Words from Programme Director

Welcome to the Master of Science in Business Analytics Programme at HKU Business School. Below are the 4 most frequently asked questions by our applicants and we have them answered by Prof. Zhang for you to catch a glimpse of the MSc(BA) Programme.

• Q1 What prerequisite skills do I need to apply for the Master of Science in Business Analytics programme?

  We welcome applicants from all fields. However, applicants with a strong background in both STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and business skills would have an advantage.

• Q2 What is the purpose of the boot camp?

  We admit applicants from diverse backgrounds each year to enrich our students’ learning experience. To ensure that every student has the foundational knowledge and skills required to tackle the academic challenges ahead, the boot camp covers basic knowledge of mathematics (calculus and linear algebra), statistics and programming (Python, R, and SQL). The boot camp is optional, although almost all students in prior cohorts have participated in it.

• Q3 What skills will I develop in this programme?

  Our curriculum design aims to help students develop both hard and soft skills related to business analytics throughout the programme. Students will develop technical skills such as data acquisition (web scraping), data visualisation (Tableau), data management (SQL), statistical programming (Python and R) and machine learning/deep learning, as well as business skills such as communication, critical thinking, teamwork and leadership. Our programme offers courses focusing on all types of data analytics including descriptive analytics, predictive analytics and prescriptive analytics. 

• Q4 How does the capstone project work?

  The capstone project course is one of the most special features of this programme. Students form a team and apply analytics knowledge and skills learnt in previous courses to solve a real-life business problem facing our project sponsors. We have collaborated with over 30 companies or government agencies in the past three years’ capstone projects. Students will have an opportunity to gain valuable project experiences through analysing the internal data provided by our project sponsors and external data collected by students themselves. Working in a team environment also allows students to develop key soft skills such as work ethic, communication, teamwork and leadership.