Frequently Asked Questions

The Master of Science in Data Analytics (MSDA) is designed to help students prepare for one of the fastest-growing career fields globally, where supply does not meet demand and entry-level pay can be more than double what an average college graduate earns. The modern business world needs professionals with the skills to gather, analyze, and make data-supported decisions that drive corporate strategy and execution. This curriculum prepares students to excel in this growing field in many industries or business disciplines. Students can specialize in marketing analytics or supply chain management analytics.

The University of La Verne provides several distinct offerings that help program graduates rise above other candidates who earned their degree elsewhere:

• Our marketing analytics curriculum has been approved by SAS, the global leader in analytics software, training, and certification, and students will be awarded with a joint degree certificate upon graduation, making them even more marketable to employers
• We provide complimentary workshops to prepare our students to earn two analytics certifications upon graduation, another validation of skills to employers, who can have peace of mind that with certification our graduates will be well qualified and knowledgeable to perform a data analyst position with skill
• We offer small class sizes and a high faculty to student ratio
• We offer significant career and academic support, such as:
  • An academic advisor to smoothly get students through the program
  • A career advisor to help students network, and identify internship or post-graduation positions
  • Experienced faculty, many of whom have had successful business careers in addition to teaching
• We offer two specializations: marketing analytics and supply chain analytics
• The program is designed to be completed by full-time students in just 12 months, so they can get to work faster
• We teach tangible skills that help graduates secure high-paying jobs after graduation – almost twice the pay of an average college graduate
• Graduates join an esteemed community of other alumni and an academic history that stretches back more than 130 years

The admissions committee uses a rolling admission system and applicants are considered in the order that completed applications are submitted.

Tuition is competitively priced significantly below many other similar programs in the United States.

The 12-course curriculum is designed to be completed by full-time students in just 12 months, so you can get to work faster and with less cost.

The program has two starts: Fall Session 1 (August) and Spring Session 1 (January/February)

Due to the nature of the coursework, this curriculum is only taught in a traditional classroom environment and is taught at the university’s La Verne Campus as part of the College of Business.

With our curriculum, graduates will:

• Explore big data technologies and develop analytic skills to discover hidden insights
• Learn SAS procedures for basic statistical inference, time-series forecasting, and perform big data analysis using SAS programming
• Build a predictive model to see how digital analytics and social media analytics can be used for strategic planning
• Learn the fundamental concepts and methods of data mining including machine learning tools and techniques
• Know how to implement analyses of multivariate statistical methods for business problems using statistical programs such as SAS, Python, and R
• Understand data preprocessing methods for data cleaning, integration, dimension reduction, and transformation
• Learn the essentials of data-driven forecasting methods for supply chain operations and planning
• Develop conceptual and practical knowledge of how to develop performance measurement tools and assess marketing return on investment and channel efficiency

A strong proclivity in math, statistics, computer science, or other STEM coursework is encouraged but not required. The foundation courses a student must fulfill are determined by the program director’s review of the student’s undergraduate coursework and professional experience. If foundation courses are needed, they should be among the first courses taken.

Once in the program, an academic advisor will assist students in registering for classes in the right sequence and for the desired specialization of marketing analytics or supply chain analytics.

Before our students graduate with their master’s degree, we provide complimentary workshops to help them prepare for two analytics certification exams provided by SAS, the global leader in analytics software, training, and certification. This is a key program differentiator and an important distinction for prospective employers, as it provides validation that the graduate is knowledgeable in the subject matter required for a complex analytics career. SAS has approved the marketing analytics curriculum at the University of La Verne, another important factor for employers.

The two certifications students train for include:

• SAS Certified Advanced Analytics Professional using SAS 9
• SAS Certified Predictive Modeler using SAS Enterprise Miner

Yes, depending upon an applicant’s circumstances and qualification, our Office of Financial Aid will work with applicants to maximize financial support. The office can be contacted at: 1-800-649-0160 or finaid@laverne.edu.

Yes, we are a top university for those who are actively serving in the military. You can learn more about our military discount here.

At the University of La Verne, students will receive the support they need to complete their educational goals. Our academic advisors will meet with students regularly to plan course registration, keep them on track, and just check in. Students also will be assigned a career advisor who will ensure students have access to the university’s resources for business networking during the major and post-graduation, and to help identify internship and job opportunities.

CareerCast 2019 named data scientist as the No. 1 career field, with a median salary of $114,500. Entry-level data analytics employees earn an average of $90,888-$123,2350, according to Glassdoor, with the potential to more than double that as an experienced executive.