Do you think 1-year business analytics degree(MS) of US b-schools are good enough for learning basic analytic tools/techniques? Is the program length sufficient? Do the companies accept candidates with this degree even candidates don't have prior work experience in analytics? Most of the colleges were showing minimum salary after completion of this job as $40,000-$60,000.Is it so?
MS in Business Analytics
- Thread starter krishj
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Do not under any circumstances get an MS in (blah) Analytics from any school, even if it's MIT Business Analytics < MIT
MS in Analytics = scared of a real quantitative degree, or wasn't good at math/stat or buying into the big data hype but no desire to be a software engineer
After the degree, you will be a qualified for a job as a Business Intelligence Analyst, which runs 60k-80k in a US state with high cost of living. You will then do two 3 things:
1. Use Excel
2. Use a data visualization tool (like Tableau)
3. Reporting
This is a waste of even $20K USD, as anyone with a Minor in math/stat or cs can get such a job.
In my opinion a real quant does not use Excel as anything more than a csv renderer. You display data as a table, examine some values, highlight some stuff, then close Excel without saving. Under no circumstances does a real quant use Excel formulas nor VBA. It's a slow, small data calculator, and it's not a database. Furthermore, Tableau is not programming. It's a GUI tool for graphical visualization. Extremely manual. It's the new Excel. A real quant does not use Tableau nor its lesser counterparts.
For ~$10K USD
1. get tutoring: 10k. $40/hr = 250hrs. 3hr study sessions = 83 sessions (one session at 4hrs). 83 bsiness days = 4 months.
2. Then get 1 stats book, 1 math book, and have them help you go through those books.
3. Download Tableau, Excel, and any SQL you'd like for free.
4. Learn how to use it via YouTube.
You'll have the equivalent of an MS in Analytics in 90-120 business days.
For < $3k USD
Do an online data-science "bootcamp"/program such as that of Thinkful or Udacity. They are more direct and to the point of skills building. You'll have better job prospects, since higher-level programming is involved.
I was just browsing this site, and literally made an account just to warn you! You don't need an MS in Analytics to learn how to use Excels t-test function on some run-of-the-mill dataset such as email clicks vs email opens vs sales, or ad impressions vs ad clicks vs sales.
An MS in Analytics will be a "big data" waste of money time and money, and will not give any good rigor beyond a lot of homework. Waste of time if you just want to get your foot int he door of the industry. Waste of time to learn certain tools or techs (like hiveql or querying elasticsearch). Not a useful path if you want to be a quant one day. Where's the Math? Where's the decent modern programming language? And I don't mean one introductory course. It would be a detour at best, a $30K+, 12 month detour if you're lucky. Don't ever consider these again.
MS in Analytics = scared of a real quantitative degree, or wasn't good at math/stat or buying into the big data hype but no desire to be a software engineer
After the degree, you will be a qualified for a job as a Business Intelligence Analyst, which runs 60k-80k in a US state with high cost of living. You will then do two 3 things:
1. Use Excel
2. Use a data visualization tool (like Tableau)
3. Reporting
This is a waste of even $20K USD, as anyone with a Minor in math/stat or cs can get such a job.
In my opinion a real quant does not use Excel as anything more than a csv renderer. You display data as a table, examine some values, highlight some stuff, then close Excel without saving. Under no circumstances does a real quant use Excel formulas nor VBA. It's a slow, small data calculator, and it's not a database. Furthermore, Tableau is not programming. It's a GUI tool for graphical visualization. Extremely manual. It's the new Excel. A real quant does not use Tableau nor its lesser counterparts.
For ~$10K USD
1. get tutoring: 10k. $40/hr = 250hrs. 3hr study sessions = 83 sessions (one session at 4hrs). 83 bsiness days = 4 months.
2. Then get 1 stats book, 1 math book, and have them help you go through those books.
3. Download Tableau, Excel, and any SQL you'd like for free.
4. Learn how to use it via YouTube.
You'll have the equivalent of an MS in Analytics in 90-120 business days.
For < $3k USD
Do an online data-science "bootcamp"/program such as that of Thinkful or Udacity. They are more direct and to the point of skills building. You'll have better job prospects, since higher-level programming is involved.
I was just browsing this site, and literally made an account just to warn you! You don't need an MS in Analytics to learn how to use Excels t-test function on some run-of-the-mill dataset such as email clicks vs email opens vs sales, or ad impressions vs ad clicks vs sales.
An MS in Analytics will be a "big data" waste of money time and money, and will not give any good rigor beyond a lot of homework. Waste of time if you just want to get your foot int he door of the industry. Waste of time to learn certain tools or techs (like hiveql or querying elasticsearch). Not a useful path if you want to be a quant one day. Where's the Math? Where's the decent modern programming language? And I don't mean one introductory course. It would be a detour at best, a $30K+, 12 month detour if you're lucky. Don't ever consider these again.
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im with benkyou... this biz analytics type of degrees is banking the "big data" hype train... avoid at all cost!
Daniel Duffy
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The software industry is replete with promising technologies that lasted a few years. Vendors push technology but the uptake is all-important.
30 years ago we all feared that Japanese software (Prolog
) and 5th generation project was about to take over the world.And 80% of the world's software is in COBOL.
My wild guess is that it is a niche market; legacy systems have to be maintained, developers become less flexible as time goes on and there may be no need for this technology in the short term.
A degree in Biz analytics is like saying you have a degree in group theory (small subset of pure maths).
In the past it would be a CS degree with specialization AI, ML, whatever.
Or learn it all on the job.
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Daniel Duffy
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my 2 cents.
I would learn basic (cognitive) skills like applied maths, programming, CS, etc. as it is the basis for anything you will do in the future.
I reckon you can learn business data stuff on the job as IMO it is essentially an application of the bespoke skills.
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Daniel Duffy
C++ author, trainer
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Some relevant thoughts by Donald Knuth, especially @0.22
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