Business Analytics, B.S.

Program Overview

General Notes

• A minimum of 123 credits are required for graduation.
• Credits earned for COM 100 and MAT 100 do not count toward the 123 credits required for graduation; however, COM 100 students may petition for elective credit.
• Where appropriate, courses required for the major can be used to satisfy General Education requirements. However, the credits earned for these courses are applied to either Gen Ed requirements or the major, not both.
• Paths of Knowledge coursework may count towards major or minor requirements, but may not fulfill a second Mid-Level Liberal Arts Exploration requirement.
• Students are expected to follow the catalog requirements for General Education, the major, and additional requirements.
• A minor or second major within the areas listed under Paths of Knowledge automatically fulfills that area of the Gen Ed requirements.
   

Major Notes

Business Analytics students will:

• Demonstrate proficiency in applying business analytics tools to solve real-world problems.
• Exhibit strong ethical reasoning and decision-making in business scenarios.
• Integrate knowledge across functional business areas to develop strategic solutions.
• Communicate effectively using data visualization and storytelling techniques.
• Apply critical thinking to evaluate and interpret financial, operational, and market data.
• Collaborate in diverse teams to address organizational challenges.
• Demonstrate knowledge of global business trends and their implications for local and regional markets.
   

To graduate with a Business degree, students must:

• Have earned and maintain an overall grade point average of 2.0
• Have earned 60 credits
• Earn a “C” or higher in BUS 101, BUS 206, BUS 207, and the math course taken to fulfill the General Education requirement
• Complete a 75 Hour Experiential Learning Graduation Requirement for all business majors.

Please consult with your academic advisor for more information.
 

Curriculum: Major Requirements

Business Core (30 credits)

    • BUS 101: Financial Accounting*
    • BUS 206: Management Principles*
    • BUS 207: Marketing Principles*
    • BUS 200: Managerial Accounting OR BUS 250: Accounting Principles
    • BUS 315: Data Analytics & Information Systems
    • BUS 342: Business Law
    • BUS 410: Financial Markets
    • BUS 411: Financial Decision Making
    • BUS 426: Strategic Management
    • MAT 208: Introductory Statistics OR MAT 209 Probability and Statistics

* Must earn a grade of "C" or better
 

Business Analytics Courses (18 credits - online)

• BUS 260: Data Visualization and Storytelling
• BUS 361: Predictive Analytics and Forecasting
• BUS 363: Machine Learning for Business Analytics
• BUS 365: Big Data and Business Intelligence
• BUS 466: Prescriptive Analytics and Decision Modeling
• BUS 468: Operations Analytics

Related Area (9 credits)

    • COM 344: Writing for the Workplace
    • ECON 248: Macroeconomics I
    • ECON 249: Microeconomics II

High Performer Development Series (3 credits)

    • BUS 251: High Performer Development Series I
    • BUS 351 High Performer Development Series II
    • BUS 451 High Performer Development Series III*

*With department chair approval, transfer and/or adult education students may take BUS 452 to fulfill this requirement.

Recommended Courses (Optional)

    • BUS 441: Cooperative Education in Business I
    • BUS 442: Cooperative Education in Business II

 

Career Outlook

A Bachelor of Science in Business Analytics will set you up for careers in:

• Business Analytics
  • Business Analyst
  • Business Intelligence (BI) Consultant
  • Analytics Manager
  • Financial/Marketing/Supply Chain Analyst
  • Strategy Consultant

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of financial analysts is projected to grow 9 percent from 2023 to 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations. The median annual wage was $101,910 in May 2024.
 

• Data Analytics
  • Data Analyst
  • Data Scientist
  • Data Engineer
  • Machine Learning Engineer
  • Quantitative Analyst (in finance)
     

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of data scientists is projected to grow 36 percent from 2023 to 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations. The median annual wage was $112,590 in May 2024.
 

Experiential Learning Opportunities

• In the John R. Post Center at Reading CollegeTowne, our business lab and Bloomberg Terminals provide financial real time, historical data, market moving news and analytics.
• The O'Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship provides a support system that can elevate aspiring and existing entrepreneurs as well as provide experiential learning opportunities for students, clients and mentors. Services
  are delivered through an integrated network of partners, mentors, staff and student expertise. Fields include accounting, business development, communications, digital design, engineering and marketing.
• The Future Business Leaders of America, Inc. (FBLA) is the largest business career and technical student organization in the
  world. FBLA Collegiate is the collegiate division of FBLA and is dedicated to inspiring and developing the next generation of
  leaders by preparing members for careers in business and business-related fields.
   

Opportunities for Majors

Bloomberg Terminal

Alvernia University students have access to the Bloomberg Terminal, located in the John R. Post Center at Reading CollegeTowne. The Bloomberg Terminal provides real-time and historical data, market moving news, and analytics to help leading business and financial professionals worldwide make better informed investment decisions. The university’s subscription to the Bloomberg Terminal will enable students to become family with tools used in financial services while reinforcing classroom theory.

O'Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship

The O’Pake Fellows Program provides high-achieving undergraduate and graduate students at Alvernia University with the ability to work hands-on with entrepreneurs, small businesses, regional partners, and faculty in a truly unique manner. The highly qualified students that enter the program are provided with numerous hours of professional training and mentoring to prepare them to work with our clients. Do you have a business idea? If so, you can work directly with the O'Pake Institute's highly qualified staff to start, grow and launch your business before you graduate from Alvernia.

Phi Beta Lambda

Phi Beta Lambda provides opportunities students to develop vocational competencies for business and office occupations and business teacher education. The specific goals are to promote competent, aggressive business leadership, understand American business enterprise, establish career goals, encourage scholarship, promote sound financial management, and develop character and self-confidence and to facilitate transition from school to work. The Alvernia College PBL Chapter has won many awards on both state and national levels. In competitions, the Alvernia PBL Chapter regularly participates in state and national workshops and conferences, is active in campus projects and completes community service projects.
 

Internship Opportunities

Internship placements for our students have included Citizens Bank, Walt Disney World, Rohm & Haas, Vanguard, GVA Smith Mack, Haines & Kibblehouse, US Department of Treasury, US Department of Finance, Stroehmann/Maier’s Bakery, Webb Insurance, InRoads, Reading Royals, Olsen/DeTurck, Philadelphia Eagles, Cott Beverage, Four Seasons Produce, Morgan Stanley, Ernst & Young and the Camden Riversharks.
 

The Washington Center Experience

Alvernia students have an opportunity to earn college credit by spending a semester or summer in Washington, D.C. where they serve as interns in a congressional office, government agency, major corporation, newspaper or news network, or agencies devoted to legal affairs, international relations, or business and economics. Participants are customarily juniors or seniors who have achieved grade point averages of 2.5 or better and who have the endorsement of the appropriate academic area. In addition to their internship, students select one seminar dealing with the arts and humanities, communication, public policy, the legal system, business, and government. Interested students should see their academic advisor.
 

Delta Mu Delta

Delta Mu Delta is a business honor society that recognizes and encourages academic excellence of students to create a community that fosters the well-being of its individual members and the business community through lifetime membership.

Accreditation Statement

Alvernia is an accredited institution and a member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
 

Get to Know Your Faculty

For more information about Alvernia’s Business Analytics program contact the Admissions Office at 610-796-8269 or admissions@alvernia.edu. Or reach out directly to Business Department Chair Tufan Tiglioglu at 610-796-8278 or tufan.tiglioglu@alvernia.edu. To see a list of lecturers in the College of Business, Communication, and Leadership, click here.