE) • BUDT 758Y Database Management Systems (3cr CORE)• BUDT 758P Decision Analytics (3cr CORE)

Spring 2020 (11 credits)• BUDT 758V Operations Analytics (2cr) Term D • BUDT 758X Data Processing and Analysis in Python (3cr)• BUDT 758B Big Data and AI for Business (3cr)• BUDT 758T Data Mining & Predictive Analytics (3cr CORE)

Fall 2020 (10 credits)• BUDT 758L Price Optimization and Revenue Mgmt. (3cr)• BUDT 758W Capstone Project in Operations Analytics (3cr)• BUDT 758F Google Analytics (3cr)• BUDT 758A Business Communications (1cr)

Program Goals• Comprehensive training in data analysis and data-based managerial

decision making;• An in-depth training on methods and tools of contemporary statistics, data

analytics, and big data;• Expertise on modern computational data analysis techniques such as data

mining, Monte Carlo and discrete event simulation;• Comprehensive training in foundations and methodology of quantitative

managerial analysis;• Strong background on spreadsheet based modeling, optimization

fundamentals and techniques;• Strong hands-on training in data handling and data base management

Software Skills• R• Python• Excel Solver, Solver Table, Palisades Decision

Tools• SQL• Data Visualization (such as Tableau)• Big Data Framework (Hadoop)

Smith Masters Business Analytics Association (SMBAA)

• Student-run club Enhance the academic, professional and social experience of MSBA students.

• President: Bing Wu• Provide networking opportunities and activities including:

Advanced Python and Machine Learning Techniques Workshops

Can this be your career path?Grade of A in BUDT758Q

Can you become:Assistant DeanMBA & MS Programs

Academic Integrity

Honor Code“I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this assignment/examination.”

Academic Integrity (cont’d)

ScenarioProfessor assigns HW problems from book where solution manual is available. Student uses solutions manual to answer HW.Academic Dishonesty?

Academic Integrity (cont’d)Academic Dishonesty?A) Cheating – intentionally using or attempting to

use unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise.

B) Plagiarism – intentionally or knowingly representing the work or ideas of another as one’s own in any academic exercise

Academic Integrity (cont’d)Scenario“Let’s check our answers to the homework assignment.”

Academic Dishonesty?

Academic Integrity (cont’d)

When in doubt, ask your professor!