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BUSI4M110: Business Analytics (Taught)

It is possible that changes to modules or programmes might need to be made during the academic year, in response to the impact of Covid-19 and/or any further changes in public health advice.

Type Tied
Level 4
Credits 10
Availability Available in 2024/2025
Module Cap None.
Location Durham
Department Management and Marketing

Prerequisites

  • None.

Corequisites

  • None.

Excluded Combinations of Modules

  • Business Analytics (Online) BUSI 4M010

Aims

  • To provide an appreciation of descriptive, predictive and prescriptive business-analytics techniques.
  • To provide knowledge of, and ability to apply, a range of business-analytics techniques.
  • To implement business-analytics models using Microsoft Excel.
  • To show how business analytics can help companies to make better decisions.
  • To explore ethical issues with managing data.

Content

  • Descriptive techniques e.g. data visualisation, data analysis, and descriptive statistics.
  • Predictive techniques e.g. data mining.
  • Prescriptive techniques e.g. linear optimisation models.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

  • Upon successful completion of the module, the students should:
  • Have in-depth knowledge of a range of business-analytics techniques and be able to apply them critically to management problems.
  • Have an understanding of the applicability and limitations of business-analytics techniques.

Subject-specific Skills:

  • Upon successful completion of the module, the students should be able to:
  • Choose appropriate business-analytics techniques for some key management problems.
  • Implement business-analytics models using Microsoft Excel.
  • Interpret the results of business analytics models and their relevance for companies.

Key Skills:

  • Effective written communication skills
  • Planning, organising and time-management skills
  • Problem solving and analytical skills
  • Advanced skills in the interpretation of data
  • Advanced computer-literacy skills

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • Learning outcomes are met through classroom-based workshops, supported by online resources. The workshops consist of a combination of taught input, groupwork, case studies and discussion. Online resources provide supplementary material for the workshops typically consisting of directed reading and video content.
  • The formative assessment includes classroom-based exercises involving individual and group analyses of specific business situations/problems relevant to the learning outcomes of the module. Feedback will be given as appropriate.
  • The summative assessment is an individual business analytics project, which is designed to test the ability to formulate a problem, apply appropriate business-analytics techniques to analyse it, and critically interpret the results obtained.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotalMonitored
Workshops (a combination of taught input, groupwork, case studies and discussion), timetabled in blocks6Over a 3-day teaching block4 hours24Yes
Preparation, reading and other independent study76 
Total100 

Summative Assessment

Component: Written AssignmentComponent Weighting: 100%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Individual business analytics project3000 words max100same

Formative Assessment

Students will be set various formative tasks throughout the module. In particular students will work on teaching cases. To solve and analyse these cases they will apply business analytics techniques and interpret and discuss their output. Solutions will be put on DUO. The purpose of these tasks is to provide students with feedback on the development of their technical skills and their understanding of the application of business analytics techiques to prepare them for the summative project.

More information

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Current Students: Please contact your department.