<p>I am 23 now with a bachelor degree in business and a couple of years experience in business planning and hotel management. Recently I decided that I need more quantitative skills to work as a business analyst.</p>
<p>To my surprise there are not that many programs there in this subject. And even less of those accept candidates with undergraduate qualifications. </p>
<p>I am not constrained either financially or geographically so the list spans through several countries (some universities not included as they sadly don't accept second bachelor degree applicants):</p>
<p>Carnegie Mellon
Purdue
Nanyang Technological University
National University of Singapore
Imperial College London
The University of Melbourne
Duke University
The University of Michigan
Rutgers University
University of British Columbia</p>
<p>Most of the courses fall into category mathematics with concentration in Operations Research.</p>
<p>Personally I like them all. Rutgers has 5 year program that leads to master's in mathematics and operations research, Carnegie offers Operations Research and statistics, NTU - business analytics.</p>
<p>What is a better choice in your opinion?</p>
<p>In your opinion which university will give a better quantitative foundation?</p>
<p>Why restrict yourself to Operations Management?</p>
<p>A straight stats degree would be as good (dare I say better than OM as it’s more ‘traditional’ and therefore employers know what they’re getting).</p>
<p>As a graduate, have you looked into a post-grad diploma or Masters conversion course (that’s what they’re called in the UK)? These take students whose first degree was in something completely different. </p>
<p>My best friend had a psychology undergrad and Human Computer Interaction masters. She did her masters at Sheffield University. It was distance or part time as she was still working in her old career. She passed and is now a happy statistician. </p>
<p>Would be a quicker and better value option.</p>
<p>I agree with looking at graduate degrees rather than another UG. Less expensive, quicker, and you are still competing in the same labor pool. Another degree option might be applied math.</p>
<p>However, the OP may need to take some preparatory undergraduate math and statistics course work in order to prepare for graduate degree study in statistics, operations research, industrial engineering, etc…</p>
<p>Equivalents of Math 53 (multivariable calculus) and 54 (linear algebra and differential equations) should be readily available at community colleges, but equivalents of Math 104 (real analysis) and 110 (junior-level linear algebra with more emphasis on proofs) and Statistics 134 (junior-level calculus-based probability theory) and other junior/senior-level statistics courses would need to be taken at a four year school (some may allow enrollment in non-full courses as a non-degree student).</p>
<p>For Sheffield’s MSc, they say that you should be familiar with about 70% of the following areas. They do, however, also offer a 9 month preparatory distance course or recommend a similar course run by the UK’s Open University.</p>
<p>Set Theory
Quadratic Equations
Rules of Indices and Logarithms
Arithmetic and Geometric Progressions
Permutations and Combinations
Use of Sum and Product Notation
Series Expansions and Limits
Matrices
Geometry
Calculus
Lagrange Multipliers
Other Topics</p>
<p>They have a paper (no answers) with the type of problems they expect you to be able to cope with upon entry:</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for your replies.
As Ucbalumnus mentioned my mathematics is limited to a high school level. Plane geometry, calculus, elementary combinatorics…
I will consider taking a postgraduate course in Statistics. My main worries is that I might not be able to cope with the course due to insufficient knowledge or lack of problem solving skills. That is my main concern. I don’t mind spending 4 years on operations research or applied math degree if that will give me a solid understanding.</p>