MSc Business Analytics
12 months
£42,500
London, UK
Drive business transformation through data-driven decision-making
With the emergence of new technologies such as AI and machine learning, the ability to analyse and interpret complex data sets is crucial for future business leaders. Our MSc in Business Analytics will equip you with the skills you need to succeed in an increasingly data-driven world. You will develop in-depth knowledge of both predictive and prescriptive analysis while also being exposed to many real-world business applications, and learn how to harness ‘big data’ to improve business performance.
Taught within a world-leading university, you will benefit from particular expertise in the study and analysis of data, science and technology. From early on, you will learn how to write code in programming languages such as Python and R, and gain the specialist skills you need to boost your career or start working as a business analyst, data scientist or consultant. Prepare for your future driving business transformation through data.
Study your MSc Business Analytics at a world-leading university
Programme content
In preparation for the start of the one-year MSc Business Analytics programme at Imperial College Business School, you will need to complete the online pre-study modules available on The Hub - our virtual learning environment. Throughout the three academic terms, you will have the opportunity to tailor your learning experience by selecting nine core modules and six electives from an array of subject areas.
In the summer, this programme offers a valuable opportunity to apply the acquired knowledge in a real-world setting through a practical project. Through this project, you will gain consulting experience, complete a work placement, or conduct a research report.
We are pleased to offer an optional extended term, that will allow you to extend your programme duration to 16 months. This will give you the opportunity to commit to a longer Work Placement, gaining deeper work experience, global experience and earning additional credits. Please note, the extended term is subject to an additional tuition fee.
Please note, programme content is subject to change. Candidates that fail to successfully complete this degree are not entitled to a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma.
Online pre-study modules
Before the start of your programme, you will be expected to complete online pre-study modules, delivered via The Hub, our bespoke virtual learning environment. Some of these modules are compulsory while others are strongly recommended as they will help you prepare you for the remainder of your programme.
Induction week
Your MSc Business Analytics induction will be spent at our vibrant South Kensington campus in London. You will be invited to a welcome event where you can meet and network with your fellow students, distinguished faculty and dedicated programme staff, forging new connections and getting a taste of life at Imperial.
Data Structures and Algorithms
This module introduces you to the design of algorithms and data structures for computational problem solving. The design of efficient computational methods for sifting through large data sets lies in the core of modern technological innovation ranging from search engines and social networks to healthcare, energy and finance. The module will familiarise you with key algorithm design paradigms and central concepts of computational complexity and running-time analysis. You will develop a working knowledge of basic algorithms (for problems such as search, sorting, and shortest paths) and data structures, along with the necessary programming constructs. The module will also serve as an introduction to the Python programming language, with the goal of becoming proficient in organising and writing programs for practical problem-solving.
Fundamentals of Database Technologies
This module introduces you to practical usage of databases with the main emphasis on SQL and related technologies. As big data problems are more and more prevalent for business, this module introduces basics of their processing with Apache Spark – a versatile, big data processing engine. This module will use PostgreSQL – one of the most popular and powerful object-relational database management systems.
Machine Learning
This module will teach you basic analytics skills and methodologies for large-scale data analysis. It will focus on the practical use of these skills and methodologies to solve real world problems. The goal of the module is to enable you to be data-savvy, analytically minded and coding-literate problem solvers.
Maths & Statistics Foundations for Analytics
This rigorous module will teach you concepts of probability, statistics and linear algebra. You will learn to summarise and analyse data using statistical concepts and understand linear algebra to represent and manipulate data. This will ensure that you build a solid foundation of the mathematical concepts necessary to succeed on the programme. This module will also serve as an introduction to R.
Network Analytics
In today’s interconnected society, networks arise in many different contexts and a vast amount of networked data is now generated. Social networks such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter generate an immense amount of data that is invaluable to marketers and businesses to obtain product feedback and do targeted marketing. This module covers algorithms, analysis and interpretation of network data and relationships. The skillset you will develop is key to an integrated marketing analytics approach.
Optimisation and Decision Models
Optimisation plays a key role in statistical, machine learning and business operational models. This module trains students on the fundamental optimisation tools available to the modeller and business analyst. You will obtain hands-on experience with the key modelling (AIMMS, GAMS, AMPL) and optimisation (CPLEX, GUROBI) software packages.
Statistics and Econometrics
This module provides an introduction to multiple regression analysis and related methods for analysing data in business applications.
Data Wrangling and Visualisation
This module introduces practical data wrangling and visualisation techniques in R and Tableau, emphasising how to ask insightful business questions and analyse data interactively. Exploratory data analysis methods will be discussed from a statistical point of view and with cases in a management context. Our discussions will be complemented by real datasets from retail, supply chain, finance, and other industries. You will be prepared to use analytical and data-driven approaches to make informed management decisions.
Advanced Machine Learning
This elective aims to teach you basic analytics skills and methodologies for large-scale data analysis. It will focus on the practical use of these skills and methodologies to solve real world problems. You will cover a wide spectrum of technologies and algorithms in machine learning.
Causal Modelling for Business Analytics
The goal of this module is to introduce students to the basic tools of causal inference and apply these tools in marketing and healthcare analytics applications. The module will also introduce and use recent developments from the intersection of causal inference and machine learning.
Data Management and Ethics
This module will give you detailed knowledge of data acquisition through to data cleaning/curation and digital preservation. You will gain experience of data processing and critical thinking with regard to issues of data ethics and privacy.
Digital Marketing Analytics
This elective considers the problems that arise in digital marketing and the models and business requirements of digital marketing. The elective includes hands-on practical analysis of two to three digital marketing-specific data sets using the methodologies learned earlier in the programme. You will learn to analyse shopping-cart data, sales data and click-stream data for web and e-commerce analytics.
Energy Analytics
By studying this module you will gain an understanding of the energy industry and the key problems faced by participants in energy markets. You'll be exposed to the challenges arising from changes in energy systems from increasing renewable energy and decarbonisation. Learn about the types of available data for energy markets, and the way that these can be used in energy analytics. You'll also gain an understanding of the metrics and models used in the energy industry, and the way that these can be used by decision makers. Discover how to communicate with business users in the energy domain and answer their questions through data analytics.
Financial Analytics
This elective looks at the problems and data sets that arise in financial industries and the models and business requirements of financial businesses. It includes hands-on practical analysis of financial industry-specific analytic specific data sets using the methodologies learned earlier in the programme.
Generative AI and Large Language Models
This module gives a self-contained discussion on the topic of large language models and generative AI. You will discuss the inner mechanism of training these models and study the state-of-the-art models in details. We will cover the key modeling concepts such as attention mechanism and self-supervised training, and will also showcase the intuitions for building these modern machine learning models through visiting how the models evolve over time. While studying these models, we will take a managerial perspective and develop a statistical thinking when analysing the business-related data. Our discussion will also be complemented by user cases and data sets from IT, supply chain, retail, finance, etc. Programming requirement: You are expected to be on a moderate level of familiarity with Python for taking the module. As a benchmark, you should participate a fair share in the group assignments of the Machine Learning module.
Healthcare and Medical Analytics
Healthcare and medical fields are rich sources of data. This elective includes hands-on practical analysis of healthcare-specific data sets using the methodologies learned earlier in the programme.
Logistics and Supply-Chain Analytics
This elective considers the problems that arise in logistics and supply chains and the models and business requirements of supply-chain businesses. Efficient routing of vehicles, identification of bottlenecks, same-day delivery and other operational problems are increasingly occupying many delivery and e-commerce industries. Large real-time data sets are used for analysis and control. This elective studies models and analysis of such problems.
Retail and Marketing Analytics
When crossed with distribution and social-media data, retail scanner and other sales data has become a very rich source for marketers. This elective uses such data sets and consumer choice and behavioural models to show how retailers and marketers can make better marketing decisions.
Text Analysis for Business
This elective focuses on methods for quantitatively analysing text data, such as newspaper articles, job descriptions, and product reviews. The amount and availability of such data is growing rapidly and extracting valuable information from it is an important challenge. In recent years, numerous machine learning methods have been developed for text. Students will be introduced to these methods, and discuss their application to problems in modern organisations. Strengths and weaknesses of different modelling approaches will be explored in the context of specific applications.
Students will begin by looking at different ways of representing text as data, from the most basic idea of counting individual words in documents, to more recent ideas of constructing embedding vectors that retain information on semantic relations among words. We will discuss both unsupervised learning, where the goal is to uncover hidden structure in text, as well as supervised learning, where the goal is to make predictions based on text. Methods covered will include bag of words, word embeddings, dictionaries, topic models, neural networks, grammar parsing, entity recognition, and dialogue modelling. The course will also cover some statistical and computational background material necessary for understanding these models, including validation, interpretability, and the basic workflows of machine learning.
Analytics in Business Capstone
This module brings together the methodological and domain-specific knowledge gathered throughout the Imperial MSc Business Analytics and applies them to a set of business case studies. By the end of this module you will be able to:
Evaluate the use and impact of business analytics at a firm
Assess the players, techniques and future of business analytics
Develop practical skills in applying data analytics tools
Summarise and support the value of the findings of analytics for the firm
Consulting Project
This is a substantial group-based consulting project undertaken for a real client where you will develop your managerial and consulting capabilities by applying your acquired theoretical knowledge, analytical and managerial skills to a real business situation.
The focus is on managing a consulting project from inception to completion, drawing on your knowledge from other modules and combining it with the competencies and skills developed through the professional development programme.
Organisations that have collaborated with our students include: Agilisys, Burberry, Expedia, Johnson and Johnson, PropertyScape, Trench Capital and 55 UK.
Individual Research Report
Offered to students who show an interest in pursuing a PhD, the Individual Research Report (IRR) constitutes a small piece of research to be completed over the summer period. Students must find a faculty member to supervise them. (Typically only one or two students per year pursue this option which can be done in place of the Analytics in Business Capstone module.)
Work Placement
The Work Placement aims to contribute to the development of your potential by providing you with the opportunity to apply the programme material to a challenging business situation in which you are fully immersed.
The focus is on developing your skills in one specific business context, drawing on the knowledge and skills achieved across the modules. The work placement will give students who have little or no exposure to the corporate environment the opportunity to experience and operate in a real-world setting.
Students must secure their own work placements and submit details of their placement to the Programme Team.
Extended Work Placement
With the Extended Work Placement you will access additional work placement opportunities, including longer summer internships in the UK and worldwide. You will gain deeper work experience credentials and boost your marketability with potential future employers. The Extended Work Placement contributes to the development of your managerial potential by applying problem solving techniques to a challenging business situation in which you are fully immersed. The focus is on developing your skills in managing real business tasks, drawing on the knowledge and skills achieved in other modules of the programme. Read more about the extended term here.
Admissions
Applications for 2025 entry are open.
Discover our admissions process for the MSc Business Analytics including entry requirements, how to apply and key dates and deadlines.
This programme is highly competitive, so early application is advised; this will put you in a stronger position to be considered for a scholarship, and provide access to exclusive admitted students events.
Fees and funding
Choosing to pursue a Master's is one of the most important decisions you will make and is a substantial investment in yourself.
Many of our students fund their studies through multiple funding sources. We offer a wide range of awards, including a number of scholarships to the most talented applicants. We’ve also provided information about the different financing options available to you.
What our students say
“I advise people considering applying for this programme to be bold and brave. It is definitely challenging, but very exciting and fulfilling, as there is so much knowledge gained in a short amount of time. Limits will be tested, but the people involved are also amazing. One year will fly by so quickly, so I also advise people to appreciate every moment.”
Class of 2024-25
Meet the classSpecialised Masters' Information Session
28 October 2024
13.00 - 14.00
Online
Join us for an insightful Information Session dedicated to our suite of Specialised Master's programmes. This is your chance to explore how our unique offerings can help you achieve your career goals in dynamic fields.
Next steps
Career Impact
Imperial College Business School Careers provide world-class support that is tailored to your own individual career aspirations and is an integral part of our MBA programmes. A number of personalised services are provided before you start your programme, throughout your time at the Business School, and after you graduate, to support you both in securing a job in the sector of your choice and with ongoing career success.
Employment outcomes below refer to the class of 2023.
employed within six months
employed in the UK
employed in finance
What our students say
“Imperial has helped me bridge the gap between data scientists and business leaders. Since being at Imperial I have secured a job at a management consultancy which will help me to continue to learn about the quantitative technical solutions behind business problems and communicate these to business leaders in a down-to-earth and realistic manner.”
Meet your faculty
Our faculty are at the forefront of data science and business analytics, using state-of-the-art technology such as the Data Observatory, one of the world’s most advanced data visualisation spaces. They combine theoretical knowledge from their cutting-edge research with the latest practical insights from their extensive network with industry and government.
Martin Haugh
Esma Koca
Mike Wright
Kalyan Talluri
Start your Master's journey
Frequently asked questions
All applications to our postgraduate programmes are made online – we do not accept paper applications. Please refer to the ‘How to apply’ section of each programme page to see what documents you are required to submit with your application and to view the selection process.
All of our programmes are academically rigorous and include a quantitative component so all candidates are expected to be familiar with a basic level of mathematics before the start of the programme. The quantitative experience statement provides an opportunity to demonstrate this to the selection committee.
In the quantitative experience statement, you need to list up to five of the most quantitative modules or elements of your studies to date. You should list the main topics of study (eg: algebra, probability etc) as well as the level of study (eg: high school, undergraduate degree, short course etc) as this will allow the selection committee to have an understanding of your quantitative experience to date.
Quantitative experience is a key selection criterion for our more quantitative programmes (MSc Finance, MSc Finance & Accounting, MSc Financial Technology, MSc Investment & Wealth Management, MSc Risk Management & Financial Engineering, MSc Business Analytics, MSc Climate Change, Management & Finance and MSc Economics & Strategy for Business) so please be sure to check the entry requirements for your programme of interest to ensure your background is sufficiently quantitative. For other programmes, candidates are advised to review both the programme content and the pre-study modules to see what the numerical content of the programme includes before they submit an application.
You can apply to be considered for one programme each year. We will take your areas of interest and eligibility into account when considering you for alternative programmes.
While it is not compulsory to submit the results of an approved English language test with your application, it is strongly encouraged and will add weight to your application if you are able to show that you have met the language requirement prior to applying. You can find detailed information regarding the Business School’s language requirements and the tests that we accept here.
As part of your application, you will be asked to provide the contact details of two referees. Your referees will be contacted by email once you have completed and submitted your application, and the email will contain instructions on how they can submit your reference via our application system.
Please ensure that each reference letter that is submitted has been sent from an academic or professional email address. We cannot accept references sent from personal email addresses, such as Gmail, Hotmail, 126, 163, Sina, QQ, and Yahoo.
Our electronic application service is provided by an external provider, so there may be a delay before the receipt of your references is confirmed on your student application account.
If you receive confirmation that your references have been received but this still isn’t confirmed on your account a week after receiving the confirmation, please contact the Central Admissions team at business.admissions@imperial.ac.uk.
If you submit a complete application by the stated round deadline, we will ensure you receive an outcome by the corresponding decision deadline. However, if your references are delayed, this may affect our ability to process your application and provide a decision on time. If your references are delayed by more than five working days, we may not be able to guarantee a decision by the deadline.
If you have received confirmation that your references have been submitted but this is not reflected in your account after a week, please contact the Central Admissions team at business.admissions@imperial.ac.uk.
Yes. As part of the selection process, shortlisted candidates for our MSc programmes will be invited to complete an interview. Interviews are conducted through Kira Talent, our video interview platform, which you can access online to record and submit your answers.
The interview process typically takes about 20 minutes and does not require extensive preparation. It aims to supplement your written application by providing a further opportunity for you to articulate your suitability for your MSc programme of choice through questions about your previous experience and future aspirations.
If you are invited to submit a video interview, you will be sent details of how to access and use the Kira Talent online interview platform.
Once you have created an account, you will be asked a series of questions, to which you can record your answers as short videos and submit them online.
Please make sure that the invitation doesn’t go to your junk mail by adding kiratalent.com to your list of safe senders. You must complete your online interview by the deadline stated in the email. If the email has gone into a junk, spam, or clutter folder in your inbox, we will not be able to rearrange a new interview for you, and your application will be considered for withdrawal.
Please note: our video interviews are conducted via the Kira Talent platform. As Kira Talent is an independent third party service provider with their own terms and conditions of service and privacy policy, please familiarise yourself with these and ensure you are happy with them before proceeding to use the Kira service and platform.
For all MSc programmes, you can normally expect to receive a decision within 6-8 weeks of having submitted a complete application. Please keep in mind that during busy times and/or where documents are missing from an application, this time may increase.
When an offer is submitted by the Business School, the Central Admissions need to make a number of final checks before it can be formally approved. These may include an additional review of an applicant’s academic background or ensuring the references we have received are valid. Until you have received confirmation of the official offer via the College’s applicant portal, please do not arrange accommodation, book flights or decline any other offers you may be holding. The majority of offers are successfully approved by Central Admissions and you will be able to see full details of your offer conditions once your official offer has been confirmed.
Unfortunately, we are unable to confirm when you will receive a decision on your application but we will be in touch via email as soon as there is an update. Please be aware that you do not need to provide any additional information unless you think that this will add significant weight to your application (e.g. updated transcripts, relevant internships, English language results).
Please email your programme admissions team if you would like feedback on your application. Please note that whilst limited feedback can be provided, the decision of the academic selectors is final and it will not be possible for your application to be reconsidered.
We are unable to assess eligibility before an applicant applies as the academic selection committee needs to review a full application before any decision can be made. Please check the specific entry requirements of the programme you are interested in studying along with our international entry requirements. If you feel you meet our entry requirements you can apply online.
In addition to the guidance available on our website, we also hold regular information sessions both online and on-campus throughout the year where we would be happy to discuss your suitability in more detail.
We accept a wide range of international qualifications for postgraduate study at Imperial.
We've provided general guidance in the country and region index on how qualifications awarded by public institutions overseas may satisfy our minimum academic admission requirements.
We review our requirements annually. Updates usually happen in September each year before the next academic year of entry.
If your country or region is not listed, please contact the relevant Admissions team for further information.
The majority of the MSc programmes require a minimum of an Upper Second Class Honours degree (or international equivalent) to be admitted. While work experience can add weight to an application, this would not be considered in place of meeting the academic requirement, regardless of how lengthy the experience has been.
The exceptions to this are MSc Global Health Management, MSc Business Analytics (online delivery, part-time), and MSc Strategic Marketing (online, part-time). Please refer to the programme’s entry requirements for more detailed information.
We may consider candidates applying to MSc Business Analytics (online delivery, part-time) with non-traditional qualifications and backgrounds, on the basis of highly relevant work experience or demonstrated interest.
The Business School does not offer pre-sessional English courses or accept attendance of a pre-sessional English course as a means of meeting the English language requirement.
Yes, you can. You can pay your tuition fees in either one or two instalments payable at the start of term, or at the start of term and February, respectively. If you pay in instalments there will be a 2% surcharge of the total amount added to your first instalment. You would be asked to select a payment schedule during the offer acceptance process. Please contact the Student Finance Team if you have further questions about this process.
The Business School offers a variety of different scholarships, each with unique eligibility criteria.
All candidates who submit an MSc application before the scholarship deadlines (listed on our website) and receive an offer for one of our programmes will automatically be considered for scholarship(s) relevant to their programme, providing they do not have additional criteria such as a video submission. You can be considered for multiple scholarships at the same time.
Additionally, there are a number of cross-programme awards and programme specific awards also available. Please check on the scholarships page on your programme of choice for eligibility and entry requirements.
Find out more information about our MSc Business Analytics scholarships.
Yes, we offer a 10% bursary on programme fees to successful candidates with an undergraduate degree from Imperial awarded at a minimum of upper second class, or Master’s degree awarded with a minimum of Merit. In order to be considered for this bursary, you must submit your application by the scholarship deadline.
If you are being sponsored by an organisation that will be responsible for paying your tuition fees, you must provide acceptable proof of the award.
Satisfactory evidence of sponsorship is usually regarded as an original, dated and duly authorised letter from your sponsor on headed paper which includes the following:
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Your name and College Identifier Number
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The programme for which you have been offered a place
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The amount of fees which will be paid by your sponsor (please report in GBP)
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The address to which the invoice should be sent
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Any Purchase Order Number required
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Confirmation that the fees will be sent directly to Imperial College
Sponsorship letters should be emailed to the Central Admissions team at business.admissions@imperial.ac.uk
Your CAS number holds information about the programme you will study and if you have paid any fees. You will not need a formal letter from the College confirming your offer status for your visa appointment.
For more information about what you will need, see the UKVI website.
If you need any advice about your visa please contact the International Student Support team. Most information can be found on the International Student Support website.
We will start to issue CAS numbers from April. The details of your CAS will appear on your My Imperial record after you have met all the conditions of your offer. Please note that you will need to upload a scanned copy of the photo page of your passport and current visa (if you have recently completed a degree in the UK), before your CAS can be issued. Please upload these documents to the ‘Passport/visa’ section of your My Imperial account.
Once your CAS is ready, you will receive an email confirming that it has been uploaded onto your My Imperial account. If you log into My Imperial you will be able to find your CAS number and the details that have been included in your CAS.
Please note that we cannot provide you with a CAS if you have outstanding conditions on your offer. Please ensure that you allow enough time to meet your conditions and apply for a visa before the start date of your programme of study.
The Business School holds online information sessions throughout the year to give you the opportunity to learn more about the programmes from the Programme Director, current students and alumni. Please refer to the meet us page to find out when the next event is being held for your interested programme(s).
The Business School is located on the South Kensington campus of Imperial College London. Please refer to the location page for our address and guidance on how to get here.
Many students choose to live in private rented accommodation whilst attending the Business School whilst others choose to book accommodation through GradPad. Please refer to the accommodation page for more information regarding the different types of accommodation available to you.
Please note that before you contact us you should also check information on the relevant pages on the Business School or College website. If your question isn’t answered, please contact the appropriate team below.
General application queries
Admissions Team
business.school@imperial.ac.uk
Deposit and tuition fee invoice queries (including refunds)
To check if your payment has been received
Tuition Fees Team
tuition.fees@imperial.ac.uk
+44 (0) 20 7594 8011
To check if your documents have been received
Queries regarding your CAS number
Central Admissions
business.admissions@imperial.ac.uk
+44 (0) 20 7594 7258
Career-related queries from admitted students
Careers Team
icbs.careers@imperial.ac.uk
+44 (0) 20 7594 9617
Visa and immigration queries
International Student Support
+44 (0) 20 7594 8040
Accommodation queries
accommodation@imperial.ac.uk
+44 (0) 20 7594 9444
General student information and advice
Student Hub
student.hub@imperial.ac.uk
+44 (0) 20 7594 9444
Advice on budgeting and London living costs
Advice on external scholarships
Student Financial Support
student.funding@imperial.ac.uk
+44 (0) 20 7594 9014
If you’ve submitted your application but haven’t received your CID number
Registry Systems
registry.systems@imperial.ac.uk
Password or technical issues with your Imperial Gateway account
IT Service
deskservice.desk@imperial.ac.uk
+44 (0)20 7594 9000
Almost all of the MSc programmes we have available are 12 month, full-time programmes. The only exceptions are our MSc Business Analytics (online delivery, part-time) and MSc Strategic Marketing (online, part-time) programmes, which are available on a part-time basis.
Yes, we offer an Economics, Finance and Data Science Bachelor's degree, as well as a range of courses at undergraduate level:
- BSc Economics, Finance and Data Science
- BPES Programme
- Joint Honours and Intercalated BSc Programme
- Summer School Programme
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