The Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) Class of 2012 set a new record for the number of interviews and employer visits hosted by the Institute. There were a total of 40 employer visits during the month of January alone, surpassing last year’s record of 34 employers for the entire 90-day recruiting season. There were 568 first-round interviews arranged for 38 MSA degree candidates, or an average of 15 per student (compared to 14 last year). The Institute welcomed back many employers that had recruited graduates in previous years, as well as 15 new companies here for the first time. Employers span various sectors of the economy, including banking and financial services, consulting, energy, healthcare, Internet and social media, manufacturing, retail, software and telecommunications. More information about this year’s job placement results will be posted at the end of the placement season.
Applications for admission to the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) degree program are up 100-percent over the same period last year, as of December 31. The Institute has begun reviewing applications and interviewing candidates, and decisions are being issued. Individuals who are considering applying for admission in 2012 are encouraged to submit their application as soon as possible.
The next information session for prospective applicants to the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) program is scheduled for Monday, February 20, from 3:30 – 4:30 PM. Interested individuals please register to attend.
The Institute is now accepting applications for the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) degree program’s Class of 2013, which is set to begin studies next June. Interested individuals are encouraged to apply early. Learn about the 10-month MSA, including how to apply, course prerequisites, and its proven 4-year track record for placing graduates in the Analytics profession.
The Institute is delighted to announce the addition of six new members to the Executive Advisory Board at its winter meeting today, bringing the total membership to fifteen. The Board convenes twice each year to provide strategic guidance to the Institute and its pioneering Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) degree program. “We are fortunate to have this esteemed group to help guide the Institute,” said its director, Dr. Michael Rappa. “Our students will benefit from the depth of their experience and insight into the real world practice of analytics.” The new members broaden the Board’s geographic representation as well as its industry reach into banking, insurance, hospitality, management consulting, and basic research. Read the rest of this entry »
Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) degree candidates Patrick Hall and Ryan Snyder have been named SAS Student Ambassadors. Hall and Snyder were recognized for their work in combining Base SAS data step programming with the Java Processing Graphics library to create a scalable, flexible protocol for generating data-driven graphics. The SAS Student Ambassador Program recognizes and supports students who use SAS technologies in innovative ways that benefit their respective industries and fields of study. Hall and Snyder are two of a small number of students selected for the honor from a global pool of candidates. The new awards bring the total to 5 MSA candidates to receive the honor since 2008.
The Institute, in cooperation with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Monsanto Company announced today a $500,000 grant to train the next generation of plant breeding professionals with skills in analytics. The Monsanto Scholarships in Advanced Analytics will be awarded to six degree candidates in the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) program beginning in 2012. “Encouraging and enabling the development of future plant breeders is and will continue to be an integral part of making agriculture more productive,” said Sam Eathington, Monsanto VP of global plant breeding. “That’s why we are proud to support the North Carolina State University breeding and analytics programs and in turn help farmers meet growing global demands for years to come.” Monsanto is a leading global provider of technology-based solutions and agricultural products that improve farm productivity and food quality.
A newly published study by Accenture highlights the Institute for Advanced Analytics as one example of what is being done to address the growing mismatch between labor markets and needs of employers for skilled professionals in areas like analytics. Read the rest of this entry »
Investment in business analytics and analytical talent will rise in 2012, but organizations still have their work cut out for them when it comes to making projects effective and instilling the right analytical culture and skills, according to new research from Accenture and SAS. Of the 258 North American business leaders surveyed by the Accenture SAS Analytics Group, 72 percent indicated they will increase spending on business analytics in 2012 as compared to 2011. The report follows one by McKinsey that projects a steep rise in the demand for analytics talent in the coming decade. Read the rest of this entry »
Four alumni from the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) degree program spoke about the future of analytics as part of a panel discussion today at the 2011 Internet Summit being held in downtown Raleigh. Participating in the panel were: Erika Burger (MSA ’11), Senior Business Analyst, Maxpoint Interactive; Richie Couchon (MSA ’10), Senior Analytic Analyst, Quaero; Geoff Lewis (MSA ’10), Director of Analytics, ShareFile; and Daniel Zaratsian (MSA ’11), Analytics Consultant, SAS.
The Institute’s director, Dr. Michael Rappa, will be in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Wednesday to speak at the INFORMS 2011 Annual Meeting. Dr. Rappa will discuss the education of analytics practitioners as part of a panel organized on graduate degree programs in Analytics. In 2006, he proposed and led the development of the nation’s first Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) degree at NC State. Dr. Rappa will be joined by colleagues from Louisiana State University–Baton Rouge, Northwestern University, and the University of Tennessee–Knoxville.
The INFORMS Conference on Business Analytics and Operations Research has issued a call for papers of its 2012 meeting next April in Huntington Beach, California. The deadline for paper submissions is December 15. Keynote speakers for the conference include Hal Varian, Chief Economist at Google, and Bob Page, VP for Analytics Platform at eBay. The Institute’s director, Dr. Michael Rappa is a member of the conference’s organizing committee and has served as co-chair of the Analytics Process track since 2010.
Bank of America has selected Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) student Tu Nghiem for its prestigious Quantitative Management Associate Program (QMAP). It is the third consecutive year BoA has tapped a MSA student for QMAP. The program prepares future business leaders of BoA who are grounded in quantitative skills and experiences. Each year about twenty candidates from the nation’s leading universities are selected to enter QMAP. Several of the bank’s top leaders in quantitative areas are alumni of the program. Nghiem is a 2011 summa cum laude graduate in Mathematics and Economics from Lawrence University.
The Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) Class of 2012 practicum projects are off and running. The practicum is a core component of the MSA curriculum that gives students an opportunity to work together on real-world projects with large amounts of data from industry sponsors. This year’s eight projects were selected from 27 proposals made by 20 organizations. New sponsors include eBay, Marriott, Siemens, Elder Research and The Daniel Group. Returning sponsors include Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC, M&T Bank, and Quaero. Read the rest of this entry »
The Institute for Advanced Analytics is growing! In the coming months the Institute will add 6,000 sq.ft. for a second classroom, offices and student work spaces. The expansion is part of a plan approved by NC State University’s Board of Trustees to build on the tremendous success of the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) degree program and increase its enrollment to 80 students beginning in June 2012. When construction is completed, the Institute will have a total of nearly 15,000 sq.ft. with capacity to seat up to 120 students. MSA enrollment had been capped at 40 students due to Read the rest of this entry »
The Institute’s Dr. Aric LaBarr spoke today at the Best Practices Workshop for the National Professional Science Masters Association (NPSMA) in Niagra Falls, New York. His presentation focused on how the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) degree uniquely prepares professionals for the current needs of industry. The NPSMA is a collaborative of Professional Science Master’s (PSM) degree program directors, faculty, administrators, industry, and students. PSM degrees focus on preparing students for careers outside of academia by giving students advanced training in science, while simultaneously developing valuable business skills.
Today the University Space Committee, chaired by the Provost, approved the Institute’s request to lease approximately 6,000 additional square feet contiguous to its current facility beginning April 1, 2012. The matter will now be referred to the Council of State for its review.
The Institute’s director, Dr. Michael Rappa, spoke today at the Center for Design Innovation (CDI) in Winston-Salem. CDI is a multi-campus research center within the University of North Carolina system. Led by Dr. Carol Strohecker, its goal is to spur economic transformation of the state’s Piedmont area through design-focused activity based on advanced digital technologies. Dr. Rappa’s talk on surviving and thriving in the digital economy was part of the Center’s on-going Idea Exchange series of events, which are open to the public.
SAS Institute, the leader in business analytics software and services, hosted the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) Class of 2012 today in its newly opened Executive Briefing Center at the company’s headquarters in Cary, North Carolina. Jim Goodnight, SAS co-founder and CEO, spoke with students about the rapidly growing importance of analytics to businesses and government, and the value of an analytics-focused education in today’s economy. Joining Dr. Goodnight was Dr. John Brocklebank, VP for SAS Solutions onDemand, and a panel of speakers including Charlie Board (MSA 2010), Jim Metcalf, Lisa Horowitz, and Prashant Pai. Students were treated to a reception and tour of the SAS campus. Read the rest of this entry »
The Institute’s director, Dr. Michael Rappa, was interviewed today by Barry List as part of The Science of Better: “Crunching the Numbers” podcast. The topic of discussion was the Institute’s innovative degree program, the Master of Science in Analytics. The biweekly podcast series offers engaging in-depth conversations about analytics and operations research of interest to practitioners. The Institute for Operations Research and Management Science (INFORMS), the leading association for analytics professionals, is the sponsor the podcast.
