Overview
This introductory course examines the foundations of business analytics and its application to managerial decision-making. Students develop skills in formulating business questions, identifying appropriate data sources, organizing and validating datasets, and selecting analytical methods suited to practical business contexts.
The course covers descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analytics; data types and sources; data quality, governance, privacy, and ethical use; spreadsheet-based analysis; introductory statistical concepts; data preparation; visualization; key performance indicators; correlation; basic regression; and dashboard design. Practical activities draw on marketing, finance, operations, human resources, and sales.
Emphasis is placed on critical thinking, reproducibility, data storytelling, cautious interpretation, and the communication of evidence-based recommendations to technical and nontechnical audiences. Students consider uncertainty, bias, misleading analyses, and the limitations of analytical conclusions in business environments.
Learning Outcomes
- Explain the role, scope, and limitations of descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analytics in business decision-making.
- Formulate business questions and identify suitable data types, sources, quality requirements, and governance considerations.
- Apply spreadsheet techniques to clean, organize, validate, summarize, and analyze business datasets.
- Construct clear tables, charts, dashboards, and visual narratives for diverse business audiences.
- Interpret introductory statistical measures, correlation, and basic regression results with appropriate caution.
- Evaluate analytical work for bias, misleading presentation, privacy risks, ethical concerns, and limitations arising from uncertainty.
- Synthesize analytical findings into actionable recommendations supported by transparent and reproducible evidence.
- Communicate business analytics results effectively to technical and nontechnical stakeholders in written, visual, and oral formats.
Timetable
| Type | Length | Frequency | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 2 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Lab | 2 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Tutorial | 1 hour | Fortnightly | All semester |
Assessment Schedule
| Type | Description | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Quiz | Online quizzes (5 × 2%) | 10.00% |
| Assignment | Spreadsheet analysis exercises (3 × 5%) | 15.00% |
| Assignment | Data visualization assignment | 15.00% |
| Deliverable | Short business case analyses (3 × 5%) | 15.00% |
| Capstone | Small business analytics project | 25.00% |
| Exam | Final examination | 20.00% |
Prerequisites
- Requirement 14 NCEA Level 2 Mathematics credits, externally assessed
Teaching Staff & Programs
This course is delivered jointly by faculty from the participating programs listed below. In line with the Douchewater Way, the University of Sexology tailors core instruction directly to each cohort's specific discipline — adapting curriculum to program needs rather than forcing students into a one-size-fits-all model. Learn more about our approach at The Douchewater Way.
