Ye Chen
Class of 2019
Hometown: Gambrills, MD
Undergraduate University: Virginia Polytech Institute
Class Year: 2018
Major/Minor: Economics/Statistics
Employer: Deloitte
Position: Business Technology Analyst
Why did you decide to pursue an MSBA degree?
I am the first of my family to graduate college and pursue higher education. I wanted business application along with technical skills. An MSBA degree integrates both elements with equal importance. A few of the programs I looked at did not offer many technical courses, but William & Mary's program offered most of the technical courses that I wanted to study further.
Discuss some of the highlights you enjoyed in the program.
Definitely, the community of students and our interactions. William & Mary has brought together amazing individuals that I've gotten to be great friends with. These people make the program better, and studying the program material with them was a highlight. I enjoyed the group activity work that we had. It brought me together with people that I may never have talked to in class. I formed a close bond with my first-semester group mates. I also enjoy coding, so the materials I learned in the technical courses was challenging but enjoyable.
What excites you about the field of Business Analytics?
The continual growth of the field. There are more opportunities every day. I don't have to worry about whether the degree will be relevant in the future because data is everywhere. Businesses will always need people to help parse through information.
How would you describe our program to a prospective student?
The William & Mary MSBA program fulfills all of your technical cravings. If you enjoy coding and working with data like I do, this is the program for you. From assignments to projects, you will be using the skills you learn in class to solve real-world business problems.
