Master of Business Analytics: Empowering students for a data-driven future

In today’s ever-evolving job market, the quest for employment peace of mind is a pressing concern for many professionals. Fortunately, the University of Auckland offers a source of reassurance. The Master of Business Analytics programme comes as a cornerstone of personal growth for students, equipping them with both the theory and practice needed to thrive in the real world. The programme seeks to hone analytical skills and foster effective communication, providing further job security across diverse industries.

Leo Paas, Master of Business Analytics Programme Director, comments,

“The Master of Business Analytics at the University of Auckland provides a fantastic starting point for your career in one of the fastest growing fields in business and in the public sector.

“Graduates go on to pursue diverse and exciting careers both in New Zealand and internationally. There are frequent opportunities to liaise with industry on the programme and to work with 'live' clients to address real-life business analytics challenges.”

The Master of Business Analytics programme has a specialised curriculum encouraging a hands-on approach as students engage with real clients, confronting real industry challenges. This can be seen in the final project of the course, which is based on the resolution of existing business problems to help bridge the gap between theory and application. This gives students the opportunity to develop a nuanced understanding of what goes into the contemporary business landscape.

James Savory, an alumnus of the programme and Business Intelligence Analyst, attests,

“I felt that the added stakes of working on an applied industry project with real-world impact would motivate me to supercharge my focus and therefore learning, as well as provide an excellent opportunity for me to break into the New Zealand FinTech market.”?

Distinguished by its three specialisations–Marketing, FinTech, and Supply Chain Management–the Master of Business Analytics programme offers students a skill set tailored to meet the demands of wherever they may begin their journey.

In the FinTech track, you’ll focus on business cases and harnessing machine-learning tools for financial problem-solving. Giving you everything you need to confidently manage financial projections and portfolio optimisation. This sets graduates up for jobs in business analysis for accounting and consulting firms, buy-side fund management, investment banking, start-ups, and non-profit organisations.

Under the Marketing specialisation, you’ll gain a thorough understanding of customer and market trends, which will assist in securing a career as a consultant, customer insights officer, database analyst or business insights executive, amongst other potential roles.

As for Supply Chain Management, students under this specialisation will sharpen their logistics management, quality control, risk assessment as well as planning and forecasting. Students taking this specialisation will be prepared to pursue a career as a supply chain business analyst, consultant, forecast analyst, optimisation executive or business insights executive.

Beyond specialised proficiency, the programme enhances the development of collaboration skills, enabling graduates to build connections with industry professionals. This allows students to seamlessly prepare for the transition from academic study to the world of work. The emphasis on fostering a sense of independence ensures that graduates emerge as diligent, capable professionals. Through a head-to-toe understanding of data sources, storage and statistical techniques, graduates should expect to be well-equipped to take on anything the industry throws their way.?

Integral to the curriculum is the training of key tools and programs such as Python, R and SQL, along with essential business software including MS Excel, MS Project, SPSS and Power BI, which are indispensable across various analytics roles in New Zealand. This technical groundwork acts as a springboard for students to dive into advanced specialised knowledge and evolve their awareness of current technologies and business practices.

As Concordia Xu, former student and current PwC data analyst, affirms,

“From a tech aspect, the programme taught me a lot of useful skills, such as SQL, Python, R and Power BI. From a soft skills aspect, the most important one I gained was the ability to learn quickly. We had a lot of team projects in this programme, so when I encountered any issue or took on a new project, I learned how to pick things up quickly and efficiently.”

The programme also instils in students a recognition of social, cultural, and environmental responsibilities, emphasising the significance of the principles present in the Treaty of Waitangi. They will develop awareness of sustainability considerations, thereby recognising the importance of environmental consciousness within the world of business analytics.

The Master of Business Analytics programme serves as a transformative stepping stone for aspiring professionals within their chosen fields. It will not only empower graduates to emerge as industry-ready leaders, but they’ll also carry a sense of confidence in their workforce abilities. As the global landscape continues to evolve, the University of Auckland wants to motivate the next generation of trailblazers to make the most of their careers.

In the words of former student James Savory,

“My advice to anyone considering this programme is to just do it! Take advantage of how multi-faceted the programme is. Make the most of the availability of the lecturers. Their domain knowledge is excellent, so make full use of it.”