Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto

Main Content

Processing. Please wait.

Quick info

  • Graduating year: 2019
  • Current job title: Data Scientist, Canadian Tire
  • Previous education: Bachelor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Manchester

Why did you decide to study the MMA program?

A few things led me to decide to study the MMA program. The first was my deep built-up interest for data science and analytics. I knew that analytics could potentially be the main source of value for any organization to stay competitive in the market. With that in mind, I knew a very necessary step to take was to gain the required business knowledge.

The MMA program seemed like the perfect combination of both worlds of analytics and business and an ideal program for my career goals.

What was your main reason for choosing Rotman?

Rotman is a very reputable school with lots of resources to use and many networking opportunities. Reading about other students’ experience at Rotman made me certain that studying at this leading business school with the most up-to-date education would highly enhance my business knowledge. 

What was the highlight of the Rotman experience? 

The presentation skills. At the beginning of the program, I found it uncomfortable to stand in front of so many people who had their focus on my words, listening to everything I said. As I was exposed to more situations like that, I became comfortable with giving presentations which is a very important skill to gain for anyone interested in business and leadership. Moreover, the case competitions at Rotman are the perfect opportunities to explore and become familiar with different fields and industries. I participated in a healthcare analytics case competition which was an amazing learning opportunity about the use of data and analytics at a pharmaceutical company. 

Did Rotman and the MMA program meet your expectations?

Having had an engineering background when starting the MMA program, I expected it to be more technical. However, a month after the start of the program, I was exposed to all sorts of predictive analytics, big data, statistical learning, and even some separate classes on Neural Networks. The MMA program definitely met my expectations in terms of introducing me to the main machine learning concepts and how they are used in different business situations and scenarios. One thing I recommend new students without a business background do is learn about different business concepts and topics before entering the program.  

How was your experience with the Rotman community?

The Rotman community is like a family who is always willing to support you. Anything you need, from academic help, to participating in competitions or activities of interest, all the way to mental support, will all be provided to you. The power of Rotman lies in its resources and I believe one who uses these available resources would benefit the most from the Rotman experience.

What would you say to someone considering choosing the MMA?

What is your goal? What do you want to do after the program? If you would like to be introduced to the world of analytics and its implications on various business problems, then the MMA program is definitely the right choice for you. If you are more interested in diving deep into machine learning and data science, then a data science degree would be a better choice. If you are interested to know deeply about business and have a broader knowledge in the field, perhaps consider an MBA. I would not recommend a highly business driven person to consider the MMA program over an MBA. However, I firmly believe the presentation and soft skills I gained from the MMA program by communicating various analytical and technical solutions to business people would be of very high value in the market. Depending on your background and what you gain from the MMA program, you can expect to be hired as a: “Business Analyst”, “Business Insight Analyst”, ”Data Analyst”, “Data Scientist”, “Business Intelligence Analyst”, and many more roles with the name “Analyst” in them, etc.

Again, it all depends on your career plans!

What are your future plans?

Rotman is a very reputable school with lots of resources to use and many networking opportunities. After graduation, many recruiters contacted me mainly because of the Rotman name on my resume. I came to Rotman to improve my business acumen and learn about how to use analytics for solving crucial business problems. The practicum project at the MMA program helped me just do that. I learned about the business objective of my practicum company and by using the analytical skills I gained from the MMA program, my team members and I built various models that could significantly improve the business. Recruiters find it fascinating when I talk about the practicum project and it is definitely an experience to highlight your skills with. I am actively looking for roles where the business knowledge meets the analytical tools and techniques. This could add so much value to any business or organization and I would definitely want to be a part of that! 

 


The Master of Management Analytics is designed to give students the advanced data management, analytics and communication skills needed to become an analytics professional.

© Rotman School of ManagementThe Rotman School of Management is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AASCB)