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MSBAi Curriculum: Single Source of Truth

Program: Master of Science in Business Analytics - Online (MSBAi) Institution: Gies College of Business, University of Illinois Launch: Fall 2026 Total Duration: 15 months (3 semesters + 1 summer) Total Credits: 36 Format: 8-week courses within 16-week semesters Common Thread: Python + Jupyter Notebooks across all courses STEM Designation: Not STEM designated (pending formal confirmation with Lorena — see OPEN_QUESTIONS.md “Admissions & Marketing — From 5/28 Email”)

Course Development Status

Each course page carries a status badge. The convention:

Preparatory Coursework (Staggered Model — Confirmed 2026-05-18)

Preparatory coursework is staggered, with each module timed to the first course that applies it. Two tiers:

Required, proof of completion (gated by registration hold)

Self-diagnostic (ungated, completion not required)

Source: DECISIONS.md “Preparatory coursework: staggered completion model” (2026-05-18); “Prep course module structure and delivery model” (2026-05-22); “FIN 550 stats prep: BADM 572 MOOCs confirmed; Program Foundational Stats ruled out” (2026-05-22); “BDI 513 Python & Tools prep: Coursera replaces DataCamp” (2026-05-22).

Target student: Career pivoters (age 25-40) from technical/STEM or non-analytics backgrounds. See program/target_profile.md for full profile and admission criteria.

Program Timeline

Fall 2026 Semester (16 weeks)

Student Experience:

• Weeks 1-4: BADM 554 only (foundations)
• Weeks 5-8: BADM 554 + BDI 513 (overlap)
• Weeks 9-12: BDI 513 + FIN 550 (overlap)
• Weeks 13-16: FIN 550 only (finish strong)

Spring 2027 Semester (16 weeks)

Sequence revised 2026-06-01; POT dates confirmed 2026-06-02 (Maria Rodas with Ashish/Abhijeet/Nathan; POT dates per Heather Aldridge, iDegrees): the two 2-cr quantum courses are combined into one 4-cr 8-week course (POT A start Jan 19, 2027), BADM 558 shifts to a Feb 15 start (wks 5-12), and Agentic AI starts Mar 15 (POT B). Course number is BADM 590 — a temporary number intentionally shared by both new courses (Quantum Approaches + Agentic AI) for year 1; permanent distinct numbers assigned later. MLK Day (Jan 18) falls the day before POT A — Week 1 live/studio scheduling TBD. See DECISIONS.md “Spring 2027 sequence revised.”

Student Experience:

• Weeks 1-4: Quantum Approaches for Decision Making — Part 1 (Quantum Cognition), 4-cr course running solo
• Weeks 5-8: Quantum Approaches — Part 2 (Quantum Computing) + BADM 558 starts = 8 credits simultaneously
• Weeks 9-12: BADM 558 (finishing) + Agentic AI starts = 8 credits simultaneously
• Weeks 13-16: Agentic AI (4 cr) only — finish strong

Concurrency note: the revised sequence creates two 8-credit concurrent stretches (wks 5-8, 9-12), heavier than the prior 6-cr symmetric design. Flagged for faculty deliverable-timing coordination in the wks 5-8 overlap (Quantum Pt 2 + BADM 558).

Summer 2027 (8 weeks)

Cumulative after Summer 2027: 28 credits

Fall 2027 Semester (16 weeks)

Program Total: 36 credits

Credit Breakdown

Core Courses (16 credits)

Advanced Courses (8 credits)

Required Electives (8 credits)

Practicum (4 credits)

Faculty Assignments

Key Design Rules

1. 8-Week Courses in 16-Week Semesters

• Each course is 8 weeks long (half a traditional semester)
• Students take 2-3 courses per semester
• Courses can run in first half (weeks 1-8), second half (weeks 9-16), or straddle both (e.g., weeks 5-12)

2. Week Numbering Resets Each Semester

• Fall 2026: Weeks 1-16
• Spring 2027: Weeks 1-16
• Summer 2027: Weeks 1-8
• Fall 2027: Weeks 1-16

3. Straddling Courses

• BDI 513 (Fall 2026): Weeks 5-12 (straddles Fall 1 + Fall 2)
  • Starts week 5 when BADM 554 content is established
  • Ends week 12 before FIN 550 ramps up

4. Credit Distribution by Semester

• Fall 2026: 12 credits
• Spring 2027: 12 credits
• Summer 2027: 4 credits
• Fall 2027: 8 credits

This is the single source of truth for all program-level facts. All other documents should reference this file rather than duplicating program parameters.