Athens State University will begin to offer a new Master’s program in January for the Spring 2021 semester. The Masters of Science in Strategic Leadership and Business Analytics (M.S. SLBA) will help meet the growing demand for business leaders locally and nationally who have a strong technical and analytical background. This program will be the first of its kind offered by any institution not only in Alabama but also nationally.
The M.S. SLBA program focuses on business and leadership education needed by individuals to succeed in a complex and global business environment. The curriculum is grounded in global strategic leadership, strategic human resource management, strategy development, and implementation/operations management, complex negotiations, and managing risks and complex change, but also emphasizes business analytics, such as descriptive, predicted analytics and casual methods, strategic use of information systems, and artificial intelligence.
With a projected local growth rate of employment in this field of 9.59% over the next 10 years, the job market should be favorable for graduates. Employment opportunities for students who complete the M.S. SLBA degree include, but are not limited to, Business Continuity Planners, Management Analysts, Business Analysts, Business Intelligence Analytics, and Business Operations Specialists.