Two years ago, an e-Commerce Manager in a startup, Maximilian Jackson Yap realised that his work experience and knowledge were insufficient to take him where he wanted to go. That motivated him to sign up for the NUS-ISS Master of Technology in Enterprise Business Analytics (MTech EBAC) course and he never looked back since.
It was when Maximilian Jackson Yap (photo on left) was starting his own Business Intelligence (BI) development company that he realised that work experience and knowledge which he has acquired in the past 10 years were insufficient to value-add to his product.
"I worked four years as an e-Commerce Manager in a startup before striking it out on my own. The past 10 years of my work experience had been a slow build-up of business and technical knowledge," says Maximilian, "I wanted to build a firm foundation and also to explore new ways of doing things."
That motivated him to further his studies and he signed up for the NUS' Institute of Systems Science (NUS-ISS) Master of Technology in Enterprise Business Analytics (MTech EBAC) programme. He graduated in July 2015 with raving reviews of the programme.
With his earlier experiences in the field, Maximilian had expected the programme to be a breeze but it turned out otherwise. "My initial thought was that it would be a walk in the park. Oh was I mistaken! The one-and-a-half year course was grueling with back-to-back assignments and many hours of reading, self-study and research. I could not have completed the assignments without teamwork," he added, "This course is not easy. We spent many hours reading up, doing self-study and research. You will need to have business acumen, technical skills and project management skills."
Despite the hard work, Maximilian enjoyed the programme, "The course content was superbly well thought out with many industry examples. The lecturers were extremely knowledgeable and they brought with them a wealth of industry experience and academia experience. This really helped me put what I learnt into perspective."
"The programme exceeded my expectations. I expected it to be a one-way programme where there would be a lot of spoon-feeding, but instead it turned out to be a very hands-on programme where we not only have to play an active role in learning, but to know how to think and execute as well," says Maximilian.
Now a Business Analytics Consultant in Azendian Solutions, a local startup company focused on information management and advanced analytics, many of the skills and knowledge which Maximilian has acquired in the MTech EBAC programme has served him well in his work, "My role is focused on advanced analytics, in providing value to companies which are trying to unlock value in their existing data. The MTech EBAC programme has geared me and prepared me to take on this job and the challenges involved."
Maximilian has some advice for potential students looking to pursue a graduate programme. "For those with working experience, one way is to look back at what you have done and see if there is a course that is able to encapsulate all your previous experience, and then harness it to unlock the value of the degree you are looking at. For those with no working experience, you need to ask yourself if this course is able to propel you in the direction that you think you would want to do and excel in."
The Master of Technology in Enterprise Business Analytics programme is specially designed to satisfy the demands of the industry for practical Business Analytics skills and knowledge by developing new practitioners or upgrading entry level practitioners who have a suitable professional background, such as IT professionals, but who lack the necessary academic fundamentals to move into Specialist or Expert positions in Business Analytics.
Applications for the January 2017 intake will open in April 2016. For more information on the programme, click here.