Kulkarni Speaks to MSA Students

Dr. Radhika Kulkarni, Vice President of Advanced Analytics R&D at SAS Institute, spoke today with MSA students about how Operations Research (OR) methods are applied to a wide range of interesting problems in industry. Dr. Kulkarni demonstrated the practical application of OR with diverse examples—from agriculture to banking—and discussed how OR fits in the spectrum of analytical methods. Dr. Kulkarni was joined by her colleague, Dr. Manoj Chari, in her presentation.

Studies Commence for MSA Class of 2009

Christine Valbuena and Anurag SharmaThe Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) Class of 2009 arrived on campus on July 7 and immediately commenced 6 weeks of intensive full-time study. The summer “boot camp” is an innovative component of the MSA curriculum delivered with the help of two-dozen faculty and invited guest lecturers. Students hone their skills in using complex software tools, and complete a rigorous review of the statistical foundations for analytics. Members of the Class of 2009 hail from ten countries and have a median age of 27 years; half are residents of North Carolina. The geographic Continue reading “Studies Commence for MSA Class of 2009”

Noted Author Speaks on Data Mining

Gordon Linhoff, author of several widely read textbooks on data analysis, including Data Mining Techniques and Mastering Data Mining spoke today to the MSA Class of 2009 at its openning session. Linoff is co-founder of Data Miners, Inc., a consultancy with clients in banking, media, telecommunications and pharmaceuticals. Linhoff highlighted the numerous kinds of business problems in marketing and customer relationship management addressed today with data mining tools. Also speaking at the opening session was Dr. Herbert Kirk, a respected NC State alumnus, who serves as a member of the Institute’s Executive Board, and long-time veteran of SAS Institute. Dr. Kirk, who is SAS Education Vice President, provided students with an overview of Advanced Analytics.

MSA Enrollment Jumps by 50%

The enrollment of thirty-five students this month represents a growth of fifty percent over last year’s class. The growth in enrollment lifts the MSA program into the top-five largest M.S. degree programs at NC State—in terms of the number of degrees conferred annually—in only its second year of operation. The maximum capacity for the program is forty students.  The Institute expects to reach full enrollment capacity in 2009, and will begin to evaluate the potential for expansion beyond 40 students in 2010. The MSA program maintains a mailing list for prospective applicants, which provides a good indication of the potential volume of future applications.

Perfect Job Placement Record

The Institute is pleased to report that each member of the MSA Class of 2008 has received one or more offers of employment within 90-days of May graduation. On average, students had six job interviews and two offers of employment; the average salary offer of $83,567 is among the best results for M.S. degree programs at NC State University and comparable to the average starting salary for MBA graduates nationwide. Although the employment situation for new graduates, in general, is expected to be soft through 2008, the picture for MSA graduates remains promising. Continue reading “Perfect Job Placement Record”