FAQ

1. Whom can I contact for information on Business Decision Analytics (BDAN) major?
2. What is Business Decision Analytics (BDAN) major? What streams can I choose?
3. Can we enroll in Joint Bachelor's Degree Programme with Columbia University in New York?
4. Can we take double major? Which second major can I take?
5. What professional examinations can I attempt?
6. What are the career prospects of BDAN graduates?
7. Do I need to have strong mathematics / statistics background?
8. Do I need to have computer / programming knowledge? Any support from the Department?
9. Are there any scholarships and awards?
10. Are there any internship opportunities?
11. Are there any exchange and study tour opportunities?

1. Whom can I contact for information on Business Decision Analytics (BDAN) major?

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2. What is Business Decision Analytics (BDAN) major? What streams can I choose?

• BDAN aims to use business analytics, data analytics and computer software/information technology to solve business problems and achieve better performance.
• It has 2 study streams: Decision Analytics Stream and Data Informatics Stream
• Decision Analytics Stream provides professional training in business analytics and statistics and their applications in many business areas:
  • Business Intelligence / Big Data Analytics: ability to get useful information from huge data using SAS, SPSS, R, Python and Excel VBA computing software to identify and develop new business opportunities.
  • Financial Risk Analytics: techniques to measure and manage risks in financial industries.
  • Marketing Analytics: statistical and quantitative methods to solve business problems particularly in marketing or marketing research areas.
• Data Informatics Stream provide professional training in both data analytics and information management:
  • data analytics : ability to analyse data using computer software popularly used in the global business world
  • information management : provide training in information technologies for big data, database management and business intelligence

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3. Can we enroll in Joint Bachelor's Degree Programme with Columbia University in New York?

• BBA4 Business Analysis Stream and Decision Analytics Stream students are eligible to apply for the Joint Bachelor's Degree Programme with Columbia University in New York (https://gs.columbia.edu/cityu-hk/majors-and-concentrations). Upon graduation and meeting all requirements of the two universities, students will obtain two bachelor's degrees.

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4. Can we take double major? Which second major can I take?

• Decision Analytics Stream students are eligible to take one more of the following majors as their second major: (with 6 pairs of combination provided for students to decide)
  • Business Economics (BE)
  • Finance (FIN)
  • Global Operations Management (GOM)
  • Information Management (Business Intelligence) (BI)
  • Management (Human Resource Management) (HRM)
  • Marketing (MKT)
  *Special Arrangements have been made with other BBA majors offered by the College of Business, with no extra credits to be taken. The above second major selections are reviewed annually and adjusted according to demand. For details of the arrangement, please visit https://www.cb.cityu.edu.hk/bba/4year/second_major/.

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5. What professional qualification can I attempt?

BDAN major enables students of Decision Analytics Stream to obtain internationally recognized professional qualifications including

• SAS Foundation Certification (Base SAS)
• SAS Advanced Analytics Certification (Advanced SAS)
• SAS Enterprise Miner Exam
• The Financial Risk Manager Part 1

BDAN major enables students of Data Informatics Stream to obtain internationally recognized professional qualifications including

• SAS Foundation Certification (Base SAS)

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6. What are the career prospects of BDAN graduates?

• Past graduates of Decision Analytics Stream work in: banking and financial sector, marketing and market research companies, retail and services industry, accounting firms, government departments, public utilities corporations.
• The job titles of past graduates of Decision Analytics Stream: credit risk analyst / officer, database marketing executive, customer data analyst, market research analyst, business intelligence consultant, business development executives, research manager etc.

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7. Do I need to have strong mathematics / statistics background?

• BDAN is application-oriented and emphasize on applications of statistical and quantitative techniques to solve business problems.
• BDAN is not teaching theoretical statistics and does not need HKDSE M1 or M2 mathematics background.
• Basic Statistics will be taught before advanced techniques.

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8. Do I need to have computer / programming knowledge? Any support from the Department?

• BDAN teaches students to use popularly used computer software to manage and analyse large volume of business data. Students do not need computer/programming background but must be interested to learn computer software.

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9. Are there any scholarships and awards?

The Department awards students by various scholarships every year, including:

• The Department of Management Sciences Outstanding Student Prizes and Scholarships
• The Department of Management Sciences Academic Progress Awards
• The Department of Management Sciences Student Development Scholarships
• Pang Yu Wa Scholarship
• Data Mining Challenge Award (Sponsored by SAS Institute)
• Predictive Analytics and Forecasting Award (Sponsored by IOTHK Association)
• Please refer to department website
  (https://www.cb.cityu.edu.hk/ms/students-alumni/scholarships-awards) for details. 

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10. Are there any internship opportunities?

• College level -- CB3800 Business Practice Internship
• Department level -- MS3403 Internship for Management Sciences, MS3404 Internship for Internship, Training and Career Development
• Please refer to department website
  (https://www.cb.cityu.edu.hk/ms/students-alumni/student-enrichment/ms-internship-program) for details.

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11. Are there any exchange and study tour opportunities?

• There are 3 levels of the Student Exchange program
  • Institutional,
  • College and
  • Departmental levels.
• For department level, the Department has its own exchange partners, including universities in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, and the Mainland.
• Students joining the exchange program can transfer the college core, college electives, major core, major electives, GE, minor and elective courses.
• MS department also organizes study tours from time to time to provide students with a more global perspective.
• Please refer to department website
  (https://www.cb.cityu.edu.hk/ms/students-alumni/student-enrichment/exchange) for details.

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