By Hashir Syed, MS Management Science Student
I am nothing but thankful to the Management Science team, the Jindal School of Management faculty, some wonderful peers, and that program ambassador for a wonderful experience. If you are reading this to learn about the program, I would like to pay it forward by shedding some light on my own experience.
Thankful To the Management Science Team
In the Spring of 2018, I remember emailing an MS Management Science ambassador at UT Dallas to get some information about the program. He gave me some great advice and I decided to apply. Fast forward to Spring 2020, and I am nothing but thankful to the Management Science team, the Jindal School of Management faculty, some wonderful peers, and that program ambassador for a wonderful experience. If you are reading this to learn about the program, I would like to pay it forward by shedding some light on my own experience.
Focus: Personalized Experiences
MS Management Science is one of the smaller batches of students at the Jindal School. This means that you receive more attention and personalized experiences with the MSc team. I realized this on two separate occasions. When I first joined the program, there was a huge issue with my scholarship. It was my first week in a new country and I felt very stressed. I talked to the program director, who gave me excellent advice and helped me resolve the issue.
The next year, I found myself in another tough situation when my co-op employer wanted to extend my internship and gave me a one-week notice to get all the paperwork done. The process typically takes a couple of weeks. Scott Janke, the current program director, approved my request in just one day. Other departments took the next couple of days to finish the paperwork and I was back at work the same week. If I were part of one of the larger programs and the program director had 20 similar applications on his desk, a delay would have been inevitable.
A Flexible Business Program
The Management Science program is also very flexible. I was able to enroll in a unique combination of courses that helped me land an internship. I chose to focus my degree in the area of Data Science. Still, I can interview for roles in IT Support, Business Analytics, Marketing Analytics and Database Administration. I know some peers in the Management Science program who have created completely different brands for themselves. Some recruiters go off-script during interviews and ask me, “so what is a Management Science – Data Science degree?” This gives me an additional opportunity to define my personal brand and differentiate from generic degree plans. If you are comfortable holding the wheel as you pursue your graduate degree, Management Science can be a fruitful program for you.
