University of St. Francis

Last Updated By • October 15, 2023

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From Business to Healthcare: Big Data Degrees at the University of St. Francis

The University of St. Francis appears in our ranking of the Top 30 Most Affordable Online Certificates in Business Analytics.

The MBA program at the University of St. Francis affords students the opportunity to focus on a chosen concentration from the get-go – one of these concentrations being Business Analytics. Students in the Business Analytics track complete four classes, 12 credit hours in total, within their concentration area: Business Forecasting and Econometrics, Enterprise Resource Computing, Business Intelligence and Analytics, and Data Mining. The MBA program’s core curriculum covers three credit hours each in managerial accounting, managerial economics, managerial finance, and strategic business management, then students choose four additional courses for themselves from an approved list to round out the degree and fulfill the remaining 12 credits required. USF’s MBA program is newly redesigned for a sharper competitive edge in the fast-moving world of business, the program’s home page states and draws on the most current industry trends while emphasizing career-oriented learning methods like case studies, team projects, presentations, and directed discussions. High-achieving students have the opportunity to broaden their career connections by seeking membership in USF’s chapter of international business honor society, Delta Mu Delta. A USF MBA can be completed in 12-18 months, is designed with working students in mind, and can be started in the fall, spring, or summer semester.

For business professionals who may not yet want or need to pursue an MBA but have an interest in earning one or more specialized credentials, USF offers online, stackable graduate certificate programs – each of which can stand on its own or be applied toward a USF MBA at a later date. One such certificate, the Data Analytics certificate, encompasses the same four concentration-area classes required by USF’s MBA Business Analytics track (Business Forecasting and Econometrics, Enterprise Resource Computing, Business Intelligence and Analytics, and Data Mining).

Business may be big on data but is certainly not alone in depending on data-driven decisions. Data science is a critically important resource in healthcare as well. For current healthcare management professionals, USF offers a Data Science in Healthcare concentration as an option within its M.S. in Healthcare Administration program. Students in the track complete four courses, 12 credit hours in total, within their concentration area: Healthcare Quality Management, Health Information and Analytics, Research Methods, and Topics in Health Services. The M.S. program’s foundational curriculum covers 15 credit hours in human resource management, healthcare finance, healthcare law, healthcare ethics, and medical sociology, then students choose nine credit hours from approved electives to complete the degree. Conveniently scheduled but rigorously designed, USF’s M.S. in Healthcare Administration emphasizes practicality and is led by adjunct faculty with professional experience in the content they teach. Intended for working students, a USF M.S. in Healthcare Administration can be completed in 15 months, either entirely online or with some elective coursework completed in-person on evenings or Saturdays. New students can enter the program in the fall, spring, or summer semester.

About the University of St. Francis

The University of St. Francis is a Catholic, liberal arts university with a total student body of over 3,300. Located in Joliet, Illinois – a small city about 30 miles southwest of Chicago – USF was founded in 1920 as a women’s college (becoming co-educational in the early 1970s). As its name suggests, the university was founded by Franciscan Sisters, at first for the education of their own membership, but soon opened its doors to women outside of that congregation. Today, USF still upholds the Franciscan academic tradition of service and compassion in its mission statement. The university enjoys high marks from several prominent national ranking organizations. The Princeton Review has named USF as a top regional college in the Midwest every year since 2008, and the U.S. News and World Report has likewise annually placed USF on several lists since that same year – including its “Best Regional Colleges,” “Best Value Schools,” and “Best Online Programs” rankings. In 2017, Money Magazine selected USF as the number one choice among private Illinois master’s institutions for “Best Colleges for Your Money.” USF is also consistently named a top military-friendly school by organizations such as G.I. Jobs/Victory Media, as well as a top Catholic college by Colleges of Distinction.

University of St. Francis Accreditation Details

The University of St. Francis has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The school’s College of Business and Health Administration, through which its data science programs are offered, is one of only about 300 higher learning institutions in the U.S. to have earned programmatic accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

University of St. Francis Application Requirements

The University of St. Francis makes notable effort in offering a welcoming, individualized application experience. Each potential student is paired with a personal admission counselor, reachable via phone or email, to work with throughout the process. The University eschews application fees, allowing future students to put that bit of extra cash away for tuition, and its MBA program does not require GMAT scores for admission. Candidates should earn at least two years of experience in the healthcare field before applying to the Data Science in Healthcare degree program. Applicants to either data science degree program will need to submit transcripts from each previously attended college, as well as an admission essay and a letter of recommendation. Graduate certificate program applicants are required to submit an official transcript of their bachelor’s degree.

Tuition and Financial Aid

As of the 2019-2020 academic year, the tuition rate for USF’s MBA program was set at $798 per credit hour, while tuition for the university’s graduate certificate programs was $399 per credit hour.

Graduate students at the University of St. Francis may be eligible for gift assistance from the university, for federal aid after filing the FAFSA, and/or for employee tuition reimbursement when employed with a participating organization in USF’s Corporate Educational Partners program.

Learn more about pursuing a University of St. Francis degree or certificate in big data at USF’s College of Business and Health Administration home page.

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