BUSINESS ANALYTICS

The Business Analytics concentration is designed to cater to the growing demand for talent for managing, analyzing, predicting, and discovering insights from massive amounts of complex data (e.g., transactions, social networks, sensors, etc.) to solve business, social , and economic problems. According to many industry studies (e.g., McKinsey Global Institute), there is a need for 140,000 – 190,000 professionals with deep business analytics skills and a shortfall of 1.5 million data savvy business managers. This Business Analytics concentration provides a foundation in analytics by bringing together deep expertise in applied statistics, optimization, and decision theory to apply in different contexts, including market basket analysis, consumer behavior, social networks, recommendation systems, fraud and crime detection, healthcare fraud, supply chain, finance, security threats, etc.

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

The Information Management concentration focuses on developing business leaders who understand (1) how to leverage IT to create value via innovative information technologies or novel use thereof; and (2) the strategic, financial and economic implications of IT projects. This concentration provides a strong foundation so that students can articulate the strategic and business value of IT beyond an IT-centric view and develop the expertise required to manage global resources and projects enabled through IT. Finally, the concentration strives to provide an environment for students to develop entrepreneurial thinking and leadership skills through activities such as extracurricular case competitions and projects for local organizations.

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

MBA graduates with a concentration in Supply Chain and Operations Management have several career opportunities available to them. They are well prepared to work as supply chain analysts, project managers, logistics planners, operations consultants or as managers of manufacturing or service operations. Consulting firms also value the analytical skills that are developed in the area of supply chain management. This concentration can be particularly valuable when combined with skills in marketing or finance.

The Supply Chain and Operations Management concentration takes a strategic and application-oriented view of a firm’s operations and resources. In addition to the core course in operations, electives are offered in supply chain management, project management, supply chain analytics, and service operations management. A practicum course is also offered that affords students an opportunity to interact with the industrial partners of the University of Texas Supply Chain Consortium to solve real business problems.