Meet the First Graduating Class from the Master of Business Analytics Program

The new, 10-month program attracted students from seven countries and dozens of undergraduate schools around the world.

As the program now draws to a close with the approach of summer 2023, the first MBAn class is preparing to graduate. After immersing themselves in Ross’s action-based curriculum, the MBAn Class of 2023 will leave Ann Arbor prepared to make their mark on the world. Over the course of the program, students got the opportunity to gain valuable experience learning and applying analytical skills to solve real-world problems using complex data.

We asked four members of the Michigan Ross MBAn Class of 2023 to share their experiences as the first students to graduate from the program, including their most valuable takeaways, plans for the future, and more.

Tong Su

Hometown: Guangzhou, China

Undergraduate school and major: Sun Yat-sen University, bachelor’s degree in finance

Post-graduation career interest: Following graduation, I hope to work as a data analyst in the finance and tech industry.

Why did you choose the Michigan Ross MBAn Program? 

I am very interested in the curriculum and I believe it is in line with my career goals, such as data visualization using Tableau, data acquisition using SQL, predictive analytics, etc. In addition, Ross emphasizes action-based learning and team collaboration, which has given me many opportunities to improve both my technical and soft skills through various projects.

What was the most valuable thing you learned during this program?

The most valuable thing I learned was to take advantage of networking opportunities. During the summer term, the Career Development Office hosted workshops for job searching and networking. Beginning in mid-August, there were many recruiting events, coffee chats with alumni, and career fairs at Ross. These opportunities and experiences helped me learn to network and also to become more confident during interviews.

How has your MBAn degree prepared you for your post-graduation career goals?

The technical skills and project experience I acquired from the data visualization course during the fall term played a crucial role in securing a job in data analytics. Moreover, through participating in various group projects at Ross, particularly the Consulting Studio Project, I honed my teamwork and communication skills. Taking initiative and being accountable will aid me well in adapting to future work environments.

Tom Davis

Hometown: Bloomfield Hills, MI

Undergraduate school and major: University of Michigan, bachelor's degree in economics with minors in music and performing arts management and entrepreneurship

Post-graduation career interest: After graduating, I would like to continue working in the music industry. With the sheer variety in the landscape of musical entertainment and engagement, it’s the perfect time to be able to leverage the data that those media streams are generating. I want to help deliver people the music they love, and artists the careers they deserve.

Why did you choose the Michigan Ross MBAn Program?

I chose the Michigan Ross MBAn program because I knew it had the caliber of education that only this school is able to provide. My economics major helped me develop some great frameworks around quantitative and qualitative problem solving, and I thought that the MBAn program would be the perfect opportunity to develop that even further. 

What was the most valuable thing you learned during this program?

The most valuable thing I learned during this program was how to most effectively work as a team, and how important teamwork is in the projects that revolve around data analytics. There’s usually a high degree of ambiguity surrounding them, so communication and collaboration are key.

What should prospective students know about this program?

Prospective students should know that a Michigan Ross education, and the entirety of Ann Arbor, has an incredible wealth of information and experiences to offer you. Be sure to explore everything you can, but be warned that even after five years in this city I still haven’t taken it all in!

Rajat Kadian

Hometown: Sonipat, India

Undergraduate school and major: Purdue University Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business, bachelor’s degree with a dual-major in economics and finance 

Post-graduation career interest: My goal is to be a business/finance analyst at the start of my career, with a pivot to senior management and the executive route later on.

Why did you choose the Michigan Ross MBAn Program?

The biggest pull is the competitive and collaborative academic model of the college, which I knew would challenge me as a person and a young professional. Being an international student, I was looking for a rigorous STEM program that would prepare me to find answers for today's issues and build tomorrow's solutions. 

What was the most valuable thing you learned during this program?

There is nothing that I cannot learn if I put in effort and stay persistent. This degree was a large personal experiment that made me not only more proficient with handling and analyzing data, but also a more confident individual. As one of my lecturers, Kaveri Misra, once advised me, "I have no weaknesses, just knowledge gaps."

What should prospective students know about this program?

Time is limited and priorities will be manifold during the program. It’s beneficial to start the degree knowing what you want to get out of it at the end. However, my most practical advice is to make sure you enjoy your time in Ann Arbor. Make new friends, experience the football games' craze, explore your favorite restaurants and bars, and anything else that helps you immerse in Michigan Ross culture. Go Blue!

Kami Ziolkowski

Hometown: Romeo, MI

Undergraduate school and major: University of Michigan, bachelor’s degree in data science

Post-graduation career interest: I hope to work for the federal government as an analyst.

What was the most valuable thing you learned during this program?

How to make impactful and useful visualizations. I didn't think I was going to need a whole class on making graphs and charts, but I think it was the most impactful for me. I have used the techniques from that class in every project after that. Shout out to Professor Lennart Baardman for making it engaging and helpful.

What is your favorite memory from your time as a MBAn student?

Going to Casa Dominick's after our last class of the summer semester. We all went to this wonderful outdoor restaurant and had a fantastic time. This was the first time we really bonded with each other and I think we were comfortable with each other after that.

How has your MBAn degree prepared you for your post-graduation career goals?

It has not only taught me a lot about analytics and the business world, but also how to prepare myself for interviews. The Career Development Office did a great job of teaching us how to look for jobs and how to make yourself an extremely competitive candidate.