Bachelor of Science in Business - Business Analytics Concentration

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

George Washington University

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Business with a Business Analytics concentration combines a broad business education with statistical, quantitative and decision-modeling skills, preparing students to turn data into useful business insights and decisions. It is a strong fit for students interested in using analytics to solve organizational problems, with opportunities to connect business analytics with areas such as finance, marketing, engineering, public policy or international affairs.

Curriculum Structure

First Year

Students begin by developing a foundation in business, economics, mathematics, statistics and communication through courses such as Business Leader Foundations I and II, Principles of Economics I and II, and Introduction to Business and Economic Statistics. These subjects establish the quantitative and business knowledge needed for more advanced analytical study later in the degree.

Second Year

The second year develops the core business perspective through subjects including Introduction to Financial Accounting, Management Information Systems Technology, and Operations Management, while students continue building their quantitative abilities through the required mathematics and statistics sequence. Students also normally declare their Business Analytics concentration by the second semester of sophomore year.

Third Year

Students begin the dedicated Business Analytics concentration with courses such as DNSC 3403 Decision Models, DNSC 4211 Programming for Analytics, and DNSC 4279 Data Mining. These courses develop skills in decision modeling, programming, data preparation and analytical techniques that can be applied to complex business problems.

Fourth Year

In the final year, students can deepen their analytics expertise through options such as Big Data, Predictive Analytics, and Ethics, Machine Learning, Forecasting Analytics, Social Network Analytics, Revenue Management Analytics, Supply Chain Analytics, or Data Management for Analytics. This flexible structure allows students to tailor their analytical studies toward areas such as predictive modeling, operations, supply chains, databases or emerging data-driven business applications.

Focus Areas

Business analytics, decision modeling, data mining, statistical analysis, predictive analytics, programming, machine learning, forecasting, social network analytics, revenue management, supply chain analytics, database management, data management, business intelligence, quantitative decision-making

Learning Outcomes

Students develop the ability to use data, statistical and quantitative models to support business decisions; transform data into actionable insights; apply programming and analytical techniques to business problems; interpret and communicate analytical findings; and combine technical analytics capabilities with managerial and organizational knowledge.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

The Business Analytics concentration is part of the GW School of Business, whose business and accounting programs hold AACSB International accreditation. GW reports that its School of Business received AACSB re-accreditation in 2024, reflecting the school's continuing commitment to teaching, research, curriculum development and learner success.

Reputation (Employability Rankings)

GW School of Business provides an official Career Outcomes Dashboard covering undergraduate employment outcomes, salaries, signing bonuses, employers, industries and job functions. Across GW Business undergraduate programs, the Fowler Career Center currently reports an average undergraduate base salary of $80,654 and an average undergraduate signing bonus of $8,052; these figures are school-wide undergraduate figures rather than Business Analytics concentration-specific figures.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Business Analytics concentration is designed around applying quantitative and analytical thinking to real organizational decision-making rather than focusing only on theoretical data manipulation. Students can develop technical capabilities through programming, data mining, decision modeling and data management, while the wider GW Business curriculum provides experiential opportunities through internships, research, community-engaged work and leadership experiences.

GW's Decision Sciences faculty specifically work with analytical and computational methods across finance, strategy, information systems, marketing, supply chain and operations, with tools including R, Python and SQL used in the broader Business Analytics academic environment. Students can also complete internships for academic recognition and use the Business Leader Launch course to connect their classroom learning with an internship, undergraduate research project, community-engaged scholarship or student leadership experience.

Specific practical opportunities include:

DNSC 4211 Programming for Analytics for developing programming skills relevant to analytics.
DNSC 4279 Data Mining for working with data-mining techniques.
DNSC 3403 Decision Models for applying analytical decision-modeling approaches to business problems.
R, Python and SQL as analytical and computational tools used within GW's Business Analytics/Decision Sciences environment.
Machine Learning through DNSC 4280 as an advanced concentration option.
Forecasting Analytics through DNSC 4219.
Social Network Analytics through DNSC 4233.
Supply Chain Analytics through DNSC 4282.
Data Management for Analytics through ISTM 4212 and Database Principles and Applications through ISTM 4121.
BADM 4001 Business Leader Launch, an experiential course that can incorporate an internship, undergraduate research project, community-engaged scholarship or selected student leadership position.
BADM 4950 internship option, allowing GWSB students to formally record an internship on their transcript; the university notes that internships provide opportunities to apply academic knowledge in practical business settings.
Fowler Career Center employer engagement, including career fairs, internships, job postings, on-campus interviews, mentoring and employer interactions.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates can apply their combination of business knowledge, data analysis and decision-modeling skills across areas such as consulting, business intelligence, finance, marketing, operations and supply chain management. GW specifically highlights the value of combining the Business Analytics concentration with fields such as finance, marketing, engineering, public policy and international affairs to broaden the contexts in which students can apply analytics.

Typical career roles include Business Analytics Consultant, Business Intelligence Analyst, Decision Science Analyst and Business Case Modeling Analyst/Consultant. GW's broader Business Analytics materials also identify roles such as Data Scientist, Marketing Strategy Consultant, Manager of Modeling and Analytics, and Pricing and Revenue Optimization Analyst.

Key progression and career-development opportunities include:

F. David Fowler Career Center: provides career development, employer partnerships, experiential learning, alumni engagement, recruiting opportunities, career fairs, job postings and on-campus interviewing.
Career outcomes: GW Business currently reports an average undergraduate base salary of $80,654 and an average undergraduate signing bonus of $8,052. These figures cover GW School of Business undergraduate students overall and should not be interpreted as Business Analytics-specific salary figures.
Employer connections: Fowler Corporate Partners support experiential learning and career development, with the 2026–27 corporate partner programme including organizations such as Gallup, Shenkman, CohnReznick and Verizon.
Recruitment opportunities: GW Business connects employers with undergraduate talent through career fairs/expos, on-campus interviewing, internships, full-time opportunities, mentoring and Handshake job postings.
AACSB accreditation: GW School of Business's AACSB accreditation provides an internationally recognized quality framework for its business education and reflects ongoing review of teaching, research, curriculum development and learner success.
Broader career applications: GW identifies analytics applications across marketing, finance, operations, human resources, public policy, strategy, health care, tourism, sport and retail.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into relevant master's-level study in business analytics, data analytics, information systems, finance, marketing, operations or related quantitative disciplines, depending on their academic interests and the admission requirements of the chosen programme. GW itself offers a Master of Science in Business Analytics, providing a direct graduate-level pathway for students who want to develop deeper expertise in analytics methodologies and technologies.