KU Business launches online master’s in business analytics for professionals

KU Business is adding an online master of science in business analytics in fall 2026, a 30-credit, STEM-designated degree built for working professionals who want to move from reporting to strategic decision-making without stepping away from their careers.

For Lawrence and the rest of Douglas County, the program is less about another KU credential and more about talent retention. It gives local workers a way to upgrade their data skills while staying employed, and it gives area employers a nearby pipeline for the kind of analysts who can turn numbers into business decisions.

KU set the online program at $895 per credit hour, which puts the tuition at $26,850 before fees. The school says students can finish the degree in as few as 21 months by taking one class at a time. Applications are already being accepted for fall 2026 enrollment, and prospective students can reach the program at 855-639-7799.

The curriculum centers on statistical modeling, machine learning, artificial intelligence and business applications. KU says the goal is not simply to produce people who can pull reports, but professionals who can use data in budgeting, forecasting, operations and strategy. That is the kind of skill set that matters across the local economy, where employers in higher education, health care, public administration, retail and professional services increasingly rely on data to manage staffing, service delivery and costs.

The new online degree mirrors KU’s in-person MSBA on the Lawrence campus, which launched in fall 2020 after the university announced it in 2019. The academic catalog lists the campus-based degree at 30.5 credit hours, while the online version is listed at 30 credits. KU also already offers a campus MBA and business analytics dual degree that can be completed in about two years, and the new online format opens the door to a fully online MBA/MSBA path.

The launch fits into a broader digital growth strategy for the School of Business. KU said it enrolled 4,633 students in fall 2025, and its online MBA is ranked No. 8 among online MBA programs and is AACSB-accredited. The university is again partnering with Everspring on the new online MSBA, extending a collaboration that has supported KU’s online graduate business offerings for more than a decade.

For Douglas County, the practical effect is simple: a midcareer worker in Lawrence can earn a graduate analytics degree without leaving the job market, and a local employer gets a stronger chance of keeping that worker close to home.