There was once again significant global interest in the international degree programmes starting at the University of Oulu in the autumn of 2024. A total of 5,547 applications from 4,338 applicants were received for the Oulu Business School's study programs. The most popular choice for both the business school and the entire university was the Master's Programme in Business Analytics, with 1,522 applications and an impressive growth rate of 311% compared to the previous year.
The International Master's Programme in Business Analytics commenced at the University of Oulu in 2021 as a result of collaboration between Oulu Business School and the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering. The programme uniquely integrates expertise and strengths from the fields of business, information technology, and computer science.
Assistant Professor of Business Analytics, Docent Timo Koivumäki from the Martti Ahtisaari Institute, reflects on the factors contributing to the programme's popularity. According to Koivumäki, based on interviews conducted with applicants last year, the University of Oulu's Master's Programme in Business Analytics stood out globally for two main reasons: "Our programme distinctly emphasizes the business perspective of utilizing analytics, while similar programmes elsewhere tend to focus more on data analytics alone. Another advantage is our strong practical collaboration with businesses at the course level, allowing students to work on real business analytics problems and challenges."
The demand for business analytics expertise is currently and will continue to be high, as indicated by the results of the Dataki research project. In this joint initiative involving Martti Ahtisaari Institute, Oulu University of Applied Sciences, and the City of Oulu, the needs and challenges of small and medium-sized enterprises regarding data and analytics were extensively explored, revealing a clear demand for analytics skills. Addressing this challenge is the Oulu Business School and the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering's Master's Programme in Business Analytics, which trains future professionals in analytics.
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Oulu Business School’s international programmes remained popular
Over 21,000 applications for the University of Oulu's international degree programmes