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For Kwaku Danso-Manu, pursuing the MS in Business Analytics (MSBA) at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School was a dream come true. “It had always been a personal and professional goal of mine to work in Silicon Valley and in tech specifically,” he says. That goal became a reality when he accepted a role as a data scientist with Visa after graduating from Goizueta in 2019.
Asked about how the MSBA opened up new opportunities in his career that had already included roles as an engineer and data scientist, he says, “The field of data science provided the perfect cocktail to leverage skills in both areas and allow me to work on and solve problems from inception to completion being involved in all phases of any given project.”
Experiencing the world of business, data, and technology
Goizueta students learn by doing. During the business analytics program’s 10-month duration, they get real-world experiences thanks to their school’s partnership with organizations like FedEx, InterContinental Hotels Group, and The Home Depot.
This experience proved to be invaluable for students like Jent LePalm. “Core technical concepts include programming languages – specifically SQL, R and Phyton. We worked with big data, using cloud computing services like Amazon Web Services,” he shares. “It is kind of like the art of predictive modelling so you can make accurate predictions.”
MSBA students like Jent LePalm worked with big data, using cloud computing services like Amazon Web Services. Source: Emory University Goizueta Business School
In core courses, you’ll learn under leading experts in the field. Picture discussing electronic markets, pricing and digital goods piracy with Dr. Ramnath K. Chellappa, the Associate Dean and Academic Director of the MSBA program who has been widely published in leading journals and conferences. His work on information privacy, research on music digitization, and study of software pricing have received best paper awards in premier conferences.
If you are interested in how consumers conduct research about products, make purchases and interact with brands, have a chat with Vilma Todri. Curious about her accomplishment in the field? Think of premier venues such as Marketing Science (MKSC), Information Systems Research (ISR), Management of Information Systems Quarterly (MISQ) and many more. These are where you can find her research.
Exciting capstone projects, experiential learning opportunities
Goizueta’s MSBA capstone course blends the three facets of the master’s program — business, data, and technology — in a dynamic way. Here’s how it works: students collaborate in small teams, learn strategy consulting methodologies for breaking problems down and synthesizing recommendations, as well as manage clients and meetings. The student teams are assigned a client and work with real data to provide a solution to their client’s problem. The MSBA program managing director and faculty provide support every step of the way. At the end of the semester, the team submits the three core deliverables of a data science project: technical (code, cleansed data), dashboard visualization (Tableau, ggplot), and an executive deck (business result).
The MSBA Class of 2022. Source: Emory University Goizueta Business School
“I think the biggest gain from the capstone project was working on a real-world data set as opposed to the condensed, static data set that you usually see in the classroom. We’re working with the real company’s data,” says graduate Jonathan Iacobelli.
The result? 100% of graduates since the program’s launch in 2017 have received job offers within six months of graduation – a testament to Goizueta’s success in building a generation of business analysts competent at solving a data problem from every angle and finding innovative solutions.
Each graduating class continues to see strong demand for their services with the class of 2022 seeing a median base salary of US$100,00 and median signing bonus of US$10,000.
STEM designation
Daniel Liu didn’t think twice when he chose to join the MSBA at Goizueta. Thanks to its science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) designation, the business analytics graduate was eligible for a 24-month extension on his Optional Practical Training period (OPT). The OPT lets international students get real-world work experience related to their field of study in the US.
Daniel Liu enjoyed the real-world experiences of the MSBA. Source: Emory University Goizueta Business School
That wasn’t the only factor that enticed Liu to pick Goizueta’s MSBA. “The MSBA doesn’t require the GMAT/GRE for BBA applicants, and I liked the staff and faculty of the program prior to joining,” he shares. Liu refers to the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and Graduate Record Examination (GRE) that undergraduates usually have to complete before applying to a graduate business program.
His favorite aspect of the MSBA? Real-world experiences with clients in the classroom. “The experience of working closely with a client is something new to me and resembles the consulting experience,” he says.
Goizueta’s Graduate Career Management Center offers career coaching and additional help for Liu and his MSBA classmates to achieve his professional goals, which included him accepting a role as a data analyst at ByteDance. Career staff reviewed his resume and cover letters. They connected him to graduates from all over the world too, allowing students to expand their network from the start.
Excited about what you’re reading? Kickstart your career in business analytics with Emory University Goizueta Business School today.
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