750 Students Choose Applied Analytics at NHH
A record 750 students have enrolled in NHH’s ‘Applied Programming and Data Analysis for Business’, making it the school’s most popular elective course.
When Professor Ivan Belik first launched his elective in applied programming and analytics a decade ago, 200-500 students signed up. Today, more than 750 students have registered, making it the most popular elective course ever offered at NHH.
`Understanding advanced digital technologies, such as modern AI tools, requires a fundamental knowledge of programming´, Ivan Belik says.
A must-have toolbox
Students work on basic applied programming and analytical techniques as a starting point for understanding more sophisticated systems.
`The aim is not to dive into “rocket science” or overload students with overly complex and challenging tasks, but rather to build a solid foundation - a must-have toolbox´ the professor at the Department of Strategy and Management says.
The course Applied programming and data analysis for business focuses on learning the fundamentals of applied programming and analytics to understand how AI and other advanced technologies work.
Tech is key in several NHH-courses
Programming, data analysis and science are introduced at bachelor level at NHH, particularly in the bachelor’s degree BEDS (Business, Economics and Data Science). It is an elective course in the bachelor's degree in economics and business administration. These courses cover themes such as programming, data science, It, AI and related subjects.
Tech, programming, data management, AI and robotics are key subjects in several of the specializations available to students at master’s level at NHH as well.
“Applied programming and data analysis for business” is offered as part of MSc in Economics and Business administration as well as MRR in Accounting and Auditing.
The topics are oriented on the modern high-demand programming techniques and concepts.Practical and modern introduction to Python, R-based programming and data analysis, SQL (Structured Query Language) as well as integration of Python, R and SQL.
It is offered every autumn semester.
Ivan Belik is a Principal Investigator (PI) at the research centre DIG (Digital Innovation for sustainable Growth) at NHH. The course content was partially inspired by collaboration with DIG partners, and the design of the course exercises was influenced by collaboration with various industrial partners, including DIG partners.
Entire course online
NHH student Brede Espelid recently completed the course. He says he wanted to strengthen his skills with tools that are important in the business world, combining programming analysis and practical data analysis.
`The course was also structured in a clear, chronological way, which made it easier to build knowledge step by step. Altogether, it gave me competencies I actively apply and further develop in both studies and work´, he says.
In the early years, lectures were given in the largest auditorium, Aud max, but this proved impractical.
–`Students sometimes had to wait nearly 45 minutes before they could get answers to their questions, he says. Moving the entire course online was the solution, and the digital format works very well´.
Working on real business problems
Belik designs practical exercises inspired by industry collaboration, including partnerships with the research centre DIG. Every year, students work with a refreshed set of exercises that keep pace with the latest trends and practices in business analytics, and the exercises are replaced by new and updated ones.
`Most students will have to do analytics in their jobs, such as understanding trends and basically what people are talking about. This is not a computer science course. It is about applied analytics in a business context. We teach people to be applied analysts, not full-time programmers´, Belik says.
NHH student Helena Reite says that she chose this course as it was a good refresher course to strengthen her SQL-knowledge and overall programming confidence.
`I believe it is a very useful course for beginners and intermediates. You learn error checking, core syntax and coding logic, and you get ideas of how coding can be applied in business. There’s plenty of opportunities to ask for questions and get guidance throughout the course´, she says.
Feedback confirms popularity
The course receives strong evaluations from students, with an average score of 4 out of 5.
He also underscores that “it takes a village” to develop this course and the evolving format.
`The Departments of Business and Management Science as well as Department of Strategy and Management have both been important in this work. My colleagues such as Eirik Sjåholm Knudsen, Bram Timmermans, Lasse Lien, Leif Sandal and Jonas Andersson have all been instrumental in developing the course, he says.