Business data analysis and visualisation (5 cr)

Objective

Students will
• understand the fundamental concepts and terminology of business analytics
• know how to identify the biases in a decision-making process and ask for the right information
• establish a strategic understanding of business analytics and make holistic judgments
• apply appropriate analytical methods and techniques to find solutions to business problems
• understand how to use data to summarise, visualise and develop insights with critical thinking
• explain data visualisation principles and guidelines for effective analysis and presentation
• develop and interpret a wide range of visualisations in Microsoft Power BI
• communicate data-driven business insights and make persuasive data storytelling

Content

• Key analytical skills that apply across functions and industries
• Explaining and interpreting analysis results and making decisions based on those analyses
• Creating informative data visualisations with Microsoft Power BI to tell a story for better decision making
• Aligning analytics initiatives with business objectives

Evaluation scale

0-5

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

The student's performance (lecture involvement, discussion, written assignments) meets with at least three of the six criteria below.

• The student shows an understanding of the relevant course content in relation to the contents of the articles, lectures and discussion.
• Student texts/presentations demonstrate an understanding of the article/lecture content and an ability to select, interpret and justify key messages in a justified manner.
• The student understands interconnections between the proposed concepts and current business practice, and demonstrates abilities of reflection, evaluation and discussion.
•The student shows professional initiative, active participation and responsibility in both individual and team work.
• Students demonstrate abilities to collect valid knowledge from outside the course sources by using scholarly search tools, by questioning current business practice and by practicing source critique.
•Students' assignments are written in line with academic writing practice and instructions for Master’s Thesis, using the Harvard Referencing system, with both in-text references and a list of referenced. The texts are written in coherent, fluent English.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

The student's performance meets most of the above criteria, with three or more of them being good or very good.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

The student's performance meets all six criteria above and will also demonstrate excellent skills in at least three of them.

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

The student's performance (lecture involvement, discussion, written assignments) meets with at least three of the six criteria below.

• The student shows an understanding of the relevant course content in relation to the contents of the articles, lectures and discussion.
• Student texts/presentations demonstrate an understanding of the article/lecture content and an ability to select, interpret and justify key messages in a justified manner.
• The student understands interconnections between the proposed concepts and current business practice, and demonstrates abilities of reflection, evaluation and discussion.
•The student shows professional initiative, active participation and responsibility in both individual and team work.
• Students demonstrate abilities to collect valid knowledge from outside the course sources by using scholarly search tools, by questioning current business practice and by practicing source critique.
•Students' assignments are written in line with academic writing practice and instructions for Master’s Thesis, using the Harvard Referencing system, with both in-text references and a list of referenced. The texts are written in coherent, fluent English.

Qualifications

Basic computer skills and familiarity with tools like Microsoft Excel will be helpful, but not compulsory.