MBA Certificate in Consumer Analytics and Insights

The MBA Certificate in Consumer Analytics and Insights is a response to a growing interest among businesses to use consumer data to make decisions. For example, Amazon.com analyzes clickstream data to improve their user interface and increase their revenues. Hospitality companies based in the Washington, D.C., area, such as Hilton, Marriott, and Choice Hotels, collect extensive data from their loyalty program members, and they can use this data to better serve and retain their guests. And it is not just companies who need data like these – increasingly, agencies and nonprofits are paying attention to consumer analytics. For example, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), also based in the D.C. area, uses analytics to target their members with offers and compute the impact of relevant policies and legislation on their members.

Yet, while these rich sources of consumer data provide unparalleled opportunity to decision makers to improve their interactions with consumers, they also introduce significant risk and responsibility to managers. Recently publicized data breaches and questionable use of data to target consumers reinforce the role of regulators and consumers, as well as organizations, in managing consumer data.

Students who earn the MBA Certificate in Consumer Analytics and Insights will be prepared to identify sources of data to examine how an organization’s actions affect relevant decisions, select suitable methods to analyze these data, and understand the risks involved. Through a series of courses, hands-on consumer analytics projects, and events allowing them to engage with experts, students will learn how to manage consumer analytics projects and translate the results into strategic insights. These events will include invitation-only speaker events, and other events on campus, as well as events hosted by federal agencies and D.C.-based firms and organizations.  

The certificate coursework builds on core MBA coursework by teaching students more about sources of customer data and methods that can be applied to analyze consumer data.

Faculty 

Associate Professor Simon Blanchard

Director of the Certificate in Consumer Analytics and Insights
Courses: Analytical Problem Solving, Digital Advertising

Professor Rebecca Hamilton

Course: Consumer Behavior

Professor Bob Thomas

Courses: Practicum in Consumer Analytics and Insights, Marketing Analysis and Customer Strategy, Customer Data Mining for Segmentation

Professor Luc Wathieu

Courses: Customer Analytics, Leveraging Social Media, Strategic Marketing Research

Assistant Professor Neeru Paharia

Course: Data & Society