The University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Business will be adding two new concentrations to the MBA program: Business Analytics and Financial Accounting Data Analytics. Graduate certificates may also be completed in each of these areas.
The MBA concentration in Financial Accounting Data Analytics addresses an area of documented need for graduates of Finance and Accounting programs statewide. “Firms need accounting and finance people with analytical skills, and not just in audit and financial statement analysis,” Dr. Mark Funk says. “The demand for analytics is growing in tax, consulting, real estate investments, risk management and other areas within the accounting and finance professions.” The concentration will help students fill these gaps.
Many accounting students statewide fall short of the 150 academic hours for a CPA designation, and want something less than a 30-plus hour master’s program to fulfill those requirements. For those individuals, the 17- to 20-hour graduate certificate in financial accounting analysis is a great option.
The MBA concentration in business analytics will prepare students for a career in the fast-growing field of data analysis. “The MBA concentration in Business Analytics can help you differentiate your career readiness by developing technical skills in the use of analytics tools, such as Watson analytics and Tableau, and using evidence- based decision making relevant to all areas of business,” says Dr. Robert Mitchell. “The report of the Blue Ribbon Commission on the Economic Competitiveness of Data Analytics and Computing in Arkansas indicates that Arkansas is outpacing U.S. growth in most data analytics and computing-related occupations. The Business Analytics program can help you move into this growing career path.” These courses also apply to the graduate certificate in business analytics.
To learn more about the Graduate Certificate in Financial Accounting Data Analytics, please visit: https://ualr.edu/economics/graduate-certificate-financial-data-analytics/
To learn more about the Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics, please visit: https://ualr.edu/bis/business-analytics/
