I think one of the biggest challenges in my industry is viewing and managing data as an asset. Data is abundant, but the challenge lies in managing it effectively so we can utilize it strategically to improve all aspects of client interaction and deliver value for our customers. I think a degree in business analytics helps contextualize the technical challenges of managing data. There is, of course, the technology component of managing data, but without the context of the business problem it can be very difficult to find an appropriate analytics solution. This degree combines the business fundamentals with the technical acumen to understand and find solutions to business challenges today.

I studied math and finance in undergrad; I’ve always loved numbers and analytics, so I was all in for the “quantitative” part of the degree. The “management” part brings in the strategy and direction for analytics; you can write code until your fingers fall off, but without a strategic vision and purpose it’s hard to see the impact of all that work. The “business analytics” part gives a broad foundation that can be applied to any industry—you name the business, and there will be an analytics application!