SCU Leavey Blog

If you browse analyst job descriptions on LinkedIn or Indeed, you’ll likely come across postings for business and financial analysts. Both professions use data analysis and statistical models to help companies make strategic decisions. However, they have different focuses, skill requirements, and trajectories.

Like other career fields, financial analysis is being shaped by technological advances. As new trends and technologies continue to emerge, it’s important that you keep your skills fresh to stay competitive in the job market.

When you think of financial careers, banking is typically the first role that comes to mind. Learn how a Master of Science in Finance and Analytics allows you to work across many industries and choose from various professions.

With an in-depth understanding of the key differences between reporting and analytics, you’ll be able to put the right teams and procedures in place to gather and analyze essential information.

Ever since the mid-2010s, when Bitcoin emerged in the landscape of financial technology, cryptocurrency has become a viable method of investing and funding. Blockchain in finance allows for faster transfers and more accurate accounting records.

Discover 7 essential tips for negotiating a higher salary after receiving a job offer. Learn strategies to boost your earnings and secure the best possible deal.

Vast quantities of information can give companies new insights into their operations, but harnessing the power of big data poses many challenges.

Managing a portfolio involves making strategic decisions about investment mix and policy, matching investments to objectives, allocating financial assets, and balancing risk against performance.

An organization that embraces data-driven marketing is 23 times more likely to acquire new customers and nine times more likely to retain them than competitors who don’t rely on business analytics for marketing.

If you want to change your professional trajectory—to expand your options and improve your potential for advancement—an MBA with a concentration in Finance may be just what you need.

If you’d enjoy using data to drive business strategies and playing a role in determining the course of a business, then a career in business analytics will probably be a better fit for you. If you enjoy the technical challenges of working closely with data and setting up models, you’d probably thrive as a data analyst.

An MBA in Finance is a graduate program designed to teach advanced financial management skills, including financial planning, investment and market analysis, and corporate finance. Businesses value professionals with these skills because they can make informed, data-driven financial decisions, optimize resource allocation, and drive revenue growth.

Learn about the components of business analytics and discover how data-driven insights can help boost decision-making and business growth.

Mergers and acquisitions aren’t simply a way for a company to reduce its pool of competitors. They're also a good way to diversify product or service offerings, access intellectual property, enter new markets, and gain valuable employees.

The purpose of data analytics is to help organizations make informed decisions. Data analysis is the actual process of evaluating data. Learn 12 key differences between data analysis versus analytics and how they impact business success.

If you're considering accounting and finance analyst roles, it helps to understand the key differences between the positions. People often confuse the two positions because both professionals work with financial records and data on a daily basis. While financial analysts and accountants have an eye for detail and a focus on financial performance, the similarities end there.

Whether you aspire to rise in the ranks of your current organization or you’re ready to move on and hope to advance elsewhere, it's important to look forward, have a plan, and take steps to reach your goals.

Gone are the days when traditional learning methods, such as on-site classes, were the only options to pursue an MBA. Today, MBA degree programs allow candidates to access higher ed. online from anywhere and at any time.

With about eight out of 10 marketers actively using content marketing, mastering this approach is no longer an option if you are interested in a career in marketing; it’s a necessity to stay competitive.

Explore the crucial role of ethics in business analytics to ensure integrity, trust, and compliance in data usage, fostering responsible decision-making.

In an era when nearly everyone carries a phone equipped with a video recorder, one employee's honest mistake can turn into a full-fledged crisis within hours. For marketing professionals, mastering crisis management is as important as designing effective ad campaigns.

The best content strategy examples are highly effective and engaging. By analyzing them, you can learn what resonates with audiences.

Insurance finance principles govern how a policyholder and an insurer should interact and do business together. Understanding these principles reveals how insurance works and what enables firms in the industry to operate effectively.

Whether you’re looking to start a new company or move up the corporate ladder, the business acumen, leadership skills and problem-solving abilities you gain in graduate school will define what you’re capable of accomplishing professionally. Selecting the program that offers the best possible educational opportunities is essential.

With over 50% of customers using three to five channels to interact with a business, providing a seamless cross-channel experience has become a necessity. Today, customers expect consistent brand information and interactions, regardless of how they engage with an organization.

In capitalist economies, which are based on supply and demand with little governmental control, financial markets allow business owners and entrepreneurs to operate smoothly.

Researchers expect finance technology to gain the second-largest market share as machine learning expands into various industries. Financial experts should prepare for the world of financial analytics and machine learning.

As more data becomes available to businesses, savvy leaders are using this key information to learn from past performance and improve for the future. To help these efforts, many financial professionals are expanding their responsibilities to include more analytics and reporting, specifically in financial accounting, budget forecasts, and strategic planning.

Embarking on a Master of Business Administration (MBA) journey is more than just a pursuit of academic excellence; it’s an exploration into a vast network of professional opportunities.

Quantitative methods in BI drive decision-making by giving business leaders a solid foundation for making informed choices backed by data rather than intuition alone. Using quantitative analysis, leaders can forecast future trends, optimize operations, improve product offerings, and increase customer satisfaction.

Using business analytics, you can analyze this data to understand consumer behavior, needs, and preferences, which will ultimately help you deliver a better customer experience and surpass customer expectations.

Financial analysts provide valuable guidance to CEOs, project managers, and other company leaders on everything from when to go public to the risk level of developing and launching new products. Economics offers context for these decisions.

Regulatory compliance in finance isn’t just a box-ticking exercise to meet industry standards—it’s the foundation for a successful business. It helps financial organizations mitigate legal risks, prevent reputational damage and build trust.

Any well-rounded MBA program will include hands-on learning in real-world scenarios, which pushes you to expand crucial skills such as teamwork, communication, and self-reflection.

A reputable Online MSBA from a high-quality program sharpens your competitive edge with business leadership soft skills and technical acumen. It’s also your entryway to highly attractive career outcomes, with a notable impact on your position and salary.

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized the marketing industry. Nearly 90% of marketers believe their organizations must increase AI use to stay competitive and meet customer expectations.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional seeking to expand your leadership skills or someone aiming to pivot into a new industry, earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree could be your pathway to success.

A true leader inspires, motivates, and empowers individuals to reach their full potential, contributing to the growth and success of the business. While leadership skills can be cultivated on the job, MBA programs offer the perfect learning environment in which to practice and refine these skills.

Learning the basic principles of professional ethics in finance and applying them in practice can help experts make principled decisions and foster trust among clients.

Predictive analytics has become an essential tool in many industries, used to uncover data-driven insights that revolutionize decision-making, enhance strategies, and drive growth.

Most industries increasingly depend on data analytics to drive decision-making and improve workflows.

Top-selling brands, large and small, strive to understand why people choose their products and services over their competitors’.

Cloud solutions for business analytics can be a game-changer. It’s essential not only to know how the integration benefits corporations, but also to gain firsthand experience in using the cloud infrastructure effectively.

The road to getting a business degree is challenging. With only so many hours in a day, juggling your job, personal responsibilities, online MBA, and family life might feel impossible.

The value of online marketing through content marketing has surpassed $60 billion. Expert marketers find themselves constantly developing new ways to meet the evolving demands of a successful content marketing campaign.

The financial landscape of online MBA programs is complex. From understanding the tuition and fees to running cost comparisons and exploring payment options and financial aid resources, there's much to consider.

These are the tips to improve job hunting, interviewing, and networking for marketing professionals.

Learn how to create a strong brand identity, as well as explore online reputation management tips and future trends in digital marketing.

Most companies strive to achieve business growth and increase profits. It can be challenging, however, to determine which decisions will lead to the best financial outcomes. This uncertainty about the company's major business decisions can lead to conflict among decision-makers and poor strategic planning.

As technology continues to shape human society, financial technology–also known as FinTech–has emerged as a ubiquitous force in financial markets and the banking sector. The essence of FinTech lies in its ability to streamline, enhance, and often wholly transform traditional financial services.

Financial statements offer critical information about a company's operations. Understanding how to analyze financial documents can also help you evaluate potential business partners or vendors, develop departmental budgets, or make investment decisions.

Learn about some of the top business intelligence and data analytics software that businesses today are using to gain insights and boost performance.

Businesses measure the success of their marketing campaigns based on the revenue they generate, but there isn’t always a straight, clear line between marketing and sales. Effective marketing teams use additional metrics to determine whether their marketing strategies are successful or not.

To be a successful leader in the modern finance workplace, you need to be fluent in data analysis and visualization.

The adoption of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) in business is expanding quickly. With the right expertise, this can be an opportunity instead of a threat.

A key component of running any successful business is regularly conducting market analysis—a process that provides insight into where the company is and where it's heading.

Many online MBA programs routinely partner with companies that can strengthen your network and help advance your career.

Earning your MBA online can give you more flexibility and allow you to study from any location. It is essential, however, to choose a program that aligns with your schedule, learning needs, and priorities. There are several online MBA formats to consider.

Not all data is created equal. Poor data quality can cause business leaders to make faulty decisions and miscalculate risk. Data governance practices can help companies avoid these issues and maintain data quality control.

In recent years, studies have shown that businesses that embrace diversity, in gender as well as many other areas, have a higher likelihood of outperforming their competitors. Women need to be ready to take the reins and help lead these companies toward success in a more equitable and prosperous future.

Optimize data management in organizations. Learn data collection, storage, analysis, security, and ethics for informed decisions and improved efficiency.

Despite the growing presence of social media platforms, email remains a top marketing tool.

With access to the right data, marketers can evaluate how current strategies are performing and develop new approaches, such as personalized marketing campaigns, to help them engage with more potential customers.

Unlock social media marketing success with key elements: engaging content, influencers, and performance measurement for business growth.

Success is not a solo endeavor. As a graduate student pursuing an MBA, you have already experienced notable success. In working toward more, you’re not alone.

Explore the exciting FinTech applications revolutionizing the finance industry.

Financial analysis drives sound business decision-making for governments, companies, and investors when considering plans and budgets for current and future projects.

Finance and analytics professionals use data, powerful software, and other tools to help clients and businesses manage their money. Their insights allow individuals and organizations to make strategic business and investment decisions and optimize financial performance.

Albert Einstein is often credited with defining insanity as "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." In business, the repetition of old and ineffective methods can prove costly.

Data analytics is the science by which experts analyze massive amounts of raw data in order to make conclusions about information. It has exploded in popularity as businesses seek new ways to understand their clients and optimize performance.

Marketing is more than brainstorming the next advertising idea—it’s the process of communicating key brand messages and delivering value. To succeed in this dynamic field, professionals need a diverse skill set and up-to-date knowledge of consumer behavior, persuasive techniques, and professional technology.

Despite the rise of remote work and widespread internet connectivity that should make location irrelevant, cutting-edge startups—and the people who want to work for them—continue to flock to Silicon Valley.

A business with poor financial risk management can quickly go downhill–not only in the form of financial instability but also damaged reputation among employees, customers, and potential business partners.

Strategic decision-making is crucial for any organization seeking a competitive edge, and data is the driving force behind strategy. The demand for skilled professionals who can harness the power of data and transform it into actionable insights has never been greater.

A business with a fact-based decision-making process is in a strong position to anticipate the future and use the insights gained from data analysis to stay ahead of the competition.

Picture this: You’re browsing a retailer’s website, and a small box pops up in the corner of your screen, asking, “How can I help?” You type a question about a product into the text box and the program promptly generates an answer. If this scenario sounds familiar, you’ve likely interacted with chatbots before.

Recent technological advances are reshaping how humans interact with machines. One of the most popular and revolutionary inventions is ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool developed by the OpenAI laboratory.

Businesses navigate an increasingly complex and continually evolving risk landscape. Geopolitical conflicts, cyberattacks, inflation, natural disasters, pandemics, and other threats can significantly affect the global economy and individual organizations.

Business is a vast discipline that covers many subjects, from accounting to communications, economics, ethics, project management, and beyond. Master of Business Administration (MBA) students often focus on a particular area by pursuing a concentration or specialization.

The emergence of artificial intelligence tools, predictive technology, and other recent innovations has fed growing concerns about ethics in marketing.

The term ‘corporate restructuring’ generates spine-tingling thoughts of mass layoffs and financial collapses.

Financial technology, or fintech, has revolutionized the way individuals and businesses manage money by improving and automating financial services and processes.

New marketing technology trends have radically transformed industries around the world. Marketers can use digital tools to improve and streamline almost every aspect of their jobs, from conducting consumer research to producing content.

Discover how an SCU Online MBA can boost your earning potential and stay ahead of inflation. Invest in your future and learn more today.

Gain unique insights on the SVB collapse and its implications for banking in our latest blog post, featuring Seoyoung Kim, Program Director for Santa Clara University's Online Master's in Finance and Analytics program. Stay ahead of the curve with the expertise of one of the top minds in the field.

Discover why a strong Digital Marketing Strategy is key to winning customers in today's market and learn how to craft your own with our expert tips and advice.

Whether you work in data, tech, business strategy, operations, or all of the above, you’re bound to work closely with a business analyst or in business analytics yourself. With its rising importance and the staggering amount of tech layoffs in 2022 and 2023, now is the perfect time to pursue a Master of Science in Business Analytics

As tech layoffs continue around the world, thousands of workers have found themselves back in the job market. Whether you take the time to focus on your personal life or throw yourself into the job search, you should first consider the unique opportunity that a situation like this presents—more specifically, could now be the time for a career change?

Santa Clara University’s online business programs have again been recognized among the best in the nation in newly released rankings from U.S. News & World Report.

Regardless of what point you're at in your career, it can be extremely difficult to sell yourself to a potential employer or graduate program. This may be due to an overabundance of humility, or it may be because you doubt the significance of your accomplishments.

There are many resources to help offset the cost and make your investment more manageable, specifically for those who might have been affected by recent mass layoffs in the tech industry. Santa Clara University offers several options for tuition assistance and financial aid, including a guaranteed $3,000 scholarship for tech workers who have been laid off.

To help workers re-emerge stronger and more skilled, Santa Clara University Leavey School of Business is offering adapted admissions requirements and a guaranteed scholarship to all applicants affected by tech layoffs.

Read on to learn about econometrics, what econometricians do, and how to become one.

Every day, you’re faced with ethical decisions, both big and small. In business, this can have a series of consequences, both positive and negative, on you, your colleagues, your company, and your customers. Because of the impact, it’s important to be as well informed and thoughtful as possible to minimize harm and become a more ethical leader.

Big data has become an increasingly important asset for companies across industries, around the world. With the explosion of digital data, organizations are now able to collect, process, and analyze vast amounts of information to gain valuable insights and drive decision-making.

MBA candidates who seek out the Leavey School of Business often share a particular set of experiences and objectives. Highly motivated, well educated, and professionally successful up to a point, they’re driven to build careers in Silicon Valley but have stopped progressing toward that goal. Something is missing.

Marketing is an excellent choice if you want a lucrative business career. Products and services may come and go, but there will always be the need for marketing professionals to help businesses, government agencies and non-profit organizations connect with consumers. Continue reading to learn more about typical career paths and salary opportunities a master's in marketing degree can unlock for you.

Because marketing appears in many different forms, you can’t always link sales or conversions directly to your efforts. But with the creation and adoption of several new marketing technologies, it’s easier to create, manage, and report on marketing efforts to redefine their role in a company.

As with all higher education, getting your MBA is a financial and personal investment — but does the return on investment, or MBA ROI, make it a wise one? Only you can determine the final answer to that question. But as you consider whether going back to school for an MBA is the right decision for y...

Learn how data analytics and big data are driving today's most important business decisions and how you can obtain a career in this in-demand field.