Key information
Duration: 1 year full time
Institution code: R72
Campus: Egham
UK fees*: £14,800
International/EU fees**: £23,900
The course
Business Analytics (MSc)
Modern business organisations recognise that data is a core asset, helping them to better understand customers, gain insight into their operations and out-think competitors for example. Consequently, there is a significant increase in demand for both managers and employees who have strong business analytic skills – capable of making informed decisions on the basis of the data available.
On this MSc Business Analytics course, you will gain cutting edge knowledge of business analytics and put that into practice using industry leading software systems – enabling you to make qualified, real world business decisions (e.g., AWS Cloud Computing, Alteryx and Tableau). The course is designed with future business managers in mind and partners a grounding in coding with modern ‘drag and drop’ software used to interpret large datasets for analysis.
The course is designed to enhance employability, providing you with highly sought-after digital skills in the following areas:
- Cloud computing
- Artificial intelligence
- Machine learning
- Predictive analytics
- Data visualisation skills
These skills will allow you to understand both the benefits and challenges of business analytics necessary in predicting and influencing future business performance. The job capabilities embedded in the curriculum will be dedicated towards research, writing, story-telling, problem solving, teamwork and creativity to help bring interpreted data to life, contributing to the integration of digital skills with business domain knowledge, to provide solutions to modern-day business problems.
From time to time, we make changes to our courses to improve the student and learning experience. If we make a significant change to your chosen course, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.
Course structure
Core Modules
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This module aims to develop an understanding of the principles and practices of gathering data and using it to visualise strategic and operational business intelligence solutions. You will look at the key channels and sources that may be used to gather information, examining how to interpret and prepare data for organisational use and explore how it can be used to promote diversity and inclusivity. You will learn how to visualise patterns and trends for decision making, as well as modelling future activities. Commonly used software tools with a variety of databases and large datasets will be used to enhance your future employability.
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This module aims to develop advanced practical skills for managers in the use of machine learning algorithms and predictive analytics for the analysis of large datasets. You will learn about the potential biases that machine learning can introduce and reinforce in doing so. The module is primarily focused on the needs of managers in the workplace and not computer programmers. You will be taught using industry mainstream data science and machine learning platforms and languages and be using different publicly available industry datasets and data sources.
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The aim of this module is to explore the notion of analytic thinking from a design perspective and explore how it is embodied in modern programming languages and platforms to solve a range of business problems. The module offers a design-led approach to analytic thinking equipping you with a practical understanding of the common languages and platforms necessary to make that thinking an operational reality. You will gather a programming language-level understanding of business analytics exploring one programming language in detail.
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The module aims to enhance your employability and impact on society by applying business analytics skills to real life business problems. Guided by industry experts you will challenge interpretations of data modelling and provide a context for the application of subject domain knowledge. In learning, you are encouraged to explore different interpretations and how they may introduce bias or be used to better understand and promote inclusivity and diversity. You will work collaboratively using industry-based datasets, creating unique and original solutions to practice-based problems.
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On this module you’ll develop knowledge and skills in cloud computing and its application to modern day business problems. The emphasis is on generating unique web applications using architectures and cloud services that are commonly employed in industry. You’ll gain knowledge of the architecture and operation of cloud platforms and the services they provide, how cloud solutions are employed by organisations in practice and the scaling, security and transitioning issues that arise in deployment. This understanding is reinforced practically via hands-on experience of developing a prototype cloud service using a commercially available platform.
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This module aims to equip you with a state-of-the-art understanding of the digital business landscape, covering foundational management concepts as well as contemporary digital business innovations. Learning is through interactive lectures and a series of carefully curated case studies of digital innovation and digital transformation projects. The module places an emphasis on the strategic role of digital technologies in securing competitive advantage and sustainable growth, but you'll also be encouraged to dive deep into specific impact of digital technologies on business operations. Through study and discussion, you will develop a critical understanding of the opportunities and challenges in starting and managing a digital business.
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This module focuses on the social and ethical implications of digital transformation and innovation, examining the technological innovations in private and public sectors, such as mobile technologies, social media, datafication and artificial intelligence. We will discuss the impact and consequences of digital transformation for individuals, organisations and societies in a global context, with particular reference to the UN’s sustainable development goals. You’ll be introduced to the research and frameworks of Sustainable Development and Responsible Innovation and learn to apply the knowledge in relation to the design, implementation and adoption of digital transformation. With an emphasis on critical thinking, the module will be research-led, drawing on up-to-date academic literature and case studies, with the emphasis on supporting students as active learners, knowledge co-creators and distributors.
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This module aims to provide you with theoretical and practical guidance on empirical research and consulting related to business analytics challenges in an organisational setting. The emphasis is placed on developing your analytical thinking, qualitative and quantitative research skills and consulting practice to prepare you for your consulting project. The module covers a range of topics from research approaches suitable for business analytics, quantitative and qualitative methods in collecting/harvesting and analysing data, innovations in digital research methods, consulting skills and ethical considerations in conducting research related to business analytics.
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This module brings together the knowledge and skills you’ve learnt across the programme. You are expected to use your consulting skills to articulate a real business problem in a manner that will then allow you to apply knowledge of business analytics to provide a solution - planning and managing the work, identifying the data sources and methods appropriate to conduct the work; identifying potential pitfalls and contingencies; developing and evaluating a data analytics-based solution and constructing an effective argument in doing so.
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This module will describe the key principles of academic integrity, focusing on university assignments. Plagiarism, collusion and commissioning will be described as activities that undermine academic integrity, and the possible consequences of engaging in such activities will be described. Activities, with feedback, will provide you with opportunities to reflect and develop your understanding of academic integrity principles.
Optional Modules
There are a number of optional course modules available during your degree studies. The following is a selection of optional course modules that are likely to be available. Please note that although the College will keep changes to a minimum, new modules may be offered or existing modules may be withdrawn, for example, in response to a change in staff. Applicants will be informed if any significant changes need to be made.
You will take one of the following:
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This module explores the role played by technology entrepreneurship, like identifying emerging technologies, launching- and growing firms, regional economic development and selecting the appropriate stakeholders for effective commercialisation. You’ll be introduced to the management tools and frameworks needed for successful exploitation of technology-based opportunities and will develop a theoretical understanding of the process of market opportunity identification, evaluation and planning in the context of new technologies. Areas around value proposition design, business model construction, intellectual property protection and securing a sustainable advantage will be explored.
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The aim of this module is to explore emerging technologies in the context of design thinking and techniques that provide a necessary bridge between potential and actual value in application contexts. The module will provide you with conceptual knowledge and practical skills, to critically evaluate the potential of emerging technologies and design ways to translate that into value in given application contexts. You will design a lightweight prototype demonstrating the user experience associated with that emerging technology and will critically evaluate the benefits and limitations of that same emerging technology.
Teaching & assessment
Rather than a traditional dissertation, you are required to complete a Consultancy Project, which provides a key means of consolidating the skills learned in the context of real-world business problems. Teaching and learning will be delivered in the form of lectures, and seminars, coursework assignments, supervised individual project, and guided independent study.
In addition to mandatory modules, there will be a number of optional modules available during the course of your degree. Although Royal Holloway will keep changes to a minimum, new options may be offered or existing ones may be withdrawn. For example where reasonable and necessary due to unexpected events, where requirements of relevant Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Bodies (PSRBs) have changed and course requirements must change accordingly, or where changes are deemed necessary on the basis of student feedback and/or the advice of External Advisors, to enhance academic provision. There may be additional requirements around option selection; please contact the Department for further information.
Entry requirements
2:2
UK Honours degree or equivalent.
This course requires a UK 2:2 (Honours) or equivalent. Applicants with relevant professional qualifications and/or significant business experience will also be considered.
International & EU requirements
English language requirements
- IELTS: 6.5 overall. No subscore lower than 6.0.
- Pearson Test of English: 61 overall. Writing 61. No other subscore lower than 54.
- Trinity College London Integrated Skills in English (ISE): ISE III.
- Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) grade C.
- TOEFL iBT: 88 overall with Reading 22 Listening 20 Speaking 22 Writing 24.
- Duolingo: 120 overall and no sub-score below 115.
Your future career
On graduating with a Masters degree in Business Analytics from Royal Holloway, you will be graduating with an increasingly sought-after analytical skillset and an understanding of the accompanying software, highly applicable across a range of industries and analytical roles including business analyst, data scientist, quantitative analyst, market research professional and project management.
Postgraduate students from our School of Business and Management have gone on to roles in a variety of companies including Amazon, Tesco, Accenture, Ogilvy, KPMG, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bloomberg LP, Ocado Group, HSBC, Fuji film, Huawei, Deutsche Bahn and Qatar Airways.
Fees, funding & scholarships
Home (UK) students tuition fee per year*: £14,800
EU and international students tuition fee per year**: £23,900
Other essential costs***: There are no single associated costs greater than £50 per item on this course.
How do I pay for it? Find out more about funding options, including loans, grants, scholarships and bursaries.
* and ** These tuition fees apply to students enrolled on a full-time basis in the academic year 2024/25. Students studying on the standard part-time course structure over two years are charged 50% of the full-time applicable fee for each study year.
Royal Holloway reserves the right to increase all postgraduate tuition fees annually, based on the UK’s Retail Price Index (RPI). Please therefore be aware that tuition fees can rise during your degree (if longer than one year’s duration), and that this also means that the overall cost of studying the course part-time will be slightly higher than studying it full-time in one year. For further information, please see our terms and conditions.
** This figure is the fee for EU and international students starting a degree in the academic year 2024/25. Find out more
*** These estimated costs relate to studying this particular degree at Royal Holloway during the 2024/25 academic year, and are included as a guide. Costs, such as accommodation, food, books and other learning materials and printing, have not been included.
