Riti Dabas
Class of 2022
Hometown: New Delhi, India
Undergraduate University: Delhi University
Class Year: 2010
Major/Minor: English Literatures
Current Employer: Deloitte
Position: Risk and Financial Advisory - Technology Analyst
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree in Business Analytics?
I had six years of work experience overseas as a financial analyst before I moved to the United States to earn my MBA. Afterward, I worked in finance for an investment bank in New York City and realized the importance of data management and the visualization skills that are now required for professionals in that field. I knew this was a skillset I would eventually go and get to remain competitive, and my personal timeline aligned with pursuing the MSBA now.
What are some unique characteristics of the MSBA program?
The MSBA program is much more technical than other graduate business degrees, like an MBA. It prepares you and gives you the confidence to be able to handle data and make analyses quickly and efficiently.
How will you leverage this degree in your professional career?
After working in finance for many years, I would like to move toward positions related to strategy. Through this degree, I have a better understanding of data management and have increased my visualization skills. I also feel this degree has given me the confidence to lead teams of technical analysts because I know what their roles require, and now I will be able to guide them more effectively. Strategy is an amalgamation of these things, and while they require technical qualifications in SQL, Tableau, etc., the roles I would like to pursue will not be as coding intensive.
What value does the William & Mary MSBA program deliver to international students?
The length of the program—being ten months—is important for international students because of the foreign exchange. The MSBA program also carries an OPT-STEM designation which qualifies international students for a 3-year work visa in the United States. But overall, the program provides access to very knowledgeable and professional faculty who are experts in their field, and students are able to acquire skills in data visualization, Python, SQL, and R in a very short amount of time.
