Obtaining an 工商管理硕士 has been a goal of mine since early in my career. I had received a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Stout in 2012, 和, after spending a few years working in marketing for national retail 和 media accounts, 非营利组织, 工业解决方案, I knew it was time to pursue a graduate degree.
Choosing the 威尼斯人平台 was easy, as I found the class schedule 和 availability of seven campus locations to be friendly to working professionals. I was able to receive graduate credit for undergraduate work in statistics, 经济学, 和会计, which cut my required class work down by 25 percent.
The program offered four concentration areas: 地理位置分析, 全球业务, 金融, 和市场营销. Naturally, I was drawn to marketing by my experience in sales, marketing, 和 communications. Then—two classes into the general 工商管理硕士 coursework—I discovered 地理信息系统 (地理位置分析).
While performing demographic research with the United States census, I was introduced to the power of mapping data for visual storytelling. 在以前的工作中, when searching for project solutions, 开发通信资产, 或者头脑风暴新产品, 我们问了“谁”这个问题, 什么, 为什么.” But it was not until I discovered 地理信息系统 through the 威尼斯人平台 商学院 that I started asking “where.“在我的研究中, I found 地理信息系统 to be directly applicable to all areas of the organizational 价值链; by asking “where,“谁”的答案, 什么, “为什么?”. 在这个发现的一周内, I decided to change my 工商管理硕士 concentration to Location Analytics (地理信息系统).
At first, I found the program intimidating, especially as I needed to learn new software. 然而, I soon found the business school offered tremendous support in partnership with the Redl和s-based industry leader in mapping software, Esri. I took part in preliminary workshops on campus that taught best practices, 和 I sought out additional tutorials online to supplement my classroom learning.
As I continued to enhance my 地理信息系统 skills, I was also polishing 工商管理硕士-level strategic thinking in my other coursework. Both the 工商管理硕士 和 地理信息系统 courses required scientific processes, while providing an exceptional framework for exploration 和 creativity. In addition to working with data 和 maps, the program connected me with the forefront of 21st century business knowledge. 主题 that particularly interested me included: big data management, 地理位置分析, 物联网, 区块链集成, tapestry分割, 价值链, 机器学习, 社交媒体和网络应用, 物流, 商业道德, 和安全.
补充课堂学习, the University offered extensive opportunities for students interested in 地理信息系统. A spatial studies group meets weekly throughout the academic year to help students to stay informed on leading topics, 尝试新软件, 为职业发展建立关系网. Students also have opportunities to share work on large-scale platforms, both on- 和 off-line. I recently had the pleasure of presenting my research at the Los Angeles Geospatial Summit 和 enjoyed networking locally with 我的StoryMap演示 at the University of Redl和’s Spatial Learning, Research, 和 Community Service Symposium.
Scholarships 和 awards are also available for students within the program. 我被授予 2018 地理信息系统 Excellence in Business Award 和 received a scholarship contribution on behalf of 工商管理硕士-地理信息系统 alumnus Kazuo Takeda 和 the Disney “Ears to You” Program. 学术卓越, I was recognized with Delta Mu Delta International Business Honor Society membership 和 will soon serve on the board as a first-year graduate recipient.
By far the most rewarding experiences in the 威尼斯人平台 工商管理硕士 — Location Analytics program have been the h和s-on career growth opportunities, where students are paired with high-performing organizations for on-the-job training 和 mentorship. 通过这些机会, I have managed project teams to create marketing campaigns for local startups, developed a location strategy business plan for an international nonprofit, 和 will soon be completing my 工商管理硕士 capstone by performing as an on-site consultant for a leading Southern 加州 business.
当我准备毕业的时候, I am positive the 威尼斯人平台 商学院 工商管理硕士 program has added tremendous value to my career. I look forward to the opportunities that are ahead, 和 I am grateful to everyone who has encouraged 和 supported me in my journey.
