MSc Business Intelligence and Analytics
This course addresses the need to propel information-gathering and data organisation, and exploit potential information and knowledge hidden in routinely collected data to improve decision-making. The course is technology focused, and stretches the data mining theme to the broader agenda of business intelligence.
You will focus on developing solutions to real-world problems associated with the changing nature of IT infrastructure and increasing volumes of data, through the use of applications and case studies, while gaining a deep appreciation of the underlying models and techniques. You will also gain a greater understanding of the impact technological advances have on nature and practices adopted within the business intelligence/analytics practices, and know how to adapt to these changes.
Course content
Embedded into the course are two key themes. The first will help you to develop your skills in the use and application of various technologies, architectures, techniques, tools and methods. These include warehousing and data mining, distributed data management, and the technologies, architectures, and appropriate middleware and infrastructures supporting application layers. The second theme will enhance your knowledge of algorithms and the quantitative techniques suitable for data analysis and mining in a broad range of application areas. The project consolidates the taught subjects covered, while giving you the opportunity to pursue in-depth study in your chosen area.
Core modules
Data Mining • Postgraduate Project Module • Research Methods and Professional Practice • Statistics and Operational Research
Option modules
Business Optimisation • Computing for Business and Management • Database Languages • Data Management and Repositories • Data Warehousing and OLAP • Project Management • Risk Modelling and Simulation for Business and Industry • Web Mining
Teaching approaches include lectures, tutorials, seminars and practical sessions. You will also learn through extensive course work, class presentations, group research work, and the use of a range of industry standard software such as SAS, SPSS, iThink, Simul8, MS SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services and Oracle Data Mining Suite.
Taught modules may be assessed entirely through course work, or may include a two-hour exam at the end of the year.
Length of course
One-year, full-time or two-year, part-time
Location
Central London (Cavendish)
Fee band
Fee band 1, see fees spreadsheet
Associated careers
Graduates can expected to find employment as consultants, decision modelling or advanced data analysts, and members of technical and analytics teams supporting management decision making in diverse organisations. Typical employers include local authorities, PLCs (such as GlaxoSmithKline, Prudential, Santander and Unilever), public sector organisations (such as the NHS and primary care trusts), retail head offices, the BBC, the Civil Service, and the host of banks, brokers and regulators that make up the City, along with all the specialist support consultancies in IT and market research and forecasting, all of whom use data for the full range of decision making.
Entry requirements
You are expected to already have quantitative skills, with an interest in developing these further to support postgraduate activity in analysing, evaluating and reporting on a range of real-world data-intensive problems. You will have a suitable Honours degree from a UK university (or equivalent qualification) in a scientific or engineering discipline with some exposure to the use of IT, or in an area of computer science or IT with a strong interest in quantitative analysis. If you do not have a formal qualification, but you are already in employment, you may be considered if your role involves the data mining and decision support techniques and technologies deployed in the course. If your first language is not English, you will need an IELTS score of 6.5 or equivalent.
