Gies MSBA practicum exposes students to data-driven client projects

Ishika Gupta (MSBA ’24) moved to the US to pursue a Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) degree at Gies College of Business because she sought a more fulfilling career path after completing her bachelor's degree in computer science engineering in India.

“I wanted to be more deeply involved with a company’s challenges and contribute to decision-making,” said Gupta. “Pursuing a master’s in business analytics (MSBA) from Gies became the perfect opportunity to bridge the gap between engineering and management.”

"The nine-month MSBA program attracts students who come from diverse backgrounds,” said Ashish Khandelwal, a Gies teaching associate professor and who leads the MSBA’s practicum course. “The end goal is for everyone to start on the path for a career in data science."

Launched in 2021, the MSBA has grown exponentially from 27 learners in its first cohort to more 125 students. About 50% have prior work experience, ranging from six months to ten years. More than a dozen companies participate in the program.

Gupta (left) said the degree’s business practicum offered her the most valuable experience of the program, which also includes three core courses and analytics electives. For two semesters, students partner with companies to solve data-driven challenges.

“I appreciated the diversity of the students in the program and the learning from their experiences,” said Gupta. “Working together for nine months taught me the true essence of teamwork and task delegation. I also gained essential skills in client communication, presentation, and meeting deadlines.”

Gupta worked on a project for Horizon Hobby, a leader in recreational radio control products, that was looking to gain more insight into its sales data.

“This project aligned perfectly with my goals and allowed me to apply what I was learning directly,” said Gupta. “We were immersed in real work assigned by our client, tackling genuine business problems.”

Executives were impressed with the student engagement and preparedness throughout the practicum.

“The most impactful result was a better understanding of our customer segments -- most notably our deal-seekers,” said Jordan Koch, senior data analyst, Horizon Hobby. “This allowed us to better tailor experiences to drive sales more frequently outside of promotions. We hope that, over time, these marketing initiatives create more loyalty with this segment and increase our sales margins.”

“Companies rely on our ability to identify insights from data that we manage in a responsible and reliable manner,” said Khandelwal.

This is the third year Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) turned to Gies MSBA practicum students for their advanced analytics skills. Nine students analyzed AWG’s data to identify ways to improve sales of specific AWG Brands products.

“The students created a data analytics model that is helping AWG make informed business decisions, while evolving promotional activities,” said Khandelwal. “This type of experiential learning helps students apply the techniques they are learning and gain better context for how they can solve real-world problems.”

The assignment involved merging sales and promotion data from various sources and isolating the impact of discounts amidst numerous factors, such as store, SKU, and seasonality. The teams performed complex statistical analyses and developed a model estimating the impact of discounts on dollar sales and the number of stores placing orders each week.

"This has been an incredibly hands-on and rewarding experience,” said Preethi Peelamedu Surendran (MSBA ’24). “It was very encouraging to see how excited the AWG Brands team was about our findings. Their involvement and feedback provided us with much-needed validation and inspired us to push our analytical boundaries.”

"This is a fantastic opportunity for both AWG and the students to grow and learn together,” said Patrick Reeves, AWG Chief Human Resources Officer. "We appreciate their hard work and enjoy the chance to develop and possibly recruit future business leaders."

Khandelwal expects the assignments offered through the practicum will continue to expand and diversify because thefield of data science and analytics is rapidly evolving due to the continuous advancement in the underlying technologies.

“To keep pace with these developments, each year we introduce projects that challenge our students to apply the latest knowledge to solve real-world business problems,” said Khandelwal.

He added that the program has a robust curriculum and weekly professional development workshops along with scholarships for certification that provide students with industry-recognized credentials that validate their practical skills.

“We will also actively incorporate new technologies such as generative AI into our courses and workshops, ensuring our students are well-equipped with the latest tools and techniques, empowering them to make impactful contributions in the business world,” said Khandelwal.

Interested in working with our students? Visit our corporate partners webpage to find out more!