Smurfit - MSc Business Analytics

ucdperson

The HEA have confirmed that this programme and the UCD Masters in iBusiness - Innovation Through ICT are in the Advanced Skills Programme for 2012-2013 and the fee will be €2750 (as last year).

ucdperson

Taste Lecture - MSc Business Analytics
Date: Thursday 5 April 2012
Time: 1-2pm Lunch & Refreshments Provided
Venue: Room 204, Engineering Building
Location: UCD, Belfield Campus

If you'd like to come please register
http://www.smurfitschool.ie/tastelectureba/

Paddy Orwell

Any Bus. Analytics grads/students out there who can give me an opinion on the best worst modules in the course. I would be particularly interested on your views on the Analytical Business Modelling module.
many thanks

vbold

Any grads of this course out there who could give some info? I am considering doing the course myself and would like to get some more background information

Is the course appreciated by employers? How relevant the course is to the actual workplace - would you be up and running in a role quickly, e.g. are the applications used in the course used in the day to day roles or did you require a substantial amount of further training?

To get a feel for what you would be doing afterwards, what insights you could give on the types of roles offered afterwards, responsibilities, day to day work etc. did the roles match your expectations, were they challenging and interesting..?

danthefan

vbold wrote: »

Any grads of this course out there who could give some info? I am considering doing the course myself and would like to get some more background information

Is the course appreciated by employers? How relevant the course is to the actual workplace - would you be up and running in a role quickly, e.g. are the applications used in the course used in the day to day roles or did you require a substantial amount of further training?

To get a feel for what you would be doing afterwards, what insights you could give on the types of roles offered afterwards, responsibilities, day to day work etc. did the roles match your expectations, were they challenging and interesting..?

Was just wondering the exact same thing. Have a degree in Mechanical Engineering but not really happy with the way my career is going so looking to go back and get myself some more education, do graduates from this course tend to find jobs?

ucdperson

Graduates of this MSc have no problem whatsoever finding jobs.
The demand far exceeds the supply.

as a strategy for seeing what sort of jobs have a look on Linkedin
bung "UCD MSc in Business Analytics" site:linkedin.com into Google.

As to the relevance to the workplace, it is an academic programme from a triple accredited business school. It is not a training course in using packages. It aims to expand your thinking and give you something of value in 10 years not just in the first month of your job. That said you do learn things like Java and using SAS software, but these are means to an end, not the end itself. Sometimes HR departments have a rather restrictive filter for jobs, requiring this that and the other, but that suggests an employer with limited ambition.

danthefan

ucdperson wrote: »

Graduates of this MSc have no problem whatsoever finding jobs.
The demand far exceeds the supply.

as a strategy for seeing what sort of jobs have a look on Linkedin
bung "UCD MSc in Business Analytics" site:linkedin.com into Google.

As to the relevance to the workplace, it is an academic programme from a triple accredited business school. It is not a training course in using packages. It aims to expand your thinking and give you something of value in 10 years not just in the first month of your job. That said you do learn things like Java and using SAS software, but these are means to an end, not the end itself. Sometimes HR departments have a rather restrictive filter for jobs, requiring this that and the other, but that suggests an employer with limited ambition.

Thanks for the reply. Do you know what time of year applications open up? I'm aware the academic year has just started so it could be a while.

danthefan

So anyone applying?

And would there be any sort of figures for what % of graduates end up in work at the end of the course?

REFLINE1

Very interested in this course also, im from a Civil engineering background, and have been working in the industry for 8 years but really want a change now.
Have a little programming experience also.

Anyone know what the part time/Full time hours are like for this years modules?

Their website has 2010 sample schedule only.

bar32

Just wondering if any current students or graduates could email me some lecture notes or slides from this course? Just want to get a feel for it. I can PM my email/ thanks a mill.

Grad234

Was thinking about applying for this, could anybody recommend a relevant book/website that I could use to prepare for the entrance exam.

MagicWanderer

How tough is the Maths on this?
Im strong on Statistics at college but was weak on LC Higher Maths.

danthefan

MagicWanderer wrote: »

How tough is the Maths on this?
Im strong on Statistics at college but was weak on LC Higher Maths.

I've seen some of the exam papers and they're very maths heavy. What course did you do in college if you don't mind me asking? No harm in applying anyway.


I've a conditional offer, condition is I pass the programming entrance exam. Does anyone know what this exam is like, when it is, what's the format, etc?

MagicWanderer

Thanks.
Anyonw have a link to past exam papaers or they could post here or PM me?

Jelly1

What kinda stuff do you guys want to know?

You would be right in saying there is a lot of maths in the course. The backgrounds of the students vary; this year there are guys from Engineering (Civil, Structural, Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical, Computer), Maths, Commerce, Physics, MIS and more.

The first semester consisted of 4 modules, here is a rough/not so rough outline of the syllabus, which can change.

Quantitative Methods:

1. Models and Logic. Introduction to logic and set theory. Equivalence relations.Orderings. Functions.
2. Linear algebra. Basic definitions. Linear maps. Systems of linear equations. Eigenvalues.
3. Metrics and norms. Measuring distance topology, metrics, norms. Convergence and limits. Contraction mapping theorems and fixed points. Applications to convergence of algorithms. Matrix norms.
4. Iterative methods for solving systems of linear equations. Gauss-Seidel and Jacobi methods. Convergence.
5. Calculus. Differentiation. Integration. Partial derivatives. Taylors theorem in several variables.
6. Optimisation. Lagrange multipliers. The Kuhn-Tucker Theorem. Optimization by separation.


Applied Probability and Statistics:
-Intro to probability
-Random variables CDF, PDF, Expected value, variance
-Discrete distribution
-Continuous distribution
-Estimation: Central Limit Theorem, Confidence Intervals
-Inference: Hypothesis tests
-Estimators: Methods of Moments and maximum likelihood
-Goodness of fit
-Regression

Numerical Analytics and Software:
-Problem and Algorithms
-Computer Arithmetic and Error
-Properties of Algorithms
-Linear Equations: direct and iterative algorithms
-Solving nonlinear equations: zero-finding
-Unconstrained Optimisation
-Natural Computing Algorithms
-Search algorithms in Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (Kernel Methods and Support Vector Machines)

Project Management and Decision Analytics:
-Very broad management practices and concepts(Six Sigma, CRM ect.)
-Project management theory
-Gantt & PERT and more...


In the second semester now we have; Analytic Business Modelling, Data Mining Techniques & Model, Network Software Modeling, Simulation Modelling, Business Intelligence. and a Dissertation with runs till August.
Programming langues/Applications used are Java, RapidMiner, Xpress Mosel.

The programming entrance exam is ok depending on your level of java. Mine was to calculate multiple IRR for given values, so things like arrays, for-loops, nested for-loops ect. I'd definitely recommend looking over Java before semester one commences, even if you don't have to do the programming entrance exam. This exam is usually the end of August.

Any other questions I'll do my best to get back to you.

helloman123

I am just wondering is Business Analytics and a Business Analyst the same job or even the same thing? Because i'm interested in this masters Msc Business Analytics but I see a lot of 'Business Analyst' jobs being offered.. are they the same?

Also how hard is it? Is there many people that fail?

ucdperson

I am just wondering is Business Analytics and a Business Analyst the same job or even the same thing?

All sorts of different descriptions are used for jobs and these are not consistently used. But in general these are not the same job. A Business Analyst is mostly concerned with identifying the role of a software solution for a business problem. Business Analytics is concerned with finding a quantitative modelling solution to a business problem, although probably using software to solve this. Analytics is quantitative in nature, business analysis generally isn't, but terminology does vary.

Also how hard is it? Is there many people that fail?

It is quite doable and interesting for those who have an aptitude for quant and programming and these are the people we aim to admit, so few people fail. A small few do drop out or change programme as they hadn't actually thought about what they were trying to do and they actually wanted to be Business Analysts or somesuch.

danthefan

Jelly1 - thanks for all the info.

Just on the programming exam, is it computer based or is it pen and paper? I did a bit of C++ in college and I could work stuff out on the computer but just could not do it on paper to save my life.

danthefan

Anyone have any idea if there'd be demand for this qualification abroad? Considering a year in Aus afterwards.

danthefan

Just bumping this, anyone know when the entrance exam is going to be on? Will ring them tomorrow I guess.

ucdperson

Just on the programming exam, is it computer based or is it pen and paper? I did a bit of C++ in college and I could work stuff out on the computer but just could not do it on paper to save my life.

As far as I know this is on a latop, probably in about 6 weeks or so.

versc

I want to start doing a bit of work with Java before I start the course. Does anyone know if Smurfit use Netbeans or Eclipse?
Thanks

bar32

danthefan wrote: »

Just bumping this, anyone know when the entrance exam is going to be on? Will ring them tomorrow I guess.

Did you here any news on this danthefan?

danthefan

bar32 wrote: »

Did you here any news on this danthefan?

Yeah I rang up, date still hasn't been set yet, but they said probably August.

DirkVoodoo

versc wrote: »

I want to start doing a bit of work with Java before I start the course. Does anyone know if Smurfit use Netbeans or Eclipse?
Thanks

Eclipse.

danthefan

So, the programming exam is on August 22nd, got the email today.

There was a document attached to the mail talking about resources for learning programming and it talks about C, C++, Fortran and Python. I didn't know these were in the exam, I was under the impression it wa Java, could anyone who has done the exam comment?

ucdperson

danthefan wrote:

There was a document attached to the mail talking about resources for learning programming and it talks about C, C++, Fortran and Python.

While Java is what is used on the MSc, this means that we can also test you for admission in these languages instead, and maybe one or two more, if this is what you can do.

It does not mean that each test has all of these!

Judging by your posting above, C++ might be best for you.

danthefan

ucdperson wrote: »

While Java is what is used on the MSc, this means that we can also test you for admission in these languages instead, and maybe one or two more, if this is what you can do.

It does not mean that each test has all of these!

Judging by your posting above, C++ might be best for you.

Ok, thanks for the clarification. I've been studying a bit of Java so would obviously be most comfortable in that. Will try brush up on a bit of another language.

bar32

ucdperson wrote: »

While Java is what is used on the MSc, this means that we can also test you for admission in these languages instead, and maybe one or two more, if this is what you can do.

It does not mean that each test has all of these!

Judging by your posting above, C++ might be best for you.

So does that mean that we will be given a problem and have our choice of languages to use? Do we need to know all of them?

ucdperson

So does that mean that we will be given a problem and have our choice of languages to use?

It would probably be best if you indicated in advance which language/compiler you propose to use, if it is not Java. Somebody has to be able to assess it.
Most people use Java or some sort of C, but the likes of Fortran, Pascal or Python can be faciltated if this is what you can program in.

Do we need to know all of them?

No. One is quite enough. Concentrate on being able to do one, don't fiddle about with different ones.

For general information, this programme is now fully subscribed and applications are closed for this year.