by Shardul Bajpai – 09/23/2015

Knowledge of Statistics is one of the corner stones in the field of data science. Though the use of data science varies by industries, the basic application of statistics remains the same. This workshop touched upon some basic concepts of statistics like Probability Distribution and Hypothesis testing.

Shardul began the workshop with an introduction to statistics defining the terms Descriptive and Inferential Statistics. He then explained the concepts of Random Experiment, Random Variable, Expected Value and Estimator. After which he covered in detail with real life examples, the concepts of normal distribution, central limit theorem, hypothesis testing, significance test and t test, and confidence intervals. The workshop was scheduled for a duration of 1.5 hours and was attended by 35 students.

Students thought it to be a great session and very informational. Though this workshop benefited students with little or no knowledge of statistics, it was also a refresher for those with sound statistical background.

By MSBAPM Career Advisor: Katherine Duncan

By now you have probably heard that our School of Business Career Fair is coming up on October 23rd in Hartford. It will be a great opportunity for you to learn about companies and industries you are interested in, and to practice networking. This newsletter article will help you prepare for the career fair BEFORE you attend. Next month’s article will focus on what to do DURING the fair, and in the following month it will describe how to follow up AFTER the career fair.

Here are some things to do before the Career Fair. Make sure you have your polished resume in a folder or portfolio so it doesn’t get bent or folded. You may also want to have business cards made so that you can hand out your contact details quickly, but this is optional. You will want to be dressed appropriately in business attire to make a strong first impression. Make sure to leave any backpacks or duffel bags at home, but a nice briefcase or purse is fine.

A very important part of preparing for the Career Fair is to do your research and know which companies will be attending. More importantly, which do you want to speak to or learn more about? There might not be ample time for you to meet with every single company that interests you, so have a list of “A” and “B” companies to prioritize. Have your pitch perfected (20 to 30 seconds) so that as you meet those new company reps you’ll be able to tell them more about you! Take it one step further by preparing questions for those company reps, you’ll come across as thoughtful and proactive! A good rule of thumb is to avoid any questions that you could easily have found the answers to by doing your own research.

If you are someone who might get nervous in this setting then practice, practice, practice!

This info session started with Jitender Thakur covering some basic definitions of terms like Big Data, Business Intelligence (BI), Analytics, Data Mining, BI versus Data Science,etc. And then the class took a quick look into evolution of data analytics over the last 5-7 years to understand its significance in the 21^st century.

A high level overview on Data Analytics Lifecycle, various technologies and tools presently used in the field of Data Science was provided. A few examples on Analytics were discussed to showcase the wide range of application of Analytics in Business, Sports, Education, Social Social Networks, Healthcare, Elections, and Governments.

Next, the class went on to understand the inter-disciplinary nature of Data Analytics, getting familiar with Big Data Ecosystems and the role played by a Data Scientist. A brief sneak peek into different mathematical methods employed in data mining was given.  Lastly, Jitender talked about the different skill requirements for aspiring data science professionals, and some recommendations on using online resources on acquiring these required skills.

A big warm welcome to the new students who joined MSBAMP in Fall 2015! The international orientation was conducted from 24th August – 28th August. The orientation had informational sessions from International Advisors, Career Advisor, Technology Team, Program Director and exciting events like Icebreakers Games and Scavenger Hunt. We are excited to share a few impressions of the Fall Orientaion 2015!