When Tang Han first applied for the NUS Masters of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) programme, she had no relevant experience and was armed only with a strong interest in big data and machine learning.
A career path in business analytics may seem like an exclusive one tailored to computing geniuses or professionals with relevant experiences in tech firms.
Thankfully, the programme provides a two-week boot camp which aims to give students a foundation in subjects such as statistics, economics, programming and analytics tools. The camp helps students like Tang Han who might not have the background and even serves as a refresher course for students who already have the skills.
The MSBA is jointly designed and supported by NUS Business School and NUS School of Computing. It has a two-pronged teaching approach, which allows for students to gain technical and business know-how during their studies.
The diversity and practicality of the modules was an important factor that led to her applying for the MSBA. “One of the reasons I chose NUS was due to the wide variety of courses offered to students under this programme, such as big data, finance, and healthcare,” she said.
The programme also attracts students from a diverse range of industries and technical background. The daily interaction with her classmates helped her in her personal growth, said Tang Han, improving her presentation skills and domain knowledge.
The modules helped her prepare for her working life. “MSBA provides a very practical range of modules that is relevant to my work,” she said. “These modules are quite intense, and we get to solve practical problems, join innovation challenges,” she added.
Now the holder of the Outstanding Capstone Project Award, a prestigious award given to only five students in the cohort with outstanding business projects with a company, Tang credits her success to the mentorship and guidance from her professors and industrial supervisors under the programme.
Today, Tang Han holds the position of Data Scientist at Healint- a Singapore based start-up specialising in the development of healthcare-related tech solutions.
“MSBA has given me an opportunity for extensive growth through close collaboration with people from different industries,” said Tang. “I was able to sharpen my analytical skills, as well as develop useful interpersonal skills by communicating my thoughts with confidence and clarity.”
To find out more about the Masters of Science, Business Analytics programme, please visit https://msba.nus.edu.sg/.