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January 13, 2025
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Data-driven decision making potential unlocked. Learners will be able to obtain, manage, analyze and visualize data to gain a competitive advantage in the world of strategic business decision making.
Instructors: Unnati Narang
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Our world has become increasingly digital, and business leaders need to make sense of the enormous amount of available data today. In order to make key strategic business decisions and leverage data as a competitive advantage, it is critical to understand how to draw key insights from this data. The Business Analytics specialization is targeted towards aspiring managers, senior managers, and business executives who wish to have a well-rounded knowledge of business analytics that integrates the areas of data science, analytics and business decision making.
The courses in this Specialization will focus on strategy, methods, tools, and applications that are widely used in business. Topics covered include:
Data strategy at firms
Reliable ways to collect, analyze, and visualize data–and utilize data in organizational decision making
Understanding data modeling and predictive analytics at a high-level
Learning basic methods of business analytics by working with data sets and tools such as Power BI, Alteryx, and RStudio
Learning to make informed business decisions via analytics across key functional areas in business such as finance, marketing, retail & supply chain management, and social media to enhance profitability and competitiveness.
Applied Learning Project
A central premise of these courses is that applying targeted subject-matter expertise is crucial in order to frame the correct data problem, collect and analyze data, and to develop and operationalize performance metrics. Each subject area will be followed by an in-depth project-based application and analysis exercise.
Examine the interplay between business principles and data analytics.
Build a foundation for performing data analytics by installing and gaining experience using R, RStudio, and tidyverse packages.
Manipulate the most commonly used data types using functions.
Develop efficient, easy-to-read approaches for assembling and processing data for analysis.
Build familiarity with the set of tools and techniques used to analyze and visualize digitalized data.
Gain an understanding of the motivations that direct the use of various data visualization methods.
Understand visual approaches used to effectively communicate insights from data.
Gain hands-on, working knowledge of the nuanced distinction between effective and poor data presentation.
Development of an analytic mindset for approaching business problems.
The ability to appraise the value of datasets for addressing business problems using summary statistics and data visualizations.
Competence in operating business analytic software applications for exploratory data analysis.
Implement a conceptual framework of machine learning algorithms for finding actionable insight to business problems.
Apply a conceptual foundation for interpreting machine learning results from regression, classification, and clustering algorithms.
Apply machine learning algorithms to business data.
Apply quantitative techniques in marketing analytics to real-world scenarios.
Understand causal analysis, experimental and quasi-experimental approaches broadly.
Develop an understanding of linear/logistic regression and various computational text summarization methods.
Perform different analyses discussed using R programming.
Understand analytic issues and topics in accounting.
Conduct audit and control testing tasks using Alteryx and R.
Analyze text using R.
Conduct accounting-related RPA processes.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a world leader in research, teaching and public engagement, distinguished by the breadth of its programs, broad academic excellence, and internationally renowned faculty and alumni. Illinois serves the world by creating knowledge, preparing students for lives of impact, and finding solutions to critical societal needs.
This Specialization is part of the following degree program(s) offered by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. If you are admitted and enroll, your completed coursework may count toward your degree learning and your progress can transfer with you.¹
This Specialization is part of the following degree program(s) offered by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. If you are admitted and enroll, your completed coursework may count toward your degree learning and your progress can transfer with you.¹
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Degree · 2 – 3 years
¹Successful application and enrollment are required. Eligibility requirements apply. Each institution determines the number of credits recognized by completing this content that may count towards degree requirements, considering any existing credits you may have. Click on a specific course for more information.
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Time to completion can vary widely based on your schedule, most learners are able to complete the Specialization in 3-6 months.
Basic business knowledge and experience using data in Excel is recommended.
It is recommended that the courses in the Specialization be taken in the order outlined.
You will learn how to process data using R and RStudio.
You will explore the interaction between business principles and data analytics.
You will be able to develop an analytic mindset for approaching business problems and the ability to appraise the value of datasets for addressing business problems using summary statistics and data visualizations.
Courses on Coursera do not carry University of Illinois credit on their own. Each iDegree course has an enhanced for-credit component. You can earn academic credit if you combine an open online course with the enhanced for-credit component offered on the University of Illinois platform. To learn more visit https://giesbusiness.illinois.edu/graduate-hub/online. Some universities may choose to accept Specialization Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more.
Each course in the Specialization offers regular and open enrollment. You can begin and complete the course on your own schedule.
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.
This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.
Please find more information at https://giesbusiness.illinois.edu/graduate-hub/online or email your questions to giesonline@illinois.edu
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate, or you can audit it to view the course materials for free. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.