Congratulations to the Institute’s Technology Coordinator, John Jernigan, on the successful completion of his degree in the Master of Science in Computer Engineering at NC State University. John, who joined the Institute at its inception, specializes in computer security and is responsible for the deployment of computing technology among faculty, staff, and students in the MSA program. John earned his B.S. degree in Computer Engineering from NC State, as well.
After months of hard work and anticipation, the admissions process for the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) Class of 2012 has produced 40 talented candidates—the seating capacity of the program—who will begin studies shortly. The admissions committee reviewed 185 applications. About half of the applicants (94) were interviewed for admission by a four-person panel of faculty and staff. A total of 45 candidates were offered admission; three subsequently declined and two deferred. The process yielded an acceptance rate of 24-percent. Continue reading “Class of 2012 Selected”
Congratulations to 10 members of the MSA Class of 2011 on their success in earning the SAS certification in Predictive Modeling today. Industry leading analytics software tools are an integral part of the MSA education, and SAS is a tool that is used extensively by students in their day-to-day work with large data sets. Given their hands-on experience with analytics tools, MSA students have the option of earning industry certifications while completing Continue reading “Students Earn Predictive Modeling Certification”
Congratulations to Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) 2011 degree candidate Sabah Sadiq, who garnered the best contributed paper award in the Operations Research section at SAS Global Forum this week. Sabah traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada, to present the paper, which is titled The Final Frontier: A SAS® Approach to Data Envelopment Analysis. Upon graduation, Sabah will join Deloitte as a consultant. Also presenting a paper at SGF was MSA Class of 2008 alumnus, David Dobson. David’s paper is titled Understanding Drivers of Achieving Academic Success in University Students.
The Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) is not designed to emulate the MBA education. However, data collected as part of the national ranking of MBA programs offer an opportunity to compare MSA student outcomes relative to the widely taught graduate degree in business. Using data from the annual ranking of business schools by U.S. News and World Report, an assessment was conducted to determine where in the ranking the MSA might land based on three criteria: the admissions acceptance rate, base starting salaries, and placement rate by graduation. The cost of both resident and non-resident tuition (which covers 2 years for the MBA), is also compared. Continue reading “Benchmarking MSA Student Outcomes”
Members of the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) Class of 2011 took time away from study to enjoy an evening of art appreciation and music at the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA). Students were taken on a docent-led tour of the permanent collection. The NCMA recently underwent an ambitious expansion with the construction of a beautiful new wing to house its permanent collection.
Despite an uncertain economy and the slow growth in domestic employment, the MSA Class of 2011 has logged a record 469 job interviews (an average of 12 per student), and has exceeded last year’s record (378) a full ten weeks ahead of schedule in the 12-week job placement season. It is the fourth consecutive year since the Institute’s inception in 2007 in which employer demand for MSA graduates has increased. The Institute will host over 30 employers this spring, with many seeking to fill multiple positions for analytics professionals.
The review of applications for admission to the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) degree program is ongoing. Prospective applicants who have not yet submitted their application are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Admissions decisions will commence in March and continue until the Class of 2012 cohort is full.
The Institute’s director, Dr. Michael Rappa, will co-chair the Analytics track at the Conference on Business Analytics and Operations Research, sponsored by the prestigious professional society, the Institute for Operations Research and Management Science (INFORMS). The conference agenda is aimed at practitioners and has a deep line-up of speakers drawn from some of the nation’s leading companies applying Analytics.
Today the Institute hosts a visiting delegation of academic officials from Mainland China here to learn about the Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) degree program. The delegation is headed by Mr. Yuan Wei, statistics professor and Executive Vice President of Renmin University. Professor Yuan was appointed as Deputy Director of China Master of Applied Statistics (MAS) Education Steering Committee. In addition, the delegation comprises the dean Continue reading “Institute Hosts China Delegation”