Online Master of Science in Big Data Analytics

About the Program

SDSU’s online Master of Science in Big Data Analytics program is a transdisciplinary online graduate program that combines technology, business, engineering, science, and social science. In just 16 months, you’ll learn how to compile large data sets, analyze them, and use the results to find patterns, correlations, and insights that businesses and organizations frequently use to make informed day-to-day decisions and drive high-level strategies.

The program, which is offered every fall semester, takes a flexible dual-core online approach that will help you enhance your computational skills, as well as your analytical methods for both data models and business applications. With SDSU’s online Big Data Analytics program, you’ll become an active participant in the exciting future of Big Data.

Is This Program Right for Me?

SDSU’s online Master of Science in Big Data Analytics program is flexible, 100% online, and efficient, which makes it ideal for currently-working professionals. The program is designed for career-driven individuals who are interested in using mathematics and analytics to uncover data sets that can be used to guide business decisions, healthcare policies, engineering projects, and much more.

You’ll take online courses designed and delivered by the same expert instructors that teach on-campus courses at SDSU’s Center for Human Dynamics in the Mobile Age, a research institute of SDSU’s College of Arts and Letters.

Best of all, upon graduation, you’ll have earned the same reputable degree as SDSU’s on-campus students: a Master of Science Degree in Big Data Analytics from San Diego State University.

What Can I Learn?

The primary focus of SDSU’s online M.S. in Big Data Analytics program is on data science, data analytics, and the application of Big Data Analytics to various fields — especially business analytics. The dual-core curriculum focuses on both computational skills (programming languages and software) and analytical methods (data mining, statistics, machine learning, spatiotemporal analysis, visualization) for data models and business applications.

The Big Data Analytics program also works closely with SDSU’s Center for Human Dynamics in the Mobile Age (HDMA) which focuses on the research opportunities that spring from the convergence of new developments in spatial science, mobile technology, big data, and social behavior research. Students and faculty have collaborated to produce research projects that include:

• SMART Dashboard

  The Social Media Analytic and Research Testbed (SMART) Dashboard is a Geo-Targeted search tool for Twitter messages that’s designed to monitor the diffusion of information and social behavior changes. The Dashboard provides an automatic procedure to help researchers to search geographically in cities, filter noises, and analyze social media data from a spatiotemporal perspective.

• COVID-19 Research Hub

  Through the use of GIS, social media analytics, and data science approaches, the Center for Human Dynamics in the Mobile Age at San Diego State University are developing analytic dashboards, GIS maps, and visualization graphs to track and monitor COVID-19 outbreaks and impacts to our regional and local communities in San Diego and California.

Career Outcomes

Data analysis is a rapidly growing field with many lucrative opportunities for those with the necessary qualifications and experience. In the past year, there were nearly 85,000 job openings for data analysts across the nation, and those numbers are projected to grow by more than 9% over the next decade. 27% of those jobs postings were in the fields of finance and insurance, with an additional 25% in professional, scientific, and technical services.

Compensation for data analysts is also tied closely to experience. Those with 3-5 years experience can expect to earn an average annual salary of $78,600. At 6-8 years experience, data analysts make an average of nearly $90,000 per year. Finally, data analysts who hold a master’s degree can expect to earn anywhere from $65,000-$103,500 per year, depending on their experience.

Why Should You Choose Us?

Diversity

SDSU’s online BDA program is a diverse academic community. Your classmates come from a variety of professional backgrounds, including social science, business, GIS, biology, public health, engineering, and computer science. Through guided discussions, online forums, and interactive lessons, you’ll have the opportunity to join a collaborative network of data science professionals that spans a variety of professional and academic fields.

Reputation

Earning your M.S. in Big Data Analytics San Diego State University means that you’re earning a degree that carries weight in the professional world. As a school, we’re ranked in the top 140 national universities and in the top 70 public universities. SDSU is also home to one of California’s top 10 Computer and Information Science programs. Students and instructors work in tandem to conduct cutting-edge research through SDSU’s Center for Human Dynamics in the Mobile Age (HDMA).

Accessibility

SDSU’s online M.S. in Big Data Analytics program is designed to help working professionals advance their existing careers without putting their professional lives on hold. Often, earning a graduate degree means taking time out of your schedule to come to classes on a college campus. For students with families and full-time or part-time jobs, that can make earning a degree to increase their earning potential extremely difficult and time-consuming. This program removes those barriers, making it easier to earn a high-quality graduate degree from a reputable university on your schedule.