Data is one of the most valued resources on the market today, but many business leaders don’t know how to leverage that information to drive strategy.

In fact, according to a 2019 Big Data and AI Executive Survey by NewVantage Partners, 69% of large corporations say they aren’t “data-driven organizations.” Among respondents, 52% admit they can’t compete on data and analytics.

Why is this the case?

According to the same survey, 93% of big corporations identify people and process issues as the main obstacles to adopting big data and AI initiatives. That’s why an in-depth understanding of data analytics is one of the most impressive skills you can demonstrate as a business leader—it delivers a competitive edge.

According to Harvard Business Review, “The best analysts are lightning-fast coders who can surf vast datasets quickly, encountering and surfacing potential insights faster than those other specialists can say ‘whiteboard.’ The result is that the business gets a finger on its pulse and eyes on previously-unknown unknowns.”

Analysts tell stories, organizing facts to come to evidence-backed conclusions based on data. Data analysis can help:

• Inform decision-making.
• Understand customer trends.
• Provide smarter products and services.
• Improve internal operations.
• Create additional revenue.

So, how do you become a master of data analytics? It could mean going back to school to increase your knowledge and skills in data collection, measurement, and integration. Five EMBA programs include a curriculum that will help you understand data analytics and apply it to your company’s practices.

5 EMBA Programs That Teach Leaders How to Leverage Data Analytics

1. Weill Cornell Executive MBA/MS in Healthcare Leadership

Healthcare professionals looking to enhance their data analytics skills will benefit from an EMBA from Weill Cornell. This specialized Executive MBA and MS in Healthcare and Leadership program is designed to help students develop their general management skills with a particular focus on hospital administration, private practices, and healthcare insurance and policy.

Weill Cornell introduces conceptual models and case methods within the curriculum framework, including the following related courses:

• Advanced Strategic Analysis
• Biostatistics
• Business Strategy
• Health Data Analytics
• Health Informatics

With these classes, students gain insight into the analytical tools and methods that are needed to implement business strategy and identify trends in healthcare. Students explore a little bit of everything, from basic statistics to data analysis, mathematical models, game theory, and more.

2. Auburn University Executive MBA

Auburn University’s EMBA program comes with a rigorous curriculum designed to help students increase their practical knowledge in a variety of topic areas, including data analytics. During the 21-month program, students can enroll in the following classes:

• Quantitative Decision-Making
• Information Systems for Competitive Advantage
• Strategic Analysis and the Competitive Environment

Through this coursework, students become proficient at using quantitative methods to solve business problems and harnessing spreadsheet analysis to explain their results clearly.

3. Arizona State University Thunderbird Executive Master of Global Management

From a company’s IT department to their legal team, data analytics can affect every vertical in a business—which is why so many EMBA programs are designing core classwork around the subject. Arizona State University’s EMBA program offers a variety of classes that touch on the subject, including:

• Big Data in the Age of the Global Economy
• Global Marketing Strategy
• Competitive Strategy in a Global Environment
• States & Markets in the Global Political Economy

Thunderbird’s EMBA program helps students appreciate cross-cultural and international perspectives during the course of their study. It also invites students to participate in a global field seminar, where they’ll have opportunities to speak with business and government leaders from around the globe.

4. University of Connecticut Executive MBA

The integrated curriculum offered by the University of Connecticut Executive MBA program is designed to expand your business acumen and increase your professional impact. It does this, in part, by emphasizing data analytics within its curriculum.

For example, there are multiple courses focused on the quantitative aspects of business, including:

• Using Statistics in Business
• Modeling Statistical and Qualitative Uncertainty
• Leveraging Digital Technologies
• Managing Information Technology

The EMBA program is 20 months long and helps students add value to an organization with immediate applications to their work.

5. Chapman University EMBA at the Argyros School of Business and Economics

The Chapman University EMBA program helps students develop the skills, intellect, and confidence to lead in a competitive marketplace. The program is 21 months long and provides tutors to help students master the course material.

Some highlights from the graduate program that relate to data analytics include:

• Economic Analysis and Policy
• Applied Statistics
• Financial Information Systems
• Strategic Management

Cohorts at Chapman University also have access to the Gary Anderson Center for Economic Research and Janes Financial Center—two  nationally recognized institutions that will help students advance their understanding of statistical data.

Data-Driven Companies Are the Future

Companies need business leaders who can leverage today’s technology to innovate and compete in the market. Organizations that don’t take advantage of those resources won’t be responsive to emerging trends and industry disruption. If you want to expand your company’s strategy to include data analytics and forecasting, an EMBA program can give you the information you need to succeed.

To learn more about advancing your career through higher education, visit Ivy Exec’s 2019 Executive MBA Ranking.

---

You can also find more details about program concentrations and features by reading our column on EMBA programs from around the globe.

---