Which Major Is Best for Analytics?

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Thinking of a degree in analytics? Wondering which major to choose? Wonder no more! Learn more about undergraduate & graduate coursework in Data Analytics, Business Analytics & Data Science, closely related fields like Applied Statistics, MIS & Operations Research, business-focused programs like Finance & Marketing, and social science majors like Strategic Communications & Psychology.

Analytics Programs

Data Analytics

Data analysts collect, analyze, and transform data in order to make smart decisions. They are experts in applied statistics, research, and problem-solving. They are persuasive storytellers and visual communicators. If this sounds like your cup of tea, have a look at our guides to:

Each degree guide contains a comprehensive breakdown of the curriculum and seasoned advice, including sections on career paths, the job market, and salary data.

Business Analytics

Business analytics practitioners are hyper-focused on using data analytics to solve business problems. They’re always seeking to make better corporate decisions, reduce costs, develop products & services, run more efficient campaigns, and improve the bottom line. Explore this world with our guides to:

Browse through sample courses & electives, evaluate career options & job data, and find answers to FAQs about each stage of your education.

Data Science

Data science is a field that blends knowledge of Applied Statistics, Data Analytics, and Computer Science into a unique & inventive career. In addition to being skilled in standard analytics methods & computational analysis, data scientists often create their own algorithms and predictive models. They wrangle huge amounts of raw data. They develop innovative tools. They think outside of the box.

At the undergraduate level, coursework for a BS in Data Science usually overlaps with a BS in Data Analytics. We’re talking about credits in:

Data Analytics
Data Visualization
Database Systems
Linear Algebra
Calculus
Principles of Programming
R & Python

But you may also see coursework in:

Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Advanced Machine Learning
Mathematical Tools for Data Science
Applied Data Science Methods
Data Ethics

You don’t always have to focus on data science at the bachelor’s level. Many data scientists earn a degree in any of the fields listed on this page and then specialize in data science at the graduate level. The MS in Data Science is a popular program and there are scores of options at public & private universities. You may even be able to select a specialization in a particular realm of interest (e.g. Data Engineering, AI & Machine Learning, Predictive Modeling, etc.).

Careers in Data Science

Data scientists are always in demand. Their skills can be applied to any industry or sector, and they’re typically well-paid for their expertise. Many entry-level folks get their start as data analysts & junior data scientists before moving into roles such as:

Data Scientist
Senior Data Scientist
Data Engineer
Machine Learning Specialist
Machine Learning Engineer
Deep Learning Specialist
AI Consultant

Applied Mathematics

Applied Mathematics is a field that focuses on using advanced mathematical methods & theories to solve real-life challenges in business, science, engineering, and the world at large. At the undergraduate level, you might take courses in:

Linear Algebra
Calculus
Statistics & Probability
Mathematical Modeling
Discrete Math
Applied Differential Equations

But you could also be pursuing electives in fields like Cryptography, Financial Mathematics, Operations Research, Graph Theory, Programming Languages, and more. To improve their hiring chances, many Applied Math students pursue a double major (e.g. Computer Science or Electrical Engineering). At the graduate level, the curriculum will become more complex (e.g. Stochastic Analysis, Advanced Linear Algebra, Game Theoretic Models of Operations, Financial Engineering, etc.).

Analytics Careers in Applied Mathematics

Applied mathematics graduates are problem-solvers who find jobs in a range of number-focused fields, including insurance, logistics, finance, and manufacturing. It’s an unusual degree for standard analytics positions, so you may need to show employers how your skills translate to the workplace. But it can be done! Take a look at the job responsibilities & requirements for an:

Actuarial Analyst
Financial Advisor
Computational Analyst
Research Analyst

Applied Statistics

Like Applied Math, Applied Statistics is a field that’s concerned with using math to tackle real-world challenges. Only in this case, students use advanced statistical methods to collect, analyze, and interpret data. At the undergraduate level, courses can cover:

Linear Algebra
Calculus
Probability & Statistics
Statistical Inference
Linear Models
Applied Regression Analysis

Relevant electives might include topics such as Time Series Analysis, Fundamentals of Computer Science, Statistical Programming & Data Management, Design of Experiments, Optimization Theory, etc. At the graduate level, coursework will dig deeper into undergraduate topics. You’ll also be able to work on a Statistical Capstone Project, courses like Statistical Consulting, and niche interests (e.g. Actuarial Mathematics).

Analytics Careers in Applied Statistics

Data analytics & data science are built on applied statistics, so many graduates slip easily into data-focused roles in the workplace! Your hiring chances will improve dramatically if you ensure that relevant analytics internships, job training, and industry-focused coursework are included in your degree. Sample job titles include:

Data Analyst
Statistical Analyst
Statistician/Applied Statistician
Econometrician
Actuarial Analyst

Computer Science

Computer science is the study of computers and how they work. Computer scientists are fascinated by computer systems & networks, human & computer interactions, software development, and security challenges. At the undergraduate level, course titles could include:

Computer Organization & Architecture
Programming Languages
Database Management
Operating Systems
Computer Networks
Software Development
Data Structures & Algorithms
Theory of Computation

With electives, you can also choose to focus on Cybersecurity, Bioinformatics, Big Data Management & Analytics—whatever subjects take your fancy in the Department of Computer Science. You’ll see a similar pattern of coursework in graduate degrees, where you can choose specializations in Data Analytics, Data Science, Software Engineering, Security, and more.

Analytics Careers in Computer Science

A degree in “Comp Sci” can be parlayed into all kinds of jobs, but it helps to focus your interests during your studies. For instance, if you would like to use it as the starting point for a career in data science, then you should be taking electives & concentrations in areas like AI, Big Data, Machine Learning, IoT, and the like.

If you’re not interested in developer roles (e.g. Software Developer, Web/App/Game Developer, UI Designer etc.), consider roles with a “design & build” feel:

Computer Systems Analyst
Information Security Analyst
Network Architect

If you’re 100% in love with data, focus on becoming a:

Data Analyst
Data Scientist

Management Information Systems (MIS)

Experts in the field of Management Information Systems (MIS) design, maintain, and manage computer-based information systems in organizations. Think of databases & data warehouses, payroll systems, inventory control systems, HR systems, and the like. Common MIS undergraduate courses include:

Systems Analysis & Design
IT Infrastructures
Managing the Database Environment
Web Application Development
Computer Programming for Business
Information Systems Project Management
Financial Management
Principles of Accounting
Principles of Economics

It’s a broad degree, but you can buff up your résumé with concentrations & electives in Business Intelligence, Data Analytics, Enterprise Systems, Business Analysis, Information Assurance & Cybersecurity, eCommerce, etc. At the graduate level, MS coursework will be similar to BS subjects, but more advanced. Every MIS program is a little different, so examine the curriculum carefully—some are fairly technical; some are business-focused.

Analytics Careers in MIS

MIS graduates like to do two things: manage systems and solve business problems. They don’t always go into analytics-heavy roles, but they certainly have a stake in the field. Because of their interdisciplinary knowledge, they often serve as liaisons between technical teams and upper-level executives. Popular job titles for MIS degree holders include:

Systems Analyst
Systems Developer
Business Application Developer
Database Manager
Project Manager
Information Systems Manager
Data Analyst
Business Analyst

Operations Research (OR)

Operations Research (OR) is a niche field that involves using complex mathematical models & programs and advanced statistical & analytical methods to solve operational problems (e.g. redesigning supply chains, pricing products, creating investment strategies, etc.). It is sometimes referred to as Management Science. As an OR student, you might take courses in:

Algorithmic Thinking
Probability & Statistics
Stochastic Models
Optimization & Complexity
Simulation

You can supplement this core with concentrations in particular business areas (e.g. Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Finance & Management, Entrepreneurship, etc.) and/or electives in high-level topics such as Big Data Analytics, Machine Learning (ML), Graph Theory, Financial Engineering, Market Models, Data Mining in Engineering, and more.

Analytics Careers in Operations Research

OR is a specialist field, so bachelor’s programs are rare—undergraduates tend to major in subjects like Computer Science, Data Analytics, and Mathematics. You’ll have more luck with MS and PhD offerings. Graduates emerge with an unusual set of mathematical & analytical skills that can lead to employment as an:

Operations Research Analyst
Data Analyst
Big Data Analyst
Decision Analyst
Data Scientist
Management Consultant

As you might expect, a solid portion of OR graduates end up in the finance & banking industries. The INFORMS Resource Center is a great place to start if your interested in OR careers.

Business-Focused Programs

Accounting

At the undergraduate level, you can choose to study accounting in a specialist degree or pick it as a concentration within a Business degree. If you opt for BS in Accounting, you’ll be diving into the complex world of financial accounts, including coursework in areas such as:

Intermediate Accounting
Managerial Accounting
Cost Accounting & Control
Microeconomics & Macroeconomics
Concepts in Taxation
Auditing & Internal Control Systems

But many programs will also include credits in Accounting Information Systems, Database & Data Warehousing Systems, Operations Management, and Business Statistics. What’s more, a sizeable number of BS in Accounting and MS in Accounting degrees now offer a Data Analytics concentration. Some Schools of Business have even developed combined degrees (e.g. BBA in Management Accounting & Analytics).

Analytics Careers in Accounting

Accountants with strong analytics skills are always in demand. They know how businesses & operations work. They know how taxes & audits work. And they know how to mine & analyze big numbers. It’s a “win-win-win” situation for any employer. Common job titles for these experts include:

Staff Accountant
Tax Accountant
Management Accountant
Budget Analyst
Internal Auditor
Financial Analyst

Business

An academic program in Business is a broad-based “generalist” degree that covers every aspect of business (e.g. Accounting, Finance, Marketing, etc.). The most common titles for this degree at the undergraduate level are the BA, BS, or Bachelor’s in Business Administration (BBA). Sample BBA course titles include:

Introduction to Business
Strategic Business Planning
Principles of Accounting
Principles of Marketing
Microeconomics & Macroeconomics
Corporation Finance
Business Law
Project Management

Business degrees are customizable! You’ll almost always be allowed to choose a specialization in your area of interest (e.g. Supply Chain Management, Entrepreneurship, Financial Services, Family Business, etc.). Anyone interested in a data-focused job should be taking electives in Data Analytics, Business Analysis, Operations Management, and using analytics in their senior-year project. Once you reach the graduate level with an MBA, you’ll also be able to explore leadership & management coursework.

Analytics Careers in Business

Think of a business degree as a foundation. To compete with candidates who have specialist degrees, you’ll need to build on your BBA with internships, industry projects, and relevant certifications. For leadership positions, you may also need a graduate-level qualification (e.g. MBA). Talk to recent BBA graduates to get a sense of the market. Data-focused job titles include:

Business Analyst
Financial Analyst
Operations Manager
Market Research Analyst
Management Consultant

Aspiring business analysts should have a look at our sections on the best analytics associations & organizations and popular analytics certifications. IIBA and PMI are highly active in this space.

Economics

Economics students examine the production, distribution, transfer, and consumption of goods & services and the movement of wealth & resources. They study macroeconomics, which deals with the economy as a whole (e.g. governments, markets & consumers), and microeconomics, which is concerned with individuals & firms. At the undergraduate level, courses can include:

Microeconomics I & II
Macroeconomics I & II
Economic Statistics
Fundamentals of Finance
Econometrics

With electives, you can choose to specialize in niche areas (e.g. Labor Economics, Environmental Economics, etc.), analytics methods (e.g. Economic Data Analysis), and/or finance (e.g. Money and Banking, Public Finance, etc.). To impress employers, many students pursue a double major (e.g. Finance, Applied Statistics, Computer Science, etc.). At the graduate level, you can concentrate on advanced coursework in all of the above.

Analytics Careers in Economics

Economists are in the business of explaining & predicting economic events, so it makes sense that they often look for analytics jobs. Many graduates end up working with data in finance & business. Because economics is a broad subject, you will need to show employers that your skills are relevant in the workplace—make sure your résumé includes internships and work on practical industry projects in your area of interest. Then you’ll be set for jobs like:

Economist
Data Analyst
Economic Analyst
Financial Risk Analyst
Market Research Analyst
Business Analyst
Econometrician

Finance

Finance is the study of money management—banking, trading, investments, and financial markets. You can opt for a specialist degree in Finance or select it as a concentration in a Business degree. Finance students are number-lovers. They analyze investments, manage wealth, evaluate assets, and construct portfolios. At the undergraduate level, coursework will include a core of business credits, as well as finance topics such as:

Financial Policies & Strategies
Financial Modeling & Analytics
Portfolio Management
Financial Markets
Fundamentals of Investments
Investment Portfolio Analysis

You’ll usually be able to choose a concentration in a specific area (e.g. Real Estate, Corporate Finance, Investments) and pursue electives in practical subjects (e.g. Business Analytics, Financial Analytics, Finance Internship, Financial Option & Futures, etc.). Many master’s programs lean heavily on data & analytics—think of coursework in Corporate Financial Accounting, Applied Statistical Modeling, Python for Finance, Financial Econometrics, and more.

Analytics Careers in Finance

Finance graduates are found in a huge range of sectors—real estate, insurance, commercial banking, investment banking, corporate finance, Wall Street—basically, wherever there is money. Folks who love applying analytics tools & technologies to financial challenges tend to end up in jobs like:

Financial Data Analyst
Financial Analyst
Financial Consultant
Investment Analyst
Budget Analyst
Risk Analyst & Manager

CFA Institute is a good place to start if you’re thinking about a data-focused career in finance. It offers the well-known Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) certification and provides plenty of career resources.

Marketing

Marketing is available as a stand-alone specialist degree or a concentration within a Business degree. Marketing experts explore the best ways to market goods & services to consumers who might want to purchase them. A bachelor’s degree curriculum might include a series of business courses, as well as topics such as:

Principles of Marketing
Marketing Research
Strategic Marketing
Business Analytics
Consumer Behavior

Curious about marketing analytics applications? Look for undergraduate programs that have concentrations & electives in topics such as Programming in Python, Advanced Business Analytics, Digital Marketing, Statistical Methods for Business, and the like. At the graduate level, you will find specialist degrees in Marketing Analytics (e.g. MSMA)—we list all of these programs on our master’s in marketing analytics page. These programs will include high-level coursework in subjects like Data Science for Customer Analytics.

Analytics Careers in Marketing

Not everyone who works in marketing is an analytics geek. On the other hand, the corporate world is becoming increasingly data-driven. That means many business & organizations are actively seeking marketing graduates with deep analytics skills. So you should discover a lot of opportunities for your passion! Take a look at job titles such as:

Marketing Analyst
Marketing Data Analyst
Market Research Analyst
Digital Web & Marketing Analytics Manager
Digital Marketing Specialist
Digital Marketing Account Manager

Strategic Communications

Strategic communications is a business-focused degree designed for students who aspire to careers in Public Relations (PR), advertising, marketing, brand management, and corporate communications. At the undergraduate level, students are rigorously schooled in courses like:

Principles of Strategic Communications
Interpersonal Communication
Public Speaking
Writing for Media
Media Management
Research & Analytics

To tilt this degree towards analytics, you can choose electives in topics such as Market Research, Data Visualization, Customer Analytics, Marketing Analytics, Social Network Analysis, and the like. If you’re interested in taking these ideas further, look for hybrid graduate programs like the MS in Digital Communication Analytics, MS in Communication Data Science, and MS in Data Analysis & Communication.

Analytics Careers in Strategic Communications

Strategic communications graduates are expert persuaders, brilliant public speakers, and savvy analysts. They’re people-lovers and often work in jobs with a lot of social interaction. But some communications professionals love to explore how analytics can influence decisions & campaigns in PR, advertising, and marketing. They frequently end up in jobs like:

Market Research Analyst
Marketing & Communications Manager
PR Marketing Specialist
Campaign Data Analyst
Brand Strategist
Social Media Strategist

Psychology

Psychology is the science of behavior and human thought—psychology majors are fascinated by what makes people tick. It’s an interdisciplinary field that draws on work in neuroscience, biology, statistics, social science, communications, and more. Undergraduate students tackle courses such as:

General Psychology
Child & Adolescent Psychology
Social Psychology
Abnormal Psychology
Cognitive Neuroscience
Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences

Interested in how psychology intersects with data & analytics? Look for electives in Applied Statistics, Statistics & Experimental Design, Programming, Behavioral Research Methods, and the like. You’ll need these skills to reassure employers. Or think about a master’s degree in the field—universities are increasingly offering programs such as the MS in Data Science in Human Behavior, MS in Research Psychology & Data Analysis, and MS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology.

Analytics Careers in Psychology

A psychologist can be an invaluable member of an analytics team. In addition to knowing how to conduct design research studies and crunch big data, they are experts in understanding how & why humans behave. Those skills are particularly valuable in realms like finance, marketing, software development, HR, retail, hospitality, and more. Consider jobs like:

Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychologist
Research Psychologist
Big Data Psychologist
Market Research Analyst
Behavioral Analyst
Management Consultant

Political Science

Political scientists study politics and power. Think of domestic politics & government, public policy, global politics & international relations, environmental politics, law & morality—the list goes on. Undergraduate programs in the USA often contain courses such as:

Modern Political Theory
Political Science Research Methods
American Government
International Relations
Policy Making & Evaluation

Analytics geeks can tailor this degree with electives in Applied Statistics, Data Analytics, Social Media Strategies, Quantitative Political Analysis, and other topics that deal with big research projects and large quantities of data. At the graduate level, you can opt for a general analytics or data science program or explore niche degrees like the MS in Political Analytics, MS in Applied Political Analytics, and the MS in Data Analytics & Policy.

Analytics Careers in Political Science

Political scientists gravitate towards careers in government, international affairs, media, policy, campaigning, and activism. If you have been careful about electives & internships, it can be parlayed into an analytics career, but you’ll need to plan ahead. Start by researching the job responsibilities & requirements for a:

Political Data Analyst
Political Analyst
Political Scientist
Policy Analyst