A Matter of Return

I have always loved SMU! I have applied here for both my undergrad degree and my graduate degree (this MSBA program). When I was trying to choose between graduate programs, probably the biggest drawback of this program for me was the cost. The tuition here is, in fact, quite high, but there are a couple of reasons why it is completely worth it.

• You only have to pay for 1 year. For a number of the other graduate programs I was looking at, the yearly tuition was less but the program lasted 2 years. Once you multiplied their tuition by 2, SMU was either the same cost or even cheaper.

• SMU has great connections. SMU has an incredible alumni base, which makes the job search process just a little bit easier, and it gives you some connections to incredible companies. To find a pretty gob job early gives you the ability to start earning a pretty god salary early on as well.

• The Dallas area has tons of opportunities. Aside from the connections that SMU offers, the Dallas area in general has even more opportunities. There are so many companies in the Dallas area that you end with a wide array of really good companies to choose from.

• The Cox School of Business is very well-known. For companies, especially companies in Dallas, that don't already have SMU and Cox alumni employed, the Cox School of Business is still very well-known therefore giving you a leg-up when a company is reviewing your information.

I know the cost may seem high, but for me, the return I'm going to get out of this program is well worth it.

Pony Up!

MSBA Overview by Professor John Semple

The important WHY's

Kiran: Below I wanted to answer a few questions on why I chose MSBA.

Why MSBA?

Before joining the MSBA program I worked as an EIM Consultant. When I started my career at consulting there were a lot of companies who were implementing their first ERP software. But gradually all the companies, which had a lot of data (clean/unclean), were interested in looking for solutions from the data they have, be   it in understanding their customer base or making their own production processes leaner. With my former employer, there was a lot of emphasis on technologies like Internet of Things, IM on HANA, Hadoop etc. My exposure to a lot of predictive technologies available today and my work in the master data management domain increased my curiosity and it seemed like the move in the right direction that I take my Master in Business Analytics.

Why SMU?

For me, the two primary reasons for choosing SMU was:

1. Hettie Tabor – Our Program Director. She joined SMU after 26 years in consulting. She was Accenture’s SAP Business Analytics Global Practice Lead. I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor and role model to guide me in my career.
   http://www.smu.edu/Cox/Departments/FacultyDirectory/TaborHettie
2. Location - Dallas has a growing economy. Having worked in Texas before I loved its culture, people and their love for food. Location did play a major role in zeroing in on SMU.
   http://bizbeatblog.dallasnews.com/2015/06/toyota-unveils-plans-for-new-headquarters.html/
   http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/plano/headlines/20160122-plano-city-council-to-vote-on-jpmorgan-chase-incentives.ece
   http://www.dallasnews.com/business/commercial-real-estate/headlines/20140214-state-farm-adds-fourth-building-to-richardson-campus-project.ece