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Angie Menjivar enrolled in ����ֱ��’s Master of Business Analytics (MSBA) program to create new career opportunities. 

The program provided Angie with the skills, confidence, and professional connections that led to an exciting new job in a fast-growing and popular field. In only one year, Angie went from having little basic knowledge of data analytics to mastering a variety of technical skills she now uses daily in her job as a research analyst at JobTrain. 

Angie started her new job shortly after graduating from the MSBA program in 2023.

The MSBA is designed for college graduates who – like Angie – are looking to change careers or expand their career potential by developing advanced skills in data analytics. A background in computer science, mathematics, and statistics is not required.

Indeed, not needing a STEM background appealed to Angie, who earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Saint Mary’s College of California. Aided by a generous scholarship, she enrolled in the MSBA after working for a year as a business immigration analyst for a San Francisco-based legal firm. There, her work primarily involved qualitative analysis and research. 

Angie was keen to integrate a business perspective into her existing analytical skills.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the diverse range of courses offered in the MSBA program. The curriculum covered various aspects of business analytics, including financial analytics, forecasting, data science, data privacy, data visualization, and optimization,” she says.

“These skills are directly applicable to my current role, where I frequently create detailed reports and dashboards on Salesforce, as well as utilize PowerBI and Excel for my analytical tasks. The program helped me develop both a strong analytical mindset and a better understanding of business operations.”

Angie connected with faculty mentors who not only provided valuable support, but also opened doors to career opportunities.

“I found the experience working with professors who had practical backgrounds in analytics to be incredibly valuable,” she recalls. “Their diverse experiences and industry insights were enlightening.”

Faculty mentor Dr. Daqing Zhao, associate professor of business analytics, played a crucial role in helping Angie secure her current position by providing a strong recommendation. 

Dr. Zhao, who earned his PhD from Stanford University, has more than 20 years of experience analyzing and taking actions on large data sets. He was director of advanced analytics at Macys.com, leading the predictive analytics, test and experimentation and data science teams. He previously held senior positions at Ask.com, University of Phoenix, Tribal Fusion, Yahoo, Acxiom/Digital Impact, and Bank of America. He also worked on client analytics projects for Intel, HP, Wells Fargo Bank, SBC, Dell, wine.com, MasterCard, Hainan Airlines, and Dongfeng Sokon.

“His support was instrumental, and I am grateful for his assistance in landing this job,” Angie says.

“I would advise prospective students to build strong relationships with their professors and stay connected with them throughout and after the program. Professors can provide valuable support and recommendations, especially when transitioning into a new field like business analytics. Maintaining these connections can open doors to future job opportunities and professional growth.”