BUAN6392 - Causal Analytics and A/B Testing

BUAN 6392 (MIS 6392) Causal Analytics and A/B Testing (3 semester credit hours) This course focuses on the distinction between correlation and causation in data. This distinction is critical for managers to understand the effect of proposed managerial interventions. For example, an advertiser may want to know whether referral marketing interventions will be effective for its customers, and, if so, what types of messages may be used to implement a referral marketing program with a high degree of success. Similarly, a music service like Spotify may want to know what kinds of promotions will help increase the number of subscribers in the most effective way. The course will focus on the design and analysis of A/B tests to tease out the difference between correlation and causation. It will also focus on statistical techniques that can be used with observational data to achieve reliable causal inferences in the absence of experimental data. The course employs a combination of lectures, cases, and in-class exercises to introduce the course material. It takes a hands-on approach, exposing students to simulated and real-world datasets, and equipping them with tools they can leverage immediately on the job. Prerequisite: OPRE 6301 or OPRE 6359 or BUAN 6359. (3-0) Y