Columbia MSBA Review 2025: Is the Master’s in Business Analytics Worth It? Fees, ROI, Jobs & More

Table of contents

Columbia MSBA Review

Columbia Engineering and Columbia Business School are pleased to offer a full-time Master of Science in Business Analytics degree, with a three-semester curriculum designed for those who want to focus on learning the modeling techniques and data science tools that help businesses use data to make better decisions. A key element of the degree program is a capstone project that provides an intense consulting engagement with clients and their real-world business problems using real data sets. 

The Master of Science in Business Analytics program is STEM-certified and eligible for F-1 STEM OPT extension.

Let's dep dive into Columbia MSBA Review.

Informational Flyer

Overview

• Columbia's Business Analytics focuses on leveraging big data and business intelligence to drive strategic decision-making.

  
  

• It integrates key areas such as:

  • Optimization techniques

  • Programming skills

  • Statistical analysis

    
    

• The field aims to solve real-world business problems using data-driven approaches.

  
  

• Common job roles include:

  • Business Analyst

  • Data Scientist

  • Analytics Consultant

  • Strategy Analyst

  • BI (Business Intelligence) Developer

    
    

• Industries hiring Business Analytics professionals include:

  • Consulting firms

  • Financial & professional services

  • Technology & IT

  • Advertising & media

  • Healthcare & retail

    
    

• Professionals in this field are expected to have a deep understanding of data and the ability to apply analytical tools in practical business settings.

Note: You can click on the links provided above to visit the official pages for more information, application guidelines, and program details. Each link will take you directly to the relevant section on the official website.

Tuition and Fees

They recognize that the pursuit of graduate studies represents a significant investment in time and financial resources. The budgets are designed to help you in financial planning, based on a a moderate student lifestyle.

2024-2025 Tuition & Fees

Visit Student Financial Services for the complete University guide, as well as any updates, to billing, payments and financial aid. Note that tuition is set by the University Board of Trustees and is subject to change. You visit the Graduate Engineering Aid for more information.

Fees

Please refer to the full listing of fees on the Student Financial Services website

1. This budget assumes that the student is enrolled full time and will complete the degree program within two semesters.

2. This budget assumes that the student is enrolled full time and will complete the degree program within three semesters. Students who elect to extend their studies will incur addition fees and personal expenses.

Graduate Programs Timelines

Fall Applications

We urge applicants to submit all application materials by the respective deadlines to ensure a proper review before our cohorts are full. Please note, the IEOR Department programs do not have rolling admissions.

Apply here

For school wide updates on application deadlines and requirements, please visit Columbia Engineering Graduate Admissions.

Spring 

Application for the spring semester will open mid-September. We encourage all of our candidates to apply in a timely manner, for the semester that they expect to begin their program.

Curriculum: Courses, Electives & Concentrations

The MSBA program is a three-semester STEM program which can be completed within 12 months.

The program is in partnership with two Columbia Business School divisions:

Decision, Risk, and Operations (DRO) and Marketing.

Students enter in the Fall term and can finish as soon as the following August, or engage in a summer internship to complete the program by the end of the following Fall. Students are required to take the equivalent of 12 three-credit courses (36 credits), in the following areas:

• a minimum of 18 credits (typically 6 courses) within Columbia Engineering, IEOR Department

  
  

• a minimum of 12 credits (typically 4-6 courses) within the Columbia Business School, see the listing of historically approved Business School courses

  
  

• and the remaining courses (if any) can be taken from Columbia’s other graduate schools including: the School of International and Public Affairs, the Law School, or Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

  
  

• Students are also required to attend a year-long, zero-credit IEOR E4598 Business Analytics Practitioners Seminar Series course (sample syllabus). 

  
  

• A program plan is available for students to use to plan their studies. This program plan will be used to facilitate a dialogue with the advisement team and your designated faculty advisor.

  
  

• For more course information, students can check out the IEOR course listing.

Program Requirements

To stay in good academic standing, students must get at least a B- grade in each core course and maintain a minimum GPA of 2.67 each semester.

 If a student doesn't meet these requirements, they'll be reviewed by the academic team and asked to adjust their course plan to improve.

Students who are not in good academic standing may be asked to withdraw from the program.

Core

Breadth Electives

Electives are selected under the advisement of the student's advising team. Courses taken from the School of Professional Studies will not be counted towards the M.S. degree (i.e. courses with the following prefixes: ACTU, BUSI, COPR, IKNS, SUMA, FUND, and more).

Concentrations

Students may complete 1 or 2 concentrations to fulfill the remaining credits for the degree.

Career Resource

Columbia MSBA students benefit from a dedicated Career Management Center (CMC) at Columbia Business School, offering:

• One‑on‑one coaching on resumes, cover letters, networking, and interview best practices. 

• Pre‑MS career curriculum and mock interviews to jumpstart job search strategies.

• Access to Columbia’s online career portal (COIN) — featuring job listings, event calendars, and tailored career tools. 

• Workshops, panels, and recruiting events with top employers in finance, tech, consulting, and more. 

Career Placement Statistics in Business Analytics

• 2023 Placement Statistics

• 2022 Placement Statistics

• 2021 Placement Statistics

• 2020 Placement Statistics

FAQ's