Cynthia Alvarado | Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
"Using data science to an extent in my position, I became curious as to how it could be more applicable to what I do. I wanted to learn more tools to apply data science practices to our company and better understand our customers. DataScience@SMU utilizes the most relevant tools that a data scientist would need to get the job done. SMU’s curriculum also combines statistics with programming better than other programs that seem to focus on one discipline over the other."
Atsu Atakpa | Dallas, Texas
"DataScience@SMU has prepared me to support some of the initiatives my company is focused on. From concepts such as NoSQL to visualization, I am able to build dashboards to visualize data for end users to make informed decisions. I am determining how my company can leverage key data science concepts such as machine learning and cloud computing to operate efficiently. Learning these tools helps position me for a more impactful role with my company."
Sarah Beg | Frisco, Texas
"With a need for in-depth analytics in my current company and a growing need for professional data scientists, I thought this would be a great investment in my career."
Juhee Dalal | San Francisco, California
"The most surprising element of SMU’s online learning environment was the high level of interactivity. Although the program was entirely online, I always felt a connection to the professors and my peers because we had the opportunity to work on plenty of group projects."
Christopher Havenstein | Houston, Texas
"In my current role as a business analyst, I have already been able to expand my effectiveness using experimental design concepts to perform application tests. Using skills I learned in the M.S. in Data Science program, I can interpret those test results based on the population sampling method and how any assignment of treatments occurred. Furthermore, the data and network security course has given me the ability to credibly and successfully talk with my company’s IT security team to improve application security."
Sheri Loftin | Greenbelt, Maryland
"The program includes a good mixture of programming and theory, providing a broader view of the skills learned. I appreciate how programming reinforces theory and theory informs programming throughout the curriculum. As you might expect, there is an abundance of data to review at NASA. Recently, my group has discussed bringing me into that part of that process."
Asha Mohan | Richardson, Texas
"After spending a few months taking some short-term courses, I felt that a more thorough and systematic syllabus was required to help me understand the field. An amalgamation of subjects, tools, techniques, software and platforms are required to skillfully analyze and process data at a large scale. I believe it is important to have a strong foundation in data science to build any useful and actionable insights that benefit the end customer. Doing a master’s program was definitely the right choice to stand out in the field."
Rob Rivens | Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
"I am able to more intelligently speak to the structure, principles and importance of reproducible research. I am able to utilize the latest tools, deploying a vast variety of data science techniques in pursuit of corporate goals. I have applied machine learning to business intelligence platform creation/optimization and have exponentially increased productivity among internal resources by driving and leveraging investments in technology. I have earned a seat at the decision-making table because I am now viewed as a subject-matter expert in all things data science."
Daniel Rodriguez-Gonzalez | Colorado Springs, Colorado
"I recently joined a company looking to expand its data acquisition and data management processes. Given that the DataScience@SMU program covers topics in database management, data mining and data security, I am confident that the skills I have acquired will help us reach our goals."