Business Analytics Master (MBAN)

Term 1 (Summer)

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Note that course sequencing is subject to change.

• MMAI 5000 3.00 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FUNDAMENTALS

  This course introduces students to the field of artificial intelligence, with a focus on AI- driven business applications. It provides a historical perspective tracing the emergence of basic concepts of contemporary AI. Students learn key artificial intelligence techniques including knowledge representation and symbolic reasoning, biologically inspired approaches to AI, supervised, unsupervised and reinforcement learning, multi-agent systems and natural language processing.

• MMAI 5100 3.00 DATABASE FUNDAMENTALS

  Database Management Systems are computer-based systems used by organizations to manage the vast amount of data that accompany daily operations, support data analysis, and enable intelligent decision making. This course provides an applied introduction to database management systems and their use in the business environment. The course covers the fundamentals of database analysis and design.

• MBAN 6110 3.00 DATA SCIENCE I

  An introduction to data science techniques designed for students who will work with data scientists or invest in related ventures. The course introduces fundamental concepts and techniques for the analysis of data-centered business problems, the creation and evaluation of solutions, the data science strategies, the basic cycle of a data-mining project, and the integration into business strategies.
  Prerequisite: MBAN student

• OMIS 6750 3.00 PROJECT MANAGEMENT

  This course covers the strategic, organizational and operational aspects of managing projects. Students learn to manage the technical, behavioural, political and cultural aspects of temporary groups performing unique tasks. Topics covered include: defining deliverables, formulating project strategy, effective group organization and management, dynamically allocating resources, managing without authority, and resolving conflict. Traditional cost and time management techniques are covered Microsoft Office and open-source, free project management software.

  Prerequisite: All 5100-series Required Foundations of Management Core Courses
  Course Credit Exclusion: SB/MGMT 6700 3.00

• MGMT 6300 3.00 CASE ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION SKILLS

  This course is designed to give students the opportunity to practice and develop their analytical thinking and presentation skills. The key objective of the course is to train students to successfully participate in national and international case competitions. A secondary objective is to prepare students to successfully interview for management consulting positions. Second-year MBA students who enjoy analyzing cases and delivering presentations are encouraged to take the course.
  Prerequisites: SB/ACTG 5100 3.00, SB/MGMT 6150 3.00 (Previously offered as MGMT 5150 3.00), SB/MKTG 5200 3.00, SB/SUST 5200 3.00 (Prior to S23 SB/SGMT 5800 3.00; prior to W20 SB/MGMT 5260 3.0) & SB/ORGS 5100 3.00
  Corequisite: SB/SGMT 6000 3.00

Term 2 (Fall)

• MBAN 5110 3.00 PREDICTIVE MODELLING

  This course provides the tools needed to build models from data sets, validate models, and make predictions. The course emphasises the SAS environment. Major areas for discussion include analysis of variance, regression, categorical data analysis, and predictive modelling. The course emphasizes both theory and practice, allowing students to use statistical theory for purposes of business case analysis.

• MBAN 6120 3.00 DATA SCIENCE II

  This course is designed for business students who will pursue a career in the related industries. The course first teaches students Unix command line and Python programming language, which constitute the uniform computing environment for the following topics: data visualization; predictive modelling; relational database and SQL; Web APIs; big data, Hadoop and MapReduce; and Stochastic Search and Optimization methods. Towards the end of the course, various business cases from data science are introduced; examples may include: (i) online recommender systems; and (ii) Online targeted display advertising. Through in-class labs, the course gives students hands-on experience of advanced data science techniques. Students are required to bring own laptop to participate these in-class labs.
  Prerequisite: MBAN student, SB/MBAN 6110 3.00

• MBAN 6090 6.00 ANALYTICS CONSULTING PROJECT

  The Analytics Consulting Project is the capstone integrative course of the MBAN program. It will allow students to deepen their understanding of the subject matter and methodologies, as well as provide an opportunity for hands-on, problem-­driven research and application. It is an intensive, 8 month project where groups of 4 MBAN students undertake a comprehensive analytics project of an organization ("client site") and provide business insights to enhance the site's future success. At the conclusion of the analytics consulting project students submit and present their final work to a panel of at least two experts, including the course director, and also to the client site.

• OMIS 6000 3.00 MODELS & APPLICATIONS IN OPERATIONAL RESEARCH
  This course provides a survey of selected topics in operational research (OR). Emphasis is placed on the practical application of OR tools rather than on the mathematical properties. Application areas include: financial planning and portfolio selection, production, priority planning and marketing. Topics include: linear programming and its applications; programming to achieve a set of goals or targets with applications in finance and production; capital budgeting and project selection; transportation and network models; and portfolio models. Prerequisite: SB/OMIS 5120 1.50 and SB/OMIS 5210 1.50 or permission of the instructor

Plus 3.00 credits of Elective Courses

Term 3 (Winter)

• MBAN 5140 3.00 VISUAL ANALYTICS AND MODELLING

  This course is an introduction to the fundamental theories of visual communication design applied in data visualization and visual analytics. Students become familiar with data-driven decision making workflows and storytelling best practices. Major areas for discussion include visual design principals, data structures, taxonomy of data visualization models and weekly technical tutorials using the Tableau software.

• MBAN 6090 6.00 ANALYTICS CONSULTING PROJECT

  The Analytics Consulting Project is the capstone integrative course of the MBAN program. It will allow students to deepen their understanding of the subject matter and methodologies, as well as provide an opportunity for hands-on, problem-­driven research and application. It is an intensive, 8 month project where groups of 4 MBAN students undertake a comprehensive analytics project of an organization ("client site") and provide business insights to enhance the site's future success. At the conclusion of the analytics consulting project students submit and present their final work to a panel of at least two experts, including the course director, and also to the client site.

• SUST 5100 3.00 ETHICS AND TECHNOLOGY

  This course explores the ethical underpinning of several technological issues including Artificial Intelligence, Privacy, Machine Replacement, etc. Students will seek to understand the implications of such technological developments on society, and to manage employees and organizations in a way that balances the tension between technological advancement and human ethics.

Plus 6.00 credits of Elective Courses

NOTE: MBAN 6090 6.00 spans Terms 2 and 3. Students will enrol in Fall and continue the course in Term 3 (Winter).

Elective Courses

Subject to availability.

• ACTG 5210 1.50 MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING

  This course provides an introduction to management accounting techniques that are useful in management decision making situations such as cost management, pricing special orders, determining service levels and performance appraisal. The non-applicability of external reporting figures for most management decisions is reviewed. In arriving at managerial decisions, all stakeholder interests are considered, including socially responsible decision making around key issues.

  Prerequisite: SB/ACTG 5100 3.00

• ECON 6210 3.00 ECONOMIC FORECASTING AND ANALYSIS
  An increasing number of organizations make explicit forecasts of the economic environment within which they will be operating as a basis for forward-looking plans. This course studies the main forecasting methods in relation to the length of the forecasting time horizon. Several systematic appraisals of past forecasts are reviewed. Prerequisite: SB/ECON 5100.030 and SB/OMIS 5120.015
• FINE 5200 3.00 MANAGERIAL FINANCE

  Provides an opportunity to learn about investment and financing decisions. The investment decisions involve asset valuation, capital budgeting, risk management, working capital management and performance assessment. The financing decisions include the choice of capital structure and financial instruments, the risk-return trade-off, financial planning and cost of capital. Ethical, environmental, and corporate governance considerations are integrated into investment and financing decisions.

• FINE 6310 3.00 APPLICATIONS OF DATA SCIENCE IN FINANCE

  The focus is on using modern programming to perform statistical analysis as used in finance. Applications include assessing properties of asset returns, testing asset pricing models, conducting event studies, understanding simulation methods and panel data analysis, and modelling volatility, value-at-risk, and time-varying correlations. Students will learn about empirical methods in finance by performing statistical analysis on financial data.

  Co-requisite: FINE 6200 3.00

• FINE 6720 3.00 MANAGEMENT OF RISK IN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

  Risk is the fundamental element that influences the behaviour of financial institutions. FINE 6720 provides a comprehensive introduction to risk management. Presented within the framework of financial institutions, the course covers the design and operation of a risk-management system, modeling and the interplay between internal oversight and external regulation. The theory of risk management (market, credit and operational risk) comes alive through practical case evaluation and presentations from the senior executives in the risk management field. The course provides the essential analytical foundations of risk management in a way appropriate for those who do not have a mathematical background.

  Prerequisite: SB/FINE 5200 3.00

• MBAN 6500 3.00 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN BUSINESS I

  Students are introduced to the field of artificial intelligence, with a focus on business applications and a historical perspective that covers the basic terminology and concepts. The course covers multiple facets of artificial intelligence including knowledge representation and symbolic reasoning; biologically inspired approaches to artificial intelligence; supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning; multi-agent systems; planning; and natural language processing.

• MBAN 6510 3.00 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN BUSINESS II

  The emphasis in this course will be on automation and autonomous cyber-physical system applications of artificial intelligence. Students will delve deeper into topics which include: probabilistic reasoning & handling uncertainty; search; perception & sensing; human-computer interfacing; conversational systems; and autonomous robotics, drones, and autonomous vehicles.
  Prerequisite: SB/MBAN 6500 3.00

• MKTG 5200 3.00 MARKETING MANAGEMENT

  This course familiarizes students with the major marketing concepts (buyer behaviour, segmentation, targeting, positioning, product/service development and management, pricing, distribution, communication). It applies these concepts to profit, not-for-profit, new, mature, service, product-based, domestic and international organizations. It develops specific skills such as problem-solving, verbal presentation, business writing and group work. Marketing ethics and sustainability issues are integrated into the course.

• MKTG 6220 3.00 THE FUTURE OF MARKETING

  This course develops students’ abilities to reimagine and develop new conceptual frameworks, methodologies, and technologies for future of marketing strategies. Students learn how to communicate novel marketing concepts to management. The course teaches students how to research, create, implement and evaluate innovative marketing plans for nascent digital technologies. Students learn to think and write critically about consumer privacy and ethics.

• MKTG 6050 3.00 MARKETING RESEARCH
  This course develops students' understanding of basic and advanced market research methods. Students learn to evaluate completed research projects and conduct research studies, developing proficiency in defining research questions, developing research designs, selecting appropriate samples, conducting analysis and writing actionable management reports. Also examined are mobile research, brand maps, social media monitoring/metrics, Big Data, consumer surveillance and data privacy issues. Prerequisite: SB/MKTG 5200.030
• MKTG 6360 3.00 MARKETING METRICS
  This course focuses on developing the analytical skills required to successfully apply the principles of quantitative analysis to the marketing discipline. Students will learn the most common measurement methods currently being used in the marketing field. Prerequisites: MKTG 5200 3.0, ACTG 5100 3.0, FINE 5200 3.0
• OMIS 6350 3.00 ADVANCED SPREADSHEET MODELLING & PROGRAMMING FOR BUSINESS
  This course enables the design, development, and implementation of integrated business analysis systems by combining the extended functionality of spreadsheets with the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) programming language. The course demonstrates the power of combining the advanced analysis and modelling techniques of spreadsheets and VBA through applications to several practical problems from disparate business functions. Prerequisites: SB/OMIS 5110.015 and SB/OMIS 5120.015 or permission of the instructor.
• OMIS 6560 3.00 SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
  This course is about how to make decisions that lead to the better design and management of supply chains. This often involves changing the network of relationships between suppliers and customers and other stakeholders as they design, contract, order, plan and coordinate goods and services together. This course covers essential quantitative supply chain management models, supportive information and ecommerce technologies, environmentally and socially responsible practices and customer-supplier relationship management. Prerequisites: OMIS 5110 1.5, OMIS 5120 1.5 and OMIS 5210 1.5
• OMIS 6610 3.00 DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN SERVICES

  Digital technologies are changing the way service organizations do business and interact with their customers. Students explore and learn the foundations of digital transformation and make the connection among strategy, technology, and implementation. The course will provide students with real-life business cases in which various trade-offs must be made according to the technology, the business strategy, and the service requirements.

• OMIS 6955 3.00 SERVICE OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
  This course is about designing and implementing service processes that respond effectively to customer requirements. Service processes involve high customer interaction, information intensive products and the requirement for real-time responsiveness to a wide variety of customer demands. Designing, implementing and maintaining these processes in a competitive environment requires service-oriented organizations to have a new level of competence. This course concentrates on the problems and opportunities found in large companies in rapidly changing industries such as financial services. Best practice and generic problems in service delivery can be found in many industries from manufacturing to retailing. Identifying effective strategies as well as specific techniques for process planning and control, and project implementation are important in the development of managerial competence in service operations. Prerequisites: SB/OMIS 5120.015 and SB/OMIS 5210.015
• ORGS 6350 3.00 MANAGING CHANGE
  As the environment of many business and nonprofit organizations becomes increasingly complex and unstable, it is imperative that top managers be able to create a climate of flexibility and adaptability in their operations. Organizations must be able to undertake major change without destructive side effects to be truly successful. This course surveys the major methods available to the modern manager for effectively managing the process of change and creating a general climate in which needed changes are sought and welcomed throughout the organization. The course emphasizes case studies and the discussion of alternative change management models. Prerequisite: SB/ORGS 5100 3.00 or INTL 5220 for IMBA students
• ORGS 6560 3.00 NEGOTIATIONS
  This course will provide students with insight into their own negotiation style and how to become a more effective negotiator. The course takes an experiential approach to exploring the concepts, theories, and psychology of negotiations. Students will gain knowledge of the different approaches to negotiations and the strategies and tactics unique to each. The course will provide students with opportunity to learn, practice, and refine negotiation skills as well as equip them with the skills necessary to negotiate constructive resolution to conflict in the workplace. Prerequisite: SB/ORGS 5100 3.0 or INTL 5220 3.0 for IMBA students