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Dhruvi Bhatt's Transformative Path to Senior Walk, and Beyond
Bhatt moved from Gaithersburg, Maryland, to the U of A to pursue a Master of Information Systems, “a decision that was both exciting and daunting.”
06/30/2025 | By DeLani Bartlette
Master of Applied Business Analytics
Employers face a vast shortage of deep analytical talent, as well as managers qualified
to make data-informed decisions.
Move beyond conventional methods of data discovery. Summarize and present data in
ways that can be understood and acted upon.
The need to effectively analyze data is growing at an amazing rate. At the same time,
businesses are finding that they lack enough skilled professionals to fill those roles.
Industry analysts predict that the United States will soon face a vast shortage of
people with deep analytical skills as well as the managers and analysts qualified
to make decisions based on that data.
Two Program Options
A full-time degree program, and a part-time program for working professionals.
Courses and Schedule
What coursework is required for this degree?
Just the Facts
How Much? How Long?
Who can enroll?
How Do I Enroll?
Admission to Walton College masters programs is selective. Enrollment in each program is limited.
Enterprise Systems
Enterprise Systems at Walton College are comprised of five major hubs and support systems, along with access to large, real-world datasets.
- IBM z15 Mainframe Server
- Microsoft SQL Server
- Teradata Intelliflex Database Server
- SAP Enterprise Resource Planning Software
- Statistical Software – SAS VIYA, SAS Enterprise Guide & SAS Enterprise Miner
Enterprise systems platforms integrate business processes and align IT to support business strategy.
Flexible Course Schedule
Full-Time Schedule
Students who choose the full-time program option finish their degree in one year.
Part-Time Schedule
Working professionals can complete the part-time schedule in less than two years.
The Department of Information Systems and the Graduate School of Business have structured this program to meet the needs of working professionals as well as traditional full-time students. Do you have questions about your schedule options? Contact us.
Just the Facts: Master of Applied Business Analytics
Program Length
1 - 2 Years
The full-time program can be completed in one year. The "professional" part-time program can be completed in less than two years.
Start Date
Program Specific
The full-time program begins in mid-May. The part-time program begins in the Fall Semester.
Admissions Info
Do I Qualify to Enroll?
Complete your undergraduate degree and meet additional requirements. View Requirements
Entrance Test
GMAT or GRE
Students may be eligible for a GMAT/GRE test waiver with a 3.2 undergraduate GPA or 3 years of professional work experience. Please review our master's admissions policies.
Application Deadline
Professional, Part-Time
July 1
Full-Time
International applicants: November 1
Priority (domestic applicants): March 1
Estimated Program Cost
Professional, Part-Time
View Cost Breakdown
Full-Time
View Cost Breakdown
4+1 Degree Option
The 4+1 Master of Applied Business Analytics program option will allow well-prepared undergraduate students to begin graduate courses during the last year of their undergraduate studies.
WHO: Walton students with a 3.2 undergraduate GPA.
WHAT: Early consideration for a graduate program and possible dual credit between an undergraduate and graduate degree.
WHEN: Apply by February 15 in Spring of your second-to-last undergraduate year.
WHY: Save time and potentially money!
How can I apply for the 4+1 degree option?
Students interested in the 4+1 Master of Applied Business Analytics program will require additional guidance and advising.
Career Outlook
Prospective employers indicate a strong demand for graduates with a working knowledge of applied business analytics. Job titles associated with the knowledge and skills obtained from the program include:
- Business Analyst
- Data Scientist
- Management Analyst
- Data Analyst
- Operations Analyst
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, median pay in 2023 for a management analyst is $99,410 per year. Salaries vary based on location, experience and education.
Skills, Tools, Certifications
- STEM designated degree
- Graduate Certificate - Enterprise Systems Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics
- State-of-the-Art Software access – SAS, Tableau, SQL, Python, Power BI, etc.
- Data analytics and problem solving using real, “large-scale,” datasets
- Use of “industrial strength” systems – IBM, MS, Teradata, SAP, SAS, …
- Comprehensive multi-semester practicum for real-world business problems.
Jobs and Salaries
$99,410
National median pay for management analysts in 2023.
1,018,300
Number of people employed as management analysts in the United States in 2023.
+107,900
Projected numeric change in the number of employed economists from 2023 to 2033. (+11% change. The average growth rate for all occupations is +5%.)
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor (2023)
Industry Survey: Employer Feedback
Executives and managers from the multiple organizations wrote letters of support for offering the Master of Applied Business Analytics degree. These include: Arkansas BlueCross BlueShield, Teradata, Dillard’s Inc., Tyson Foods Inc., Wal-Mart, and J.B. Hunt Transport Inc.
"Data driven decision-making permeates throughout our company. Consequently, analytics
has become very important in many roles, from operational to strategic decisions."
"Analytics has become a critical role within companies to make informed and advanced
decisions to improve and transform their business. This disciplinary focus exemplifies
courses and subject matter for training necessary to produce qualified professionals
toward advanced skills in analytics."
"Over the last few years the use of data to make decisions in our organization has
had great success with a great ROI. This program would be crucial in getting more
people in the organization the skills to use data more effectively."
Career Development
Close ties with our corporate partners facilitate recruiting and networking opportunities, internships, and careers.
Students can participate in corporate internships, career counseling, and take advantage of all the Walton College Career Services has to offer.
Courses and Program Schedule
Students may choose from a variety of elective analytics courses focusing on business applications or a deeper dive into statistical theory. The program culminates with a multi-semester practicum experience where students work with industry data to complete an analytics project from beginning to end.
Full-Time Program Schedule
Summer I
ISYS 52103: ERP Fundamentals
An introduction to enterprise resource planning systems. Students should gain an understanding of the scope of these integrated systems that reach across organizational boundaries and can change how a company does business. Implementation issues are covered, including the importance of change management.Elective
Business or Statistics ElectiveFall
ISYS 51003: Data Analytics Fundamentals
Fundamental knowledge and skills in several major areas of business data analytics. Emphasis on the management and use of data in modern organizations, intermediate & advanced spreadsheet topics; relational databases & SQL; and programming (such as Python).ISYS 55003: Decision Support and Analytics
Analysis of the highest level of information support for the manager-user. A study of systems providing analytics-based information derived from databases within and/or external to the organization and used to support management in the decision making. Application of tools in business analytics, problem solving, and decision making.Elective
Business or Statistics Elective “Developing Domain Expertise”Spring
ISYS 58303: Data Management Systems
Investigation and application of advanced database concepts include database administration, database technology, and selection and acquisition of database management systems. Data modeling and system development in a database environment.ISYS 58403: Seminar in Business Intelligence and Knowledge Management
Business intelligence focuses on assessing and creating information and knowledge from internal and external sources to support business decision making process. In this seminar, data mining and information retrieval techniques will be used to extract useful knowledge from data, which could be used for business intelligence, and knowledge management.Practicum “Proposing a Solution/Preparing the Data
This course is designed to introduce and engage the student in the practice, application, and problem solving in the business environment. Hands-on application of a business problem. Students will gain experience working on, making decisions about, and developing solutions for business applications. Topics include but not limited to analytics, data, and information technology.Elective
Business or Statistics Elective “Developing Domain Expertise”Summer II
Practicum “Proposing a Solution/Preparing the Data
This course is designed to introduce and engage the student in the practice, application, and problem solving in the business environment. Hands-on application of a business problem. Students will gain experience working on, making decisions about, and developing solutions for business applications. Topics include but not limited to analytics, data, and information technology.Professional, Part-Time Course Schedule
Fall – Year One
ISYS 51003: Data Analytics Fundamentals
Fundamental knowledge and skills in several major areas of business data analytics. Emphasis on the management and use of data in modern organizations, intermediate & advanced spreadsheet topics; relational databases & SQL; and programming (such as Python).ISYS 55003: Decision Support and Analytics
Analysis of the highest level of information support for the manager-user. A study of systems providing analytics-based information derived from databases within and/or external to the organization and used to support management in the decision making. Application of tools in business analytics, problem solving, and decision making.Spring: Year One
ISYS 58303: Data Management Systems
Investigation and application of advanced database concepts include database administration, database technology, and selection and acquisition of database management systems. Data modeling and system development in a database environment.ISYS 58403: Seminar in Business Intelligence and Knowledge Management
Business intelligence focuses on assessing and creating information and knowledge from internal and external sources to support business decision making process. In this seminar, data mining and information retrieval techniques will be used to extract useful knowledge from data, which could be used for business intelligence, and knowledge management.Summer – Year One
ISYS 52103: ERP Fundamentals
An introduction to enterprise resource planning systems. Students should gain an understanding of the scope of these integrated systems that reach across organizational boundaries and can change how a company does business. Implementation issues are covered, including the importance of change management.Elective
Business or Statistics Elective “Developing Domain Expertise”Fall – Year Two
Practicum – “Proposing a Solution/Preparing the Data”
This course is designed to introduce and engage the student in the practice, application, and problem solving in the business environment. Hands-on application of a business problem. Students will gain experience working on, making decisions about, and developing solutions for business applications. Topics include but not limited to analytics, data, and information technology.Elective
Business or Statistics Elective “Developing Domain ExpertiseSpring – Year Two
Practicum – “Solving the Problem and Telling the Story”
This course is designed to introduce and engage the student in the practice, application, and problem solving in the business environment. Hands-on application of a business problem. Students will gain experience working on, making decisions about, and developing solutions for business applications. Topics include but not limited to analytics, data, and information technology.Elective
Business or Statistics Elective “Developing Domain Expertise”Program Overview
The Master of Applied Business Analytics degree will arm students with a solid knowledge of business analytics, data handling and management, machine learning methods, optimization, and computing.
Data skills, combined with knowledge of business application modeling and business problem solving, will enable students to identify, assess, and seize the opportunity for data-driven value creation in the private and public sectors.
Focus is given to answering questions such as:
- How do we get and transform data for use?
- How to we manage data?
- What are the data telling us?
- How can we put the data to work via modeling?
Two Degree Options
The Master of Applied Business Analytics degree is offered in both a Part-time (5 semesters, 6 hours per semester) basis or a Full-time (1 year, 30 credit hours) basis.
Part-Time Program: Designed for Working Professionals
The Walton Professional MABA is designed for working professionals. The program can be completed by taking six hours a semester for five semesters (21 months).
Courses are taught through a blended-delivery format with both face-to-face and online components, so students are in class only one Saturday per month. We work hard to simplify the logistics of returning to school, so that you can focus on learning. Additionally, many employers offer tuition reimbursement programs, so check with your HR department to see if this great benefit is available.
Saturday Class Dates
| Summer 2025 EMBA, MSPI, SCMT |
Summer 2025 MIS, MABA, MHCBA |
Fall 2025 |
Spring 2026 |
Summer 2026 |
| May 17 |
May 31 |
August 23 |
January 17 |
May 16 |
| June 7 |
June 14 |
September 20 |
February 14 |
June 6 |
| June 28 |
June 28 |
October 11 |
March 14 |
June 27 |
| July 26 |
July 26 |
November 8 |
April 4 | July 25 |
| December 6 |
April 25 |
* Students admitted to the professional programs in the Walton College are required to attend a multi-day orientation prior to the start of scheduled courses. Dates to be determined. Please contact gsb@walton.uark.edu for more information.
News and Notes: Master of Applied Business Analytics
Meet Josh Koelker, Master of Information Systems '25
“A strong emphasis on IT management has also been a game-changer. During my first year as a professional student, I gained skills that helped me excel in my current role. By my second year, I was learning tools and strategies to elevate my career to the next level.”
06/05/2025 | By Lori McLemore
The Northwest Arkansas Community
Join a supportive and engaging community located in the vibrant business network of Northwest Arkansas, with over 300 Fortune 500 companies with a presence in the region.
Business leaders and Walton alumni are closely connected to the college, not just during your studies, but throughout your career.