Graduate course
MIS 769: Big Data Analytics for Business
Large-scale data processing, modern text and AI workflows, and practical analytics for business decisions.
Course overview
What we’ll work on
MIS 769 examines how organizations work with data that is too large, fast, or complex for traditional workflows. Students connect scalable data processing with modern analytics, natural language processing, and AI-supported business problem solving.
Scalable data-processing concepts and workflows
Text analytics, embeddings, and language-model applications
Practical evaluation and communication of business results
Learning outcomes
What you will be able to do
Who it is for. Graduate students in MIS or Data Analytics who want hands-on experience with large-scale data, text, and language-model workflows.
Prerequisites. MIS 740 or MIS 768, or DA 621 and DA 651, or equivalent. Enrollment requires admission to a graduate program in MIS or Data Analytics and Applied Economics, or consent of the Director of MIS Graduate Programs.
Tools. Python, MapReduce, NLP libraries, large language model APIs, WebCampus. Format. Online, asynchronous, Fall 2026 (August 24 to December 12).
Big data fundamentals: processing techniques and the complexities of managing very large datasets
Scalable analytics with MapReduce in Python and abstracted MapReduce patterns
Natural language processing: tokens, stems, preprocessing, vectorization, classification, and clustering
Large language models: core concepts and practical business applications
Applying these methods to real business scenarios and communicating results clearly
Student checklist
Start here
- 01Confirm your section
Check the course code, format, and enrollment details in MyUNLV.
- 02Open WebCampus
Read the current syllabus, announcements, and first module.
- 03Set up your Python environment
Install Python and the packages listed in the syllabus before week one; the first lab depends on it. Need more compute? See student resources for GPU access.
- 04Ask early
Email ryoung@unlv.edu with the course code and section format in the subject line.
Watch
Lectures and walkthroughs
Selected recordings from this course and related work are on my YouTube channel. WebCampus remains the official home for required course videos.
Course support
Everything official stays together.
Fall 2026 office hours are Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. in BEH 328. Friday meetings are available by appointment on Zoom.
The current syllabus, announcements, assignments, submissions, and grades are maintained in WebCampus.