Course summary

If you are numerate and analytically minded, Business Analytics can help launch your career in industry, finance, the public sector, government or consulting. In fact, in any data-rich and technology-dependent organisation. Truly modern organisations rely on sophisticated analysis and technology to perform effectively, and we produce creative, technically competent and skilled graduates who can deliver these skills and more. We will show you how analysing data can help solve real-life problems and show what it means to think statistically as you learn techniques and approaches that help organisations plan and improve decision-making processes. You will apply these skills on your year-long industry placement. Students use programming tools such as Python and R, spreadsheets and business intelligence software, gaining important skills which can be applied to bring intelligence to industry. We will teach you how to make forecasts and use data to understand complex behaviour, and introduce you to operational and strategic business contexts. You will undertake a team project for a client in the Lancaster area. In your second and final years, you will study project management modules that act as a core to help put ideas into practice, gain employee support during organisational change initiatives, and improve your consultancy skills. You can also choose modules for a specialist track. The Business Analytics track delivers the mathematical tools to develop practical, numerate and computer-based modelling. The Operations, Logistics and Supply Chain Management track explores the problems faced by operations managers. It covers topics such as purchasing, inventory planning and risk analysis. For students who want to learn more about designing and managing the computer-based systems of our digital economy, the Information Systems specialism is for you. Your third year consists of a supervised placement in industry, with previous students joining companies such as IBM and Bosch. Roles in finance, support or operations allow you to see how processes and theories are used. This experience also provides valuable insight for your final year academic studies. Our careers team, including a dedicated departmental careers coach, will work with you from day one to help with internships, placements and graduate employment. We will supply training in CV writing, interview assessment centres and telephone interviews, helping you with your future career ambitions. The University will use all reasonable effort to support you to find a suitable placement for your studies. While a placement role may not be available in a field or organisation that is directly related to your academic studies or career aspirations, all placement roles offer valuable experience of working at a graduate level and gaining a range of professional skills. If you are unsuccessful in securing a suitable placement for your third year, you will be able to transfer to the equivalent non-placement degree scheme and would continue with your studies at Lancaster, finishing your degree after your third year. The University offers a range of shorter placement and internship opportunities for which you would be welcome to apply.