Transform your career with real-world skills in data, AI and business problem-solving.
How will you set your career on the fast track in a data-driven world?
If you’re looking to pivot into the fast-paced world of analytics or upskill for a data-driven future, this course offers a powerful blend of business strategy and technical know-how.
Work with real data and tools, like Python and machine learning libraries, to extract insights that matter - all taught through real-world business challenges.
You’ll work with up-to-date tools, large data sets and simulated environments, learning how to extract insights that drive impact.
Our programme is designed for students from diverse academic backgrounds, including those new to analytics. This course bridges the technical and practical - ideal if you’re new to analytics but want to make an immediate impact in the workplace.
With a curriculum shaped by employer needs and global trends, you’ll graduate ready for roles in consultancy, data analysis and more - with the experience and confidence to solve real business problems using data.
The following modules are what students will typically study, but this may change year to year in response to new developments and innovations.
You take all compulsory modules and choose one of 'Supply Chain Analytics' or 'Warehousing & Global Transportation Management'.
In your final term, you will choose one of our capstone modules, either 'The Business Analytics Challenge' or the 'Professional Placement/Internship'.
The Professional Placement/Internship module will give you the chance to work in a business as part of your degree, getting real world experience alongside your learning. Whereas the Business Analytics Challenge is the perfect module for you to prepare for a career as a consultant. You'll pitch solutions to real organisational problems and create a consultancy report, demonstrating your skills and knowledge.
Whichever option you choose, you will be engaging with real problems in real businesses, giving you crucial experience and expanding your network. So you can make rapid progress in your career.
Compulsory modules currently include the following
This module offers you a thrilling path to becoming a skilled and forward-thinking data expert. You will unleash the power of data and artificial intelligence for a competitive edge in the world of big data analytics. This module dives into two key areas.
The first is theoretical foundations where you will uncover the theories behind big data analytics, text mining, and social media data mining, learn to create impactful data visualisations and explore real-world applications addressing current industry challenges.
The other is practical skills and insights, where you will gain hands-on experience with SQL, NoSQL databases, Apache Spark, and Python, and develop the expertise to solve complex business problems, becoming a data-driven leader capable of leveraging big data for significant business value.
The aim of this module is to enable students to use spreadsheets (Microsoft Excel) to structure, analyse and solve a variety of business problems related to practical issues such as sustainability and healthcare.
It will also provide the students with actionable knowledge of Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) as a means to automate Excel functionalities and create user-friendly applications.
This module aims to systematically equip students with modern machine learning theory and methods for business data analysis, including both supervised learning (e.g. regression and classification).and unsupervised learning (e.g. association rule discovery and cluster analysis).
Student will also learn multiple forecasting methods, including exponential smoothing methods, the Box-Jenkins method (i.e. the ARIMA model and variants), and deep learning methods for sequential data analysis.
Students will learn systematically the modelling process by carrying out a data analysis project, analysing real-world datasets, and writing a data analysis report, on which students need to collect data, develop models on the data, diagnose and validate the models, improve the models, select models with the best performance, and interpret the models for end users.
Simulation allows you to experiment with digital models of real-world processes to make evidence-based decisions. You will use industry standard simulation software to develop complex models for a variety of contexts such as healthcare and manufacturing. By the end of the module you will gain an understanding of the simulation modelling process so you can go on to develop simulation models and support real world interventions aiming for efficiency and effectiveness.
In this module, you will look at a variety of complex real-world business and management type problems, learn structured decision-making modelling and solution techniques such as linear programming, network models, and integer programming, and perform analysis by hand and by Excel/OPL-CPLEX software. The aims of these techniques are to improve system efficiency, increasing profits or reducing cost and hence the module is related to achieving almost all the Sustainable Development Goals (e.g. SDGs #9 and #12 on industry infrastructure, transportation and logistics design etc.).
Employers are in search for individuals who possess logical thinking, analytical capability, leadership, communication and the ability to work under pressure. This module develops the essential knowledge and skills for students to successfully navigate the course of study and culminate in completing a consultancy project. It has the following themed workshops: Essential data skills: statistics and programming for business analytics; Develop soft skills: how to write a powerful business report; and Develop personal development skills: reflections on the business analytics challenge.
Optional modules may include the following
This module provides students with the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills acquired from other modules in the MSc Business Analytics program. Working with real-world business analytics challenges derived from either a company partner's dataset or an expert-curated dataset, students collaborate in groups to solve practical problems that require both application-oriented thinking and teamwork. These challenges encompass a diverse range of tasks, including analysing marketing campaigns, ranking credit risks, optimising capital investments, forecasting sales trends, simulating patient flow through hospitals, and extracting patterns from large datasets.
Thinking about a career in a private sector? Or maybe you’re contemplating a career in the public or voluntary sector? Then this could be the module for you. This module builds on your previous subject specific learning, and enhances your understanding of how organisations operate in practice. You have the opportunity to gain experience whilst still on the postgraduate course and apply learning gained on the course. You will be able to reflect on the placement experience and how this relates to your academic knowledge. You will further enhance your critical thinking, communication, professional behaviours and resilience. Placements/Internships are not guaranteed and the University Careers and Employability team will be supporting you every step of the way.
Large volumes of data are usually produced by supply chains. By identifying trends and producing insights, supply chain analytics aids in making sense of all this data.
Supply chain modelling and analytics skills are in high demand and are a must-have for a successful supply chain management career. You will learn to formulate key activities of the supply chain while emphasizing both the need for formulation and implementation. These include Networks and Routing Transportation models, Resource Allocation and Production Scheduling models, Inventory management models, and Project Management.
You will learn how to use analytics techniques, such as Forecasting, Regression, Descriptive analytics, Probability and Decision Analysis and Optimisation, which can be applied to improve supply chains’ efficiency and effectiveness by enabling data-driven decisions.
As critical components of supply chains, warehousing & global transportation management decisions have massive impact on global business & trade.
Throughout the course, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of warehouse operations, including layout optimisation and the analytics behind inventory management. You will explore the transportation systems that enable global trade gaining insight into the documentation, techniques, and systems that enable global movement of goods.
Emphasising real-world applications, this module equips you with the skills to analyse logistical challenges, implement efficient solutions, and foster a competitive edge for organisations with a focus on sustainability. Upon completion, you will emerge with a nuanced understanding of warehouse management principles and transportation logistics, prepared to tackle the demands of the supply chain world.
Here’s a sample timetable from your first term at Kent. You'll learn through a mix of lectures, seminars and workshops - in both big and small groups with focused teaching blocks and time to work, rest or explore uni life.
Items in green are confirmed, whereas anything marked yellow could be scheduled at a different time or day depending on your group, but this gives a good sense of what to expect.
Plan your week better: at least one free weekday for catching up on course work or just taking a breather.
Focused days without burnout: No isolated 1-hour campus days.
Time to live the uni experience: Space for societies, part-time jobs and downtime.
2.2 or above
A minimum of a second-class UK degree, or an equivalent internationally recognised qualification in any subject area is needed for this course. Basic quantitative skills are desirable.
All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications.
The 2026/27 annual tuition fees for this course are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
Tuition fees may be increased in the second and subsequent years of your course. Detailed information on possible future increases in tuition fees is contained in the Tuition Fees Increase Policy.
The 2026/27 annual tuition fees for UK postgraduate research courses have not yet been set by the Research Councils UK. This is ordinarily announced in March. As a guide only, the full-time tuition fee for new and returning UK postgraduate research courses for 2025/26 is £5,006.
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
You'll need regular access to a desktop computer/laptop with an internet connection to use the University of Kent’s online resources and systems. We've listed some guidelines for the technology and software you'll need for your studies.
Find out more about student accommodation and living costs, as well as general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Search our scholarships finder for possible funding opportunities. You may find it helpful to look at both:
Kent is a leading research university, meaning that you will be informed about new discussions and developments by the people making them. This means your work will have real potential to make a difference.
From the moment you start with us, our efforts are focused on helping you gain the knowledge, skills and experience you need to thrive in an increasingly competitive workplace. As part of the course, you may wish to undertake a Placement or to work on a real business case study as part of your capstone Research project. Go on our Business Start-up Journey and transform your idea into a business through ASPIRE. Our qualified careers practitioners provide support for up to three years after graduation.
Our careers and employability support at Kent Business School is designed to make sure you are ready to hit the ground running when you graduate, when you study with us you can expect:
Additionally, the Postgraduate Employability Edge programme, available to postgraduate students at Kent Business School takes place from Welcome Week until the end of your studies and is designed to enhance your career prospects further.
Our MSc Business Analytics graduates find work in public and private sectors, both overseas and in the UK, in a wide range of companies and organisations, including:
Many of our students also stay local and find job opportunities regionally in small and medium firms or even set up their own businesses as well-equipped entrepreneurs.
86% of employers
A degree can boost average lifetime earnings by over
Learn more about the application process or begin your application by clicking on a link below.
You will be able to choose your preferred year of entry once you have started your application. You can also save and return to your application at any time.
