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University of Colorado Boulder · on Coursera

Business Analytics for Decision Making

Beginner English University CertificateFREE
SkillsBusiness analyticsDecision analysisOptimisationMonte Carlo simulationSpreadsheet modellingDecision-making

Is this course right for you?

Our take
Manuel Laguna's CU Boulder course teaches managers to turn data into decisions without writing a line of code.

Good for: Managers who want data-driven decision tools without coding.

Skip if: You want programming-based analytics (Python/R) or advanced data science.

It works in the spreadsheet rather than in Python or R, covering decision analysis, optimisation and Monte Carlo simulation — real quantitative techniques, made reachable for people who don't have a technical background. That combination is unusual and genuinely useful: you get the analytical muscle of proper modelling in a tool you already know.

It does mean setting expectations correctly. If you want programming-based analytics or to move toward data science, this deliberately stays on the spreadsheet side and you'll outgrow it; if you're a manager who wants better decisions, that's exactly the right trade.

Audit it free on Coursera; a certificate needs a subscription (about $49/month) or Coursera Plus, with financial aid available, and it certifies completion rather than a formal qualification. Spreadsheet-based decision modelling remains a durable, widely applicable skill (as of 2026).

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About this course

Business Analytics for Decision Making teaches how to turn data into decisions using spreadsheet-based modelling. From CU Boulder and instructor Manuel Laguna, it covers decision analysis, optimisation, and Monte Carlo simulation — the tools managers use to choose between options under uncertainty — without requiring a technical background.

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Instructor

ML
Manuel Laguna
Coursera instructor

Manuel Laguna is a professor at CU Boulder's Leeds School of Business and a recognised expert in operations research and business analytics. The course reflects his applied, decision-modelling approach.

Frequently asked questions

No. From the University of Colorado Boulder, it focuses on using analytics to make better business decisions — understanding data, models, and analytical thinking applied to decisions — rather than programming. It may use accessible tools like spreadsheets, but it does not require coding. It suits people wanting to make more data-informed decisions rather than those seeking hands-on technical or programming skills.

How to use analytics to support business decisions: interpreting data, applying analytical models and methods to real problems, understanding uncertainty and trade-offs, and turning analysis into sound decisions. The emphasis is on the decision-making application of analytics — using data to choose better — rather than deep statistical theory or building models from scratch, making it practical for business use.

Managers, professionals, and students who want to make more data-driven decisions — people on the business side wanting to use analytics effectively rather than become technical analysts. It assumes no coding background, so it suits a broad audience seeking better decision-making skills. It is often part of a broader business-analytics specialization if you want to go further.

Yes, you can audit it on Coursera and watch the lectures at no cost. The graded elements and the certificate require a subscription, with financial aid available if you apply. Since much of the value is the decision-making concepts and methods, auditing gives you the substance if you want the ideas rather than the credential.

It typically runs a few weeks at a modest weekly pace as a focused course. It is concept- and application-driven rather than a heavy hands-on build, so the time goes into absorbing the analytics-for-decisions methods, with any wider business-analytics specialization a longer commitment if you continue.
Free
to audit
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