A graduate program designed to harness the power of data and technology is taking the next step to meet students where they are.  

Beginning in the fall semester 2020, select students enrolled in Fisher’s Specialized Master in Business–Analytics  (SMB-A) program will be able to live-stream and complete the program’s Saturday instructional sessions online. The new method of delivery, which is available to those who reside outside the Columbus, Ohio-metro area, provides students the ability to earn a specialized business analytics degree entirely online. 

“The SMB-A program is built on the fundamentals of understanding the incredible power that data, as well as the technology that yields this data, can provide,” said Bennett Tepper, associate dean for graduate programs at Fisher. “The addition of the live-streaming option to the SMB-A was a logical next step in Fisher's mission to meet today's needs of business leaders through continuous innovation in our programs and in how we deliver them.” 

Launched in 2017, the SMB-A incorporates the hallmarks and differentiators of a Fisher education. In addition to a curriculum built around descriptive, predictive and prescriptive analytics, the specialized degree provides students the opportunity to complete a capstone project using real data from students’ employers or from other organizations partnered with the SMB-A program. The result is a rigorous, hands-on and fast-paced experience that reflects today’s intersection of technology, business and analytics. 

The addition of live-streaming to the 10-month, hybrid program further accommodates the schedules of working professionals who reside 50 or more miles away from Ohio State’s main campus while maintaining access to in-person instruction for those in and around Columbus. 

“The circumstances of the last few months have clearly illustrated that remote work and distance education can be effective and powerful tools for personal growth and professional development,” Tepper said. “We are excited to add another pathway through which we are able to provide professionals with an understanding of the science of data analytics and its impact on business innovation, productivity and growth.”