Graduate Admission

Amanda Dery

Amanda Dery

MS Business Analytics Class of 2016

Previous Employer EMC

Undergrad Boston University

How did Bentley help you get to where you are today in your career?

It is very difficult to progress on a Data Science career path without a master’s degree or advanced training. The toolbox of modeling techniques that I learned at Bentley allowed me to accelerate my career and take on increasingly complex projects. Also, given Bentley’s emphasis on business, I came out of the program more confident and skilled in breaking down a business problem, understanding client needs, and presenting a compelling storyline.

What are the top three skills you gained in your program at Bentley and why?

  • The ability to manipulate data. Data is provided in many different formats and it is important to know what form the data needs to be in for each type of model and how to code the variables that you need.
  • Deep statistical modeling techniques. Bentley offers classes that teach a wide variety of techniques, from the statistics behind the model to the common pitfalls. I still refer back to my class slides for key assumptions of some of the models that I use less frequently.
  • Storytelling. It was the most important skill that I learned. Through my work experience, I have seen that regardless of how accurate a model is, the business will not use your results unless it is explained to them in a way that makes them want to buy in. Nearly every Bentley class had a class project, which afforded us the opportunity not only to practice modeling but also to practice crafting the results into a story.
“I learned to drive change through data and story-telling.”

What would you tell someone considering your program at Bentley and why?

If you are interested in a career in analytics, you should definitely get the MSBA. A specialized degree like the MSBA will open up so many opportunities for you. Every business collects data and needs to analyze it. Right now, many companies are only just starting to leverage this data and they need someone who can tell them what to do with it. After completing this program, you can help them analyze how their business is doing and make recommendations as to how it can be improved. If this sounds like something you want to do, then Bentley MSBA is the right program for you.