The Analytics Practicum is a team-based component of the MSA curriculum that gives students an opportunity to work together on real-world projects sponsored by industry. The Institute is pleased to announce our project sponsors for 2008-09 include:
- Detica — a global business and technology consultancy with over 1,500 employees based in the UK, with US operations in Washington, DC, and wholly owned by BAE Systems plc.
- Hallmark — a privately held greetings card company based in Kansas City, Missouri, with revenues of $4.4 billion and 16,000 employees worldwide.
- IBM — the global leader in computer systems and services with $98.8 billion in revenue and 386,000 employees worldwide.
- NetJets — the world leader in private aviation, with a portfolio of services that includes fractional ownership, jet cards, aircraft management and charter.
- Travelocity — a subsidiary of Sabre Holdings, based in Southlake, Texas, is one of the world’s largest travel companies with gross bookings of $10 billion.
- Wachovia — based in Charlotte, North Carolina, is one of the nation’s largest diversified financial services.
The practicum runs throughout the fall and spring semesters and serves as an integrative experience for the entire MSA curriculum. The practicum includes specialized instructional elements to develop teamwork, project management, data cleaning and handling, communication, and presentation skills. The practicum culminates each year in April with team presentations to the faculty and the sponsors. The practicum is coordinated with the assistance of a “coaching staff” that serves as a resource to the project teams.