The Business Analytics Specialization is typically best-suited to be paired with another Specialization, however it can work well if you are interested in using your remaining electives to explore other areas of academic interest at uWaterloo. The aim of the Business Analytics specialization is not to teach you how to be a full-time programmer, rather it’s to make you ‘brilliant at the basics, develop your fluency in the ‘language of business analytics’, and equip you with a deep understanding of what’s possible with the use of these powerful tools.
If you are interested in a leadership role in the private or public sector, pairing this Specialization with the Professional Accountant Specialization and then setting your sites on industry, professional services or government could be very worthwhile and rewarding. Corporations are not only using analytical tools to optimize operations, manage risk, identify market opportunities, manage client relationships, hire and retain the best staff, and manage capital. These tools and capabilities are also transforming organizations’ very existence, inspiring new business models, and equipping governments with the means for new public services. In the public accounting sector, opportunities are available for assurance professionals who are data savvy, and even taxation practices are seeking people with solid data analytics skills. This Specialization will also be appealing to you if you are interested in the financial services sector as well, either in the management of the institutions or in client-facing roles in asset management or securities trading where analytics is having transformational impact.
