Under the supervision of Clinical Assistant Professor Matthew Lanham, MS BAIM students learn how to apply their skills through experiential learning projects that allow for futher specialization.
From Research To Practice
Grad program in business analytics creates opportunities for students, companies
Fall 20119
By Eric Nelson
A persistent analytics talent gap creates big opportunities for people who can wield analytics to help organizations make better decisions. For innovative students in the Krannert School’s Master of Science in Business Analytics and Information Management (MS BAIM), consulting projects with business partners are critical components to filling that gap.
Introduced in 2016, the MS BAIM program offers a unique treatment of data analytics and optimization, as well as significant depth in SAS modeling and usage. The 11-month, full-time program is designed to prepare students with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) for both the current and future environment of business data by focusing equally on both technologies and techniques.
In addition to SAS, students learn how to use a variety of software tools available through the program and apply their skills through experiential learning projects that allow for further specialization in areas such as supply chain, investment analytics and corporate finance analytics.
Alicia Yang, who earned her MS BAIM degree in 2018 and now works as senior analyst in advanced analytics for MGM Resorts International, came to the program after completing her undergraduate degree in hospitality and tourism management through Purdue’s College of Health and Human Sciences.
“The combination of business and technical classes catered to my goal of bridging the gap between data and business operation, not only becoming an expert in data, but also having the skill set to explain analytics process and results to non-tech audiences,” Yang says.
She says the opportunity to consult with corporate partners on real business problems was especially valuable: “Being able to take on a project from the initial scope definition to deliverables helped me understand the typical workflow of a business analyst, find possible challenges, and identify solutions.”
Yang and other recent alumni also credit the program’s faculty, particularly its academic director, Matthew Lanham, a clinical assistant professor in Krannert’s quantitative methods area.
Lanham, who serves as assistant director of student engagement for the John and Donna Krenicki Center for Business Analytics and Machine Learning, was honored recently at the SAS Global Forum with the 2019 Distinguished Professor Award for his creative use of SAS software in his teaching.
“My mission is to prepare the students to be excellent practitioners,” Lanham says. “They learn a lot in the classroom, but the goal is to help them get comfortable with data, identify and apply the right methodology to address specific business questions, and use analytics tools like SAS to find solutions.”
The program’s focus on bridging research with practice also builds on the school’s reputation for producing future talent, says David Hummels, the Dr. Samuel R. Allen Dean of the Krannert School.
“The Krannert School has used an analytical business approach to develop industry leaders for decades, and the continued demand from employers was a driving force for the development our MS BAIM degree,” Hummels says. “Providing rich business analytics capabilities and applied research projects makes our students more valuable in the job market and gives us enormous potential to expand the program.”
