The MBA Certificate in Consumer Analytics and Insights is a response to a growing interest among businesses to use consumer rich data to make decisions.
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.
Overview
Students who earn the MBA Certificate in Consumer Analytics and Insights will be prepared to:
- Frame business problems in terms of consumers’ behaviors and decisions;
- Identify appropriate sources of data to examine how organizations’ actions affect relevant consumer decisions;
- Develop an understanding of relevant methods to select for data analysis;
- Identify and conduct the appropriate analyses to address the business problem using both consumer-level data and/or aggregate data sources; and
- Provide recommendations to address the business problem, supported by data and analyses, including developing decision support tools.
Upon graduation from the MBA Program, students will receive a notation on their official university transcript along with a certificate of completion.
Admissions
The certificate program is designed for and limited to enrolled McDonough MBA students. At the beginning of their second semester, Full-time and Flex MBA students are invited to participate through an application process. Flex students can also apply in their second year if they are graduating in the spring of their third year or later.
Admitted students who successfully complete the certificate requirements upon graduation will receive notation of this distinction on their official university transcript.
For more details, visit the Canvas Certificate Information page.
| MBA Class | Application Open | Period of Study |
|---|---|---|
| FX24 | Admissions now closed | Spring 2022 to Spring 2024 |
| FT23 | Admissions now closed | Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023 |
| FX23 | Admissions now closed | Spring 2022 to Spring 2023 |
Coursework
This 7.5-credit sequence of integrated MBA coursework* helps build an appreciation of how to provide insight into business problems using consumer data. Students will learn to identify appropriate sources of consumer data for the problems being addressed, select methods appropriate to the data, build decision support tools, and provide recommendations to address the business problem that are supported by data and analyses.
* The certificate requirements are subject to change.
Elective Requirements: 4.5 elective credits
- Customer Analytics (MARK 588, 1.5 credits): This course provides an introduction to the methods employed in customer-centric analytics and the resulting applications. The objective is to introduce students to techniques designed for analyzing behavior at the level of the customer and to examine the implications of the resulting insights on marketing strategies. OPIM579 (Analytics Advantage) is an approved substitute for this course.
- Data and Society (MARK 585, 1.5 credits): This course aims to provide students with a broader context for thinking about how businesses collect and make use of consumer data. It will address the complex and dynamic ethical, legal, and regulatory environments in the context of consumer data. In particular, we will look at issues of consumer privacy, company and government control of and access to consumer data, and the impact of algorithms on business decision making, consumer experience, and society as a whole. Students will be challenged to consider their own professional and moral responsibilities with regard to these issues.
- Practicum in Consumer Analytics and Insights (MARK 590, 1.5 credits): This course is designed to provide students with a hands-on experience in deriving insights through the analysis of consumer data. We partner with client organizations to solve a particular problem that they are facing. Examples of such problems may include evaluating salesperson performance, increasing customer retention or acquisition, and predicting future purchasing behavior. This course is only available to students enrolled in the certificate. Pre-requisite: MARK588 or OPIM579.
Elective Choice: 3 elective credits
- BADM-717 Data Visualization (3)
- BADM-745 Digital Advertising (3)
- MARK-551 Strategic Marketing Research (1.5)
- MARK-555 Applied Product Management (1.5)
- MARK-561 Customer Data Mining for Segmentation (1.5)
- MARK-570 Consumer Behavior (1.5)
- MARK-579 Leveraging Social Media (1.5)
- OPIM-557 Computer-Based Decision Support Systems (1.5)
- OPIM-563 Decision Theory Small Data (1.5)
- OPIM-578 Data Science for Bus Decisions (1.5)
- OPIM-579 Analytics Advantage (1.5)
- OPIM-654 Database Development and Management (1.5)
- OPIM-656 Applied Data Visualization (1.5)
- OPIM-668 E-Commerce & Social Networking (1.5)
- OPIM-573 Regression Modeling and Analysis (1.5)
- OPIM-579 Analytics Advantage (1.5)
*Off-list courses including non-MBA courses with approval of the certificate program director.
**This list of MBA electives serves as a guide. It is subject to change and does not represent a guarantee that specific courses will be offered in specific academic years.
Suggested Timeline of Courses Full Time Students:
Suggested Timeline of Courses Flex Students:
Event Calendar
The Consumer Analytics & Insights speaker series features young professionals who share their experience with analytics and insights to students enrolled in the certificate.
Upcoming Speakers
Stay tuned for future speaker events.
Past Speakers
Fall 2021
Kristina Moses – Brand Manager, Campbell Soup.
Yvonne Chiang (UG ’11) – General Manager & Senior Product Manager, ID.me.
Spring 2021
Bryan Christian (EP ’19) – Data Science Lead (Mission Data), Navy Federal Credit Union.
Fall 2020
Vanessa Lee (UG’ 11) – Shopping Solution Partner Manager at Instagram.
Stephanie Hannah (UG ’11) – Senior Director, Member Support Operations at Peloton.
Director of the Certificate
Simon Blanchard
Provost Distinguish Associate Professor and Dean’s Professor