University of Chicago Launches Joint MBA, Master’s in Data Science Program

• The University of Chicago Booth School of Business is offering a joint master of business administration (MBA) and master's in applied data science program.
• The joint program will feature 14 classes toward an MBA degree and nine toward the master's in applied data science degree.
• The joint degree program comes as demand for data skills is skyrocketing.
• A growing number of business schools are incorporating data into their MBA programs.

Data is a high-demand skill for master of business administration (MBA) students and employers alike — and a top business school is offering a joint degree in that field.

Students at the University of Chicago (UChicago) Booth School of Business can now pursue both an MBA and master's in applied data science as part of a new joint program. That will help students both sharpen high-demand data skills with curriculum from the UChicago Physical Sciences Division (PSD) and learn from the already future-focused MBA curriculum at Booth, according to a school press release.

"The joint Booth MBA and PSD Master's in Applied Data Science equips aspiring leaders with the strategic business acumen of Booth — coupled with a technical mastery of data science and A.I. (artificial intelligence) — to offer an unparalleled competitive advantage," Greg Green, a UChicago professor and program director of the MS in Applied Data Science, said in the release.

The joint program will feature 14 classes toward an MBA degree and nine toward the master's in applied data science degree.

The joint degree program comes amid high employer demand for data skills.

A master's in applied data science helps students develop analytical skills and work with large data sets — and can unlock key jobs in fast-growing fields. Coupled with an MBA, which covers a wide range of leadership and management skills, the joint degree could position students for job prospects in higher-paying areas.

Data analytics as an MBA concentration alone can lead to higher earnings across multiple sectors as virtually every industry grapples with an ever-growing trove of data.

A growing number of universities are incorporating fields like data analytics, cybersecurity, sustainability, and other science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines into their MBA curriculum.

Binghamton University in New York last November announced a new STEM designation for its MBA program. Last August, Emory University in Atlanta announced a STEM designation for the revamped bachelor of business administration program at its Goizueta Business School. The University of North Carolina Wilmington's Cameron School of Business also received a federal STEM designation last August, becoming the third within the University of North Carolina system to do so.