Predictive Analytics for Business

Catalog description

BAN 840 explores the use of predictive analytics tools and techniques throughout a wide range of business scenarios and problems. Initially focusing on the application of traditional predictive analytics techniques to answer the question, "What will happen in the future?", the course provides opportunities for students to apply regression and forecasting techniques to data from various business contexts to inform business leaders¿ decision. Later, students explore various software applications and techniques for acquiring, preparing, and analyzing "big data", recognizing and taking advantage of the exponential growth in the amount of structured and unstructured data generated by and available to businesses. The course next examines cutting-edge techniques gaining increased attention among analytics experts, including data mining, text analytics, and social media analytics. Finally, students will be given an overview of the future of predictive analytics, developing an awareness of artificial intelligence and machine learning concepts, such as neural networks, to help them advance their organizations¿ business analytics capabilities. Software packages, concepts, and business applications will vary and evolve to keep pace with technology, theory, and instructor interests.