Data Analytics

2.5 credits

This course provides an introduction to utilizing data and data analytics to inform decision-making. Extracting information from data has become an integral part of modern business management, from sports teams, to Wall Street, to Silicon Valley. GBA 412 will de-mystify statistics, enabling students to thrive in a competitive market for data-based decision-making. After building core statistical and decision theoretic tools, this course will introduce you to different types of data and provide you with a set of analytical methods that apply to each. We introduce basic notions of probability and randomness, transition to data visualization techniques, and conclude with the basis of modern data science: prediction and multiple regression. Connections to other Simon classes will be emphasized, as will a hands-on approach to data analysis (laptop computers are required for every class). In the process, students learn to ask the right questions, seek out the relevant data, apply appropriate methods, and effectively communicate your insights to your target audience.