MBA with specialisation in Data Analytics

As data-driven technologies increasingly influence business decision making, a question that has developed is whether future managers should pursue a master’s degree in Business Administration or Data Analytics. This programme is unique as it covers both areas of study, offering you the ability to develop your knowledge and capability to link data, business processes and decision making.

The MBA in Data Analytics is one of the specialisations in our Master of Business Administration programme offered at Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences to full-time and part time students, with a 'tech' background, from the Netherlands and around the world.

Students will develop expertise in business and the administration and management of data analytics so that you can work with big data and combine data science with business management. The industry is always evolving, so alongside our international team of lecturers, we partner with industry experts to ensure that the content of the programme meets the needs of today’s dynamic and competitive business environment.

We welcome students from science or tech academic backgrounds with a minimum of 3-years' professional work experience to apply for this programme. Having a background in business or management is not a prerequisite for admission. The programme is modular in nature, with the first semester designed to equip you with the foundations in management, supplying the tools you require to specialise further in the MBA in Data Analytics programme.

Course structure

The Wittenborg MBA is delivered in a block format, with 2 modules being covered every 6 weeks. The classes are inter-disciplinary - you study shared modules in semester 1 with MBA students from different business specialisations. Due to the rolling entry (6 times a year) groups are dynamic, extremely international and diverse.

The modules are delivered intensively over consecutive days in the so-called 'block format', which means that each module has 6 days of teaching split into two blocks of 3 days. Teaching methods include group work, case studies, presentations, and live projects. The course is delivered through a variety of approaches including lectures, presentations, tutorials and case studies, with an emphasis on interactive learning. Each module is taught by two lecturers, often a full time Wittenborg lecturer and a quest lecturer from a partner university. Modules include regular guest speakers from industry.

Areas of study

Management subjects address key issues of strategy, marketing, operations, human resources, accounting and financial planning, studied in parallel with deeper international corporate finance and investment modules. Options include consultancy and multi-unit management. Students acquire research skills, which they can apply to academic or industrial projects.

Syllabus

Semester 1

• Management Accounting & Finance
• Marketing Management
• Human Resource Management
• Operations Management
• International Management
• Information Management

Semester 2

• Artificial Intelligence in Business 
• Business Statistics
• Data Analytics & Visualisation
• Strategic Management 
• Data Management Ethics

Throughout the programme: Research Methods, 3 Project weeks, leading to the Final Project

Building an effective data analytics structure has become critical to the successful operation of modern business. This structure is an essential skill that cuts across all industries and business domains because of the integral role it plays in harnessing organisational information resources. There is a great need now in the industry for professionals who can merge specialist domain skills with data-analytics skills. Businesses have adopted big data structures merged with artificial intelligence systems to gain more valuable insights, improving decision making, business processes, and customer experience.

From Financial Services, Technology, right through to the Educational and Healthcare sectors, these new tools and technologies are transforming the business landscape, hugely benefitting the companies that have utilised them. To name a few, profiling customers, generating sales leads, enhancing engine operational efficiency, designing the supply chain, and optimising geolocational devices, these tools and technologies are being increasingly integrated and leveraged by the modern organisation. 

Businesses globally are currently investing substantial amounts in building their data analytics infrastructure and the requisite human talent to manage such systems. Even with the growth in this area, it is still in the early stages of development and can only continue to grow as these technologies become more widely adopted not just by top-flight companies, but by all companies down the value chain.

Some popular career paths for MBA graduates with a specialisation in Data Analytics include:

• Business Intelligence Analyst
• IT Systems Analyst
• Big Data Engineer
• Data Analytics Consultant
• Digital Marketing Manager
• Data Scientist
• Healthcare Data Analyst

MBA enhancing your career!

MBA graduates are often fast-tracked into senior management positions and this MBA programme has been designed for those who wish to pursue senior management positions or as preparation for further study in business, such as a DBA or PhD.

There are vast opportunities in today’s market for graduates in data analytics. This is an area of industry where there is a growing demand but a shortage of qualified skilled labour. This is why skilled professionals in this field are some of the most sought-after talents in the current business environment. As more businesses adopt a data-based, information-driven approach at all levels of the business process, the need for such services will only increase. The unique nature of programmes like this means that the skillsets and competencies developed can be applied in any industry and across all domains.

The MBA will further the careers of:

• Dutch or other EU graduates who are working in an organisation, managing people or processes, and looking to improve their career opportunities within their current employment positions. These students are supported by their employers and can study the programme part-time.
• Dutch, or other EU graduates who have been working in an organisation, managing people or processes and are looking for a full-time MBA programme that will increase their employability chances in an international market.
• International graduates in the Netherlands who have completed a bachelor’s degree and have worked in an organisation with responsibility managing people or processes, and are looking to improve their career opportunities, either at their current employer or in the search for a new opportunity.
• International students worldwide, from business or non-business fields, with a proven number of years managing people or processes within an organisation. These students are looking for an English-taught, internationally orientated MBA programme that can allow them to improve their career prospects in the job market either at home or in the Netherlands, either at their current employer or at a new organisation, and possibly to continue their studies at a higher level.

• a Bachelor degree or equivalent recognised qualification;

It is not necessary to have obtained a Bachelor degree from the domain of Business Administration.

• 3 years professional experience;

Applicants are requested to provide 2 reference letters from which at least one is a reference from a company or organization where they have worked before;

English Language Requirements

IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL Equivalent. Click here for an overview of the equivalent scores.
The TOEFL Code of Wittenborg is 4889.

With its work experience requirement, the admission requirements reflect the national requirements in the Netherlands for entry into a professional Master such as the Wittenborg MBA. The English language proficiency level requirement is ½ a point higher than the minimum national requirements in the Netherlands.

Selection procedure

There is no specific selection procedure for students wishing to enter the MBA, however non-EU (visa) students are “screened” according to their background, in order for the institute to be able to guarantee their immigration status.

The screening comprises of an interview, collection and correlation of all IND required documents, including proof of sufficient funds, taking into account any scholarships provided by Wittenborg (Orange Tulip Scholarship, for instance) or by third parties (NUFFIC, EU, etc).

Details on Scholarships at Wittenborg can be found at http://www.wittenborg.eu/wittenborg-financial-assistance.htm 

Applicants are required to provide a motivation letter in which they describe the reasons for choosing Wittenborg’s programme, as well as the reason for wanting to study in the Netherlands (international students). Student motivation is important as the programmes are demanding and especially for international students there is a criteria that they complete at least 50% of all their credits in a year.