The Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) Class of 2011 has performed extremely well to date, and at the midpoint of the 10-month curriculum the class is by every measure setting a record pace of accomplishment. It was clear from the start the 2011 cohort was a highly capable group academically, and the students have proven themselves in meeting and exceeding the high expectations of faculty and staff. Continue reading “MSA Class of 2011 Reaches Midpoint”
Admissions Process Begins for Class of 2012
Review of applications for the MSA Class of 2012 has begun. The pace of applications is ahead of prior years and we expect to review as many as 200 potential candidates before filling the 40 seats available for the 2012 cohort. Finalists will be interviewed for admission during the spring. Admissions decisions will begin around April 1.
Employers Line Up for Spring Visits
Employers have begun lining up to recruit from the MSA Class of 2011 next spring. Campus interview dates are filling rapidly, and it looks to be a strong hiring season despite the slow economic recovery. Many employers are returning to campus this year after recruiting from earlier classes. There is also a growing number of new employers coming to the Institute for the first time. Indications are strong that MSA job placement will exceed 90-percent by graduation for the fourth straight year.
Students Gain Professional Certificates
MSA students have the option of completing professional certifications in statistical programming in addition to their normal studies. SAS certifications are the most popular among our students: currently 95 percent of the class has earned the SAS Base certificate, and 33 percent have passed the SAS Advanced Programmer level. The industry journal, Computerworld, recently listed SAS certifications at the top as having the greatest value in the job market.
Student Named SAS Ambassador
MSA Class of 2011 candidate Sabah Sadiq has been named a SAS Student Ambassador. The SAS Student Ambassador Program is a competitive program that recognizes and supports students who use SAS technologies in innovative ways that benefit their respective industries and fields of study. Sadiq is one of a small number of students selected for the honor from a global pool of candidates. She will present Continue reading “Student Named SAS Ambassador”
Institute Hosts LSU Faculty
Today the Institute hosted a visit by a contingent of Louisiana State University faculty from the Department of Applied Statistics and the Department of Information Systems and Decision Sciences, for a discussion of the MSA curriculum. Louisiana State is considering plans to revamp an existing M.S. in Information Systems and Decision Sciences into an analytics-focused degree modeled after the MSA. The LSU faculty met with Institute staff, faculty and a panel of MSA students for a daylong discussion about how the MSA degree is structured and delivered.
Kaur Selected for Leadership Program
Bank of America has selected MSA student Gurleen Kaur for its prestigious Quantitative Management Associate Program (QMAP). This is the second year in a row BoA has tapped a MSA student for QMAP. The program is designed to prepare future business leaders of BoA who are grounded with quantitative skills and experiences. Only about twenty candidates from the nation’s leading universities are selected to enter the QMAP program each year. Several of the bank’s top leaders in quantitative areas are alumni of the program. BoA also recruits MSA students for positions throughout the bank.
Director Discusses MSA Learning Model
The Institute’s director, Dr. Michael Rappa, spoke with a group of students and faculty at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge today about the MSA program. The MSA’s unique learning model has attracted a great deal of interest in LSU, following a visit to the Institute by the Deans of Agriculture and Business earlier in October.
Chancellor Highlights Pioneering MSA
At his installation ceremony today, Chancellor Randy Woodson used the special occasion to highlight NC State’s MSA degree in his speech to faculty, students and friends of the university. The MSA, now in its fourth year, is the nation’s first full-fledged graduate degree program in Analytics. The success of the MSA program can be attributed to several factors, namely the rapidly expanding importance of Analytics throughout the economy, the speed Continue reading “Chancellor Highlights Pioneering MSA”
Analytics Practicum Projects Kick-off
The MSA Class of 2011 Analytics Practicum projects are now off and running. Students are paired into eight teams of 4 or 5 members, and will work over the next seven months on a challenging business problem with real data from our corporate sponsors. This year’s sponsors are all new to the MSA program. They include: Allscripts, Dex One, Quaero, M&T Bank, Sharefile, Tekelec, and Trident Marketing. Continue reading “Analytics Practicum Projects Kick-off”