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Businesses operating across all industries require leaders who are competent enough to make accurate decisions within a fast paced environment, and the incubators for these human assets are often schools that offer MBA in Decision Sciences programs. The business discipline of decision sciences emphasizes the use of structured research processes, methods and results to influence decision making operations. Decision sciences related academic programs often present students with analytical tools and models that help them to project a company’s sales, optimize its logistical services or mitigate a risk that impacts its position within the market place. Here is an overview of a typical graduate level decision sciences degree program, the expected career path for students of decision sciences and professional development opportunities that are available.
Overview of Graduate Level Decision Sciences Program
The decision sciences concentration at the graduate school level is usually found within traditional MBA programs. Students who pursue degrees in the subject usually possess undergraduate degrees in business disciplines like finance, marketing or supply chain management, and the analytical skills taught within decision sciences programs allow them to pursue those academic interests at greater depths using applied research techniques. Although these programs heavily emphasize applied research for the different areas of business, some decision sciences programs present the role of research within the context of the social sciences so that students learn how human behavior contributes to the decision making equation. Some course topics that students within MBA Decision Sciences programs can expect to take are managerial decision making, modeling and analysis for environmental sustainability, data mining and decision models.
Career Path of Decision Sciences Majors
Decision making and support are key functions of business managers that will always be needed to some extent by growing companies operating in every industry. Because graduates with decision sciences degrees possess the requisite skills used for these critical functions, they are in great demand within a variety of career fields. Some industries and sectors need analytically based decision support more than others, and decision sciences graduates can quickly begin careers in areas like operations management, business intelligence, marketing research and investment analysis. Their skills also fit within the job requirements and functions of purchasing specialists, real estate agents and insurance risk managers.
Professional Development for Decision Sciences Practitioners
Professional development is an important aspect of improving specialized job competence, career progression, and maintaining one’s competitive edge in the job market. For decision sciences graduates, professional development usually takes the form of periodic training. While these graduates can expect plenty of practice using their analytical models for various projects within their chosen career field, formal training classes and seminars offer them opportunities to gain different perspectives on applied research. Decision sciences practitioners can also stay abreast of new developments in their discipline by reading academic and industry journals. The Decision Sciences Institute is a professional association that has a mission to promote the development of decision sciences professionals and academicians and does so by providing published journals and other resources.
Conclusion
Many people who benefit from a company’s products or services fail to recognize that they are enjoying the fruits of the labor of managers and their support staff who use keen qualitative and quantitative research skills within the decision making process. The applied research skills taught within MBA in Decision Sciences programs help these business leaders to take the guess work out of decision related strategy and activities.
