Choosing a major doesn’t mean choosing one career forever. Some of the most flexible degrees are the ones that teach you how to think, not just what to know.
A Bachelor of Science in Business Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, offered fully online at the University of Southern Maine, is one of them. Every student in the major completes a shared core: courses in AI-powered data management, AI-assisted data mining, AI-native data visualization, and a course examining the ethical and managerial implications of AI in business. Add in required coursework in business analytics, operations, and technology management, and you get a foundation built to travel across a wide range of organizations, not just one industry or job title.
So what can you do with that foundation? Here are five careers graduates are prepared to step into.
1.
Business analyst
Business analysts sit between an organization’s business goals and its technical systems, translating one into the other. They might document how a process actually works, identify where a breakdown is costing time or money, or help a team decide which of several options makes the most business sense.
Every student in the major takes the same required sequence in AI-powered data management and data mining, along with a dedicated course in business analytics. That’s the core translation work the role runs on: turning a technical finding into something a non-technical stakeholder can act on.
2.
Market research analyst
Market research analysts study who a company’s customers are and what they want before a product or campaign ever launches. That might mean running surveys, analyzing competitors, or sizing up demand in a market the organization hasn’t entered yet.
The major’s core coursework builds the analytical foundation this role depends on. Students who want to specialize further can choose marketing research as one of their required electives — one of several ways to tailor the degree toward a specific interest.
3.
Operations analyst
Operations analysts focus on how a business runs day to day, and where it could run better. That could mean studying a supply chain for bottlenecks, modeling staffing needs, or measuring how efficiently a process moves from start to finish.
Every student completes a required course in production and operations management, building the process-level thinking this work requires. Paired with the major’s AI-native data visualization training, it’s a natural fit for a role built on identifying and showing where things slow down.
4.
Marketing analytics specialist
Marketing analytics specialists measure how marketing performs after it launches, tracking campaign results, testing what attracts different audiences, and adjusting strategy based on the numbers.
That work draws on the same core data and analytics training every student completes. Students who want to go further can choose from elective options that include a topics course focused on marketing analytics.
5.
Information systems manager
Information systems managers oversee the technology and data infrastructure an organization depends on. Their work is less about individual insights and more about the systems behind them: making sure data is accurate, secure, and accessible to the people who need it.
Every student takes a required course in technology management, alongside a course on the ethical and managerial implications of AI, a pairing that speaks directly to the responsibility this role carries.
Where will business analytics and AI take you?
These five careers only scratch the surface. Working with data, identifying patterns, and turning those findings into a clear recommendation are skills that show up in places you might not expect: a sports franchise building its roster, a hospital improving patient flow, or a nonprofit deciding where funding will do the most good.They all of depend on someone who can make sense of the numbers, which is what makes this degree so adaptable.
