MSBAi: Master of Science in Business Analytics - Online
AI-First · Project-Based · Flexible · Affordable
Welcome to the MSBAi curriculum design documentation. This site contains program planning documents for the Master of Science in Business Analytics - Online degree at Gies College of Business, University of Illinois, launching Fall 2026.
Single source of truth: All program-level facts (credits, duration, course sequence, faculty) are maintained in program/CURRICULUM.md. This page summarizes key facts — refer to CURRICULUM.md for authoritative details.
Quick Start for Faculty & Admin
Core Planning Documents
| Course |
Type |
Credits |
Term |
Syllabus |
| BADM 554 - Data Foundations |
Core |
4 |
Fall 1 2026 (Wk 1-8) |
BADM554 |
| BDI 513 - Data Storytelling |
Core |
4 |
Fall 2026 (Wk 5-12) |
BDI513 |
| FIN 550 - Predictive Analytics for Business |
Core |
4 |
Fall 2 2026 (Wk 9-16) |
FIN550 |
| BADM 558 - Big Data Infrastructure |
Elective |
4 |
Spring 1 2027 (Wk 1-8) |
BADM558 |
| Generative AI for Analytics |
Elective (TBD) |
2 |
Spring 1 2027 (Wk 5-8) |
GenAI |
| Quantum Computing for Optimization |
Elective |
2 |
Spring 2 2027 (Wk 9-12) |
Quantum |
| BADM 557 - Decision Intelligence with AI |
Elective |
4 |
Summer 2027 (Wk 1-8) |
BADM557 |
| BADM 576 - Data Science & ML |
Elective |
4 |
Fall 1 2027 (Wk 1-8) |
BADM576 |
| Elective 3 (TBD) |
Elective |
4 |
Fall 2 2027 (Wk 9-16) |
Options |
| Capstone |
Capstone |
4 |
Spring 1 2028 (Wk 1-8) |
Capstone |
Program Design & Operations
Program At A Glance
Structure
- Duration: 18 months (4 semesters + 1 summer)
- Total Credits: 36 (24 core + 8 elective + 4 capstone)
- Format: 8-week courses within 16-week semesters
- Delivery: Asynchronous-first + weekly synchronous studio sessions
- Common Thread: Python + Jupyter Notebooks across all courses
- Start: Fall 2026
Credit Distribution by Semester
- Fall 2026: 12 credits (3 courses)
- Spring 2027: 8 credits (3 courses including 2 mini-courses)
- Summer 2027: 4 credits (1 course)
- Fall 2027: 8 credits (2 courses)
- Spring 2028: 4 credits (capstone)
Key Features
- AI-First: Every course integrates AI tools (Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot)
- Project-Based: 2-3 major projects per course, no traditional exams
- Python + Jupyter: Universal computational backbone
- Studio Sessions: Weekly live project-focused sessions with faculty
- GitHub Integration: All student code on GitHub
| *Last Updated: February 2026 |
Gies College of Business* |