Course summary

Our MSc in Business Analytics will enable you to play a key role in modern business by giving you the skills and knowledge to gain competitive business insight from big data. You will benefit from the programme's strong international connections and will have the opportunity to experience data analytics in action on the International Field Trip. The programme is delivered full-time over one year and is a collaboration between the Business School and the Department of Computer Science, reflecting the high levels of expertise and knowledge that exists across the two areas. Why Durham University? The Business School itself is one of the longest established in the UK with a reputation for academic excellence and state-of-the-art learning facilities. It is also one of an elite group of institutions in the UK to be accredited by all three major business education accreditation bodies: the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS). The Department of Computer Science is one of Durham’s newest academic departments, having rapidly grown to be a thriving home for staff, undergraduates, postgraduates, and visitors. Ranked 9th in the Complete University Guide 2025, the Department delivers high-quality teaching and research and offers a friendly and inclusive place to study and work for all. We recruit students from around the world onto our postgraduate programmes. Our students take part in live business projects, internships and placements as part of their studies, enabling them to apply their knowledge to practical challenges in the most forward thinking companies. We have an active alumni network of more than 36,000 graduates in over 140 countries. Rankings 6th (UK) 19th (Europe) 51-60th (Global) - QS World University Rankings: Masters in Business Analytics 2025 Facilities The Department is located in a £40 million purpose-built building in the heart of Durham at Upper Mountjoy and features open-plan work areas, breakout spaces for collaboration projects, laboratories and computer rooms. We are fortunate to have supercomputers for High-Performance Computing and for data analysis and machine learning as well as access to several visualisation and data postprocessing laboratories. We are also able to host local computer hardware which give postgraduate researchers a safe environment to test prototype solutions, explore innovative technologies they are developing or to actually design new solutions. Careers Opportunities Computer Science Many postgraduates have gone on to work as software engineers, analysts, consultants, programmers and developers. Some have founded their own start-ups or work in leading software companies, high-technology consultancies, banking and finance, retail, engineering, the communications and IT industry. The Department has strong research links, spanning both industry and government, including the automotive sector with Jaguar Land Rover and Renault, the defence and security sector with QinetiQ and Boeing, with government in the Civil Service and at GCHQ and in the manufacturing sector with Procter & Gamble. Other high-profile employers include BAE Systems, Google and BT. Marketing and Management The knowledge and understanding you develop reflect the Department’s values of sustainability, wellbeing and equality of opportunity across the globe. You gain a combination of analytical and practical skills that employers value, such as independent thinking and problem-solving, and are able to enhance your people skills that are essential in business and much sought after by employers.