Business Analytics MSc
Gaining hands-on experience as part of my course is a real plus.
Kent Business School (KBS) is part of the University of Kent which positions itself as the UK’s European university. This piqued my interest, so I visited the website and made a lot of enquiries regarding life on campus, location, finance, culture, and the course itself. One thing that convinced me that this Master’s was for me was the option of having an industrial placement at the end of the course. The placement was important because business analytics is a new area for me, so gaining hands-on experience as part of my course is a real plus and something not many universities offer to Master’s students.
My undergraduate degree was in accounting. With accounting we deal with retrospective performance not giving much attention to how data can be used prospectively, whereas in business analytics you use data tools like R and SPSS to make forecasts and to help make sound decisions moving forward. Also, an MSc in Business Analytics opens up lots of career opportunities.
As a student at KBS, you have access to state-of-the-art libraries and lecture rooms as well as workshops, all of which help to create a positive experience. We also have the ASPIRE initiative, which helps us to develop entrepreneurial skills and the Bloomberg space where we can gain experience of the powerful financial tool, Bloomberg Terminal.
From the University, I received financial support via scholarships and bursaries. The University also holds workshops and seminars which help to prepare you for the job market and give you the opportunity to meet industry players.
I think postgraduate study is more research-focused and although guided by your lecturers, you need to figure out a lot of things for yourself.
I enjoyed studying machine learning and forecasting, as well as business analysis with the use of R, and Big Data visualisation. All of these have helped me to hone my data-handling skills and to make proper insights on data and leverage them to make decisions for a business
Yes, I attended networking events and training. One workshop that stood out for me was the one focused on how to do well in interviews and at assessment centres.
I am planning to use the skills I have acquired here to further my career in business analytics. In the future I would like to work as a lecturer and, if I get the opportunity to pursue a PhD, Kent will be my first choice.
I have gained technical skills such as the use of R for analysis, learnt how to handle SPSS, and an advanced knowledge in Excel. Another plus has been the ‘soft skills’ I have acquired, such as presentation skills, the ability to adapt, and tolerance.
