12
months
Program Duration
Our efficient program is designed to teach you skills and get you employed.
About the Program
Become a high-impact business analytics leader.
The MSBA–BA at Virginia Tech combines a rigorous business core with hands-on analytics training, preparing graduates to become high-impact business analytics leaders in any industry.
In today's data-driven world, a strong foundation in analytics is essential for any business professional looking to excel. The Master of Science in Business Administration – Business Analytics (MSBA–BA) at Virginia Tech prepares graduates to turn raw data into strategy, insight, and competitive advantage.
This program is built for students from all academic backgrounds who understand that a company's data is only as powerful as the analyst tasked with its interpretation and communication—and who are ready to become high-impact analytics leaders.
Business Analytics Master's Degree in the U.S.
The MSBA–BA program was ranked #20 among master's in business analytics programs by TechGuide for 2026.
The MSBA–BA at a glance
Program snapshot
30
credit hours
Curriculum
A 15-hour business core and 15-hour analytics core.
9
months
Capstone Project
The extended, multi-semester capstone simulates real-world conditions.
50–70
students
Cohort Size
Intentional cohort size enables dedicated, individualized coaching by faculty.
One campus. One cohort. Real-world impact.
A cohort-based experience built around real work
The MSBA–BA is a 12-month, in-person program on Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus. You'll learn alongside 50–70 peers from diverse academic backgrounds—engineering, liberal arts, business, and beyond—building a professional network that starts on day one and lasts a career.
Cohort community
Attend every class together, study together, and support each other through an intensive year. Post-graduation, you immediately gain a professional network of 60+ analytics professionals working across the country and abroad.
9-month corporate capstone
The cornerstone of the program: interdisciplinary teams of 4–5 students tackle real projects with strategic importance to corporate sponsors like NASA, Leidos, Advance Auto, Norfolk Southern, and Lockheed Martin. You'll deliver a professional consulting report and present findings directly to sponsoring executives.
Career-ready coaching
Faculty and industry mentors provide individualized support across every dimension of your job search—resume preparation, interview coaching, career counseling, networking strategy, offer negotiations, and targeted introductions to hiring managers.
Everything about the program—the cohort, the capstone, the coaching—is designed with one goal in mind: helping you land an excellent job and launch an excellent career.
Every industry runs on data. Few people know how to lead with it.
Why business analytics — and why now
Organizations across every sector are swimming in data, yet the gap between collecting information and acting on it continues to grow. They need leaders who can bridge that divide—professionals who combine technical skill with business judgment and the communication ability to drive real decisions.
The MSBA–BA helps you make that leap by strengthening both your analytical toolkit and your business fluency—so you can step confidently into roles where data shapes strategy.
From raw data to real decisions
Master quantitative modeling techniques for descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics—and learn state-of-the-art data visualization principles so your insights land with every audience.
From any major to analytics leader
Whether your background is in engineering, liberal arts, or business, the MSBA–BA meets you where you are and builds the technical and strategic skills employers demand. Every cohort is intentionally interdisciplinary.
From classroom to boardroom
A 9-month corporate-sponsored capstone project puts you on real teams solving real problems for organizations like NASA, Leidos, and Lockheed Martin—building a portfolio and professional network before you graduate.
In just 12 months, you'll develop the project management, consulting, and communication skills expected of high-impact business analytics leaders—ready to drive outcomes from day one.
Class of 2025
Employment outcomes
97.5%
Placement Rate
Percentage of employed 2025 MSBA–BA graduates.
$74k
Median Salary
Median salary of 2025 MSBA–BA graduates.
$5k
Median Bonus
Median sign-on bonus of 2025 MSBA–BA graduates.
A focused, efficient analytics degree.
What you'll study in the MSBA–BA program
The MSBA–BA is designed for efficiency and impact. Across 30 credit hours, you'll complete a 15-hour business core and a 15-hour analytics core—including two courses dedicated to a corporate-sponsored capstone project that anchors the entire experience.
Business core — 15 credit hours
Build the language and tools of business so you can speak confidently with executives, stakeholders, and cross-functional teams.
- Accounting and financial decision-making
- Managerial statistics and data literacy
- Principles of finance and investment
- Organizational behavior and team dynamics
- Marketing strategy and brand stewardship
Together, these courses give you the business fluency to read a budget, defend an investment, and connect analytical insights to organizational outcomes.
Analytics core — 15 credit hours
Develop the technical and strategic skills that set business analytics leaders apart from general analysts.
- Descriptive analytics and data visualization
- Predictive modeling and machine learning
- Prescriptive analytics and optimization
- Project management and consulting skills
- Corporate-sponsored capstone project (two semesters)
The extended, 9-month capstone project is the cornerstone of the program—placing interdisciplinary teams on real projects with corporate sponsors like NASA, Leidos, Norfolk Southern, and Lockheed Martin.
Across the curriculum, applied learning connects classroom concepts directly to the professional challenges analysts and leaders face every day in the real world.
Key Program Features
Admission
The program considers students from all majors. Our cohorts have included students with undergraduate degrees in Engineering, Music, Fashion Merchandising, Public Policy, and more. We are seeking students with good communication skills, an interest in analytics, and a willingness to work hard to develop technical skills. As a result, each MSBA-BA cohort is interdisciplinary and well-positioned to bring a diverse set of perspectives and experiences to curricular and capstone work. Learn more about admission →
Duration
The program is only 12 months long. Many other master's programs focused on business analytics take 2 years to complete. Our students are immersed in a comprehensive, intensive program that prepares them for professional roles in analytics in less than one year.
Curriculum
The program's curriculum is efficient and focused. We require the completion of 30 credit hours total, consisting of 15 hours of business courses and 15 hours of analytics courses, including two courses focused on our corporate-sponsored capstone project. Students learn quantitative modeling techniques for descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics as well as state-of-the-art data visualization principles and techniques. Moreover, students develop project management and consulting skills expected of high-impact business analytics leaders. Learn more about our curriculum →
Capstone Projects
The program centers on the 9-month capstone project. This is the cornerstone activity of the MSBA-BA program. Interdisciplinary teams of 4-5 students work together on real-world corporate projects that have significant strategic importance to our corporate sponsors. Previous and current corporate sponsors include NASA, Leidos, Advance Auto, Norfolk Southern, Lockheed Martin, and many other organizations. Students’ final deliverables include the preparation of a professional consulting report summarizing their findings and recommendations as well as a formal presentation to executives of the sponsoring organization. Learn more about capstone projects →
Cohorts
The program is cohort-based. Admitted students will attend most, if not all, of their classes together. This creates an environment of mutual support and success. Post-graduation, you immediately gain a professional network of 60+ students working in your field. Our alumni base is strong and growing, with talented professionals working in a wide variety of industries and companies across the United States and abroad.
Employment Coaching
The program is designed to help you find an excellent job. Our faculty have connections to a variety of industry-leading companies and provide coaching on all aspects of the job search process. You will receive personal mentoring from seasoned business executives on all aspects of your professional development, including giving and receiving feedback, resume preparation, interview coaching, career counseling, networking, job offer negotiations, and help with targeted business contacts.
Learn more about the MSBA-BA degree by hearing from Grant Bommer, alumnus of the program:
Learn More
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