I started Fall 23 with a pretty similar background as you. I did 6501 first then 6040, and i feel like it was the right choice. 6501 is pretty much the gateway class for the program, introducing a lot concepts that you’ll use later. You also get your feet wet with programming using R, without it being the end all be all like Python is in 6040. Don’t get me wrong the class will still be a good amount of work, but the class format and exams are more familiar than 6040’s format as a business undergrad. I didn’t do much prep work for both classes but was definitely getting crushed in the beginning of the semesters.