After completing his BA (Hons) in Marketing & Management, Adam decided to stay with us and progress onto the MSc in Business Analysis & Consulting. Find out what he thinks of Strathclyde...
What made you take the programme and choose Strathclyde?
Having just completed my undergraduate degree at Strathclyde, choosing to study here again was an easy choice. The Business School has a great reputation and there’s plenty going on outside of the classroom to get involved with.
In terms of the Business Analysis & Consulting programme specifically, I was drawn to the course’s blended approach to learning. There’s a real mix between the traditional classroom environment, and hands on experience working with live case studies and real industry clients. For example, during the early part of semester one we looked at ways to analyse large datasets using SPSS and R. By the end of the semester, we were working with a national sports team to implement these tools and find patterns in their data which could drive insight into player performance.
Where do you see the course in fitting into your longer aspirations for study/career in the future?
One of the main reasons I continued studying beyond my undergraduate degree was to gain more experience in the field of management consultancy. I never intended to go back to university after my four years at BA level, but I’m really glad that I did. The Business Analysis & Consulting programme at Strathclyde has two internship periods: one shorter three-week period at the start of semester 2, and an extended three-month research project after May exams. In both cases, you are placed with an external organisation with links to the University and given responsibilities as a business analyst along with their existing team.
My January placement was with Agilisys, a technology consultancy delivering a digital transformation programme for a Scottish local council. This experience has been central to much of my discussions in interviews for graduate schemes and has helped me decide what areas I would like to specialise in as I move onwards from Strathclyde.
Is there anything you would especially recommend about the course/classes so far?
The ‘Becoming an Effective Business Analyst’ (BEBA) module has been a particularly valuable part of the course. It runs over both semesters and is exclusively case study based. Three times a semester, a client will come in and outline some work they need completed. As consultants, we are then tasked with applying our skills to help solve this problem as best we can. It’s a really strong simulation of how consultancy works in the real world and something which I’ve really enjoyed.
I think something else to add would be the international nature of the course. In our cohort, we have students from almost every continent. A lot of assignments are completed as group work and being able to work with people from all different cultures was a really interesting challenge. It was tough at times as everyone had slightly different ways of approaching work, but it forces you to adapt and learn in ways you possibly haven’t before and that can only be a good thing.
What is it like to be a student at Strathclyde?
Strathclyde has invested a lot of time and money into student life outside of academics in my five years here. During my time, I have seen the construction of a brand new state-of-the-art gym and the beginnings of a new student union being built in the heart of campus. There’s a club or society for just about everything and campus is right in the middle of Glasgow city centre if you ever want to get away to somewhere new. There are always places to go or things to do if you want to get away from work and I think that’s something that Strathclyde does really well.
What advice would you give to prospective students?
There are lots of great things about Strathclyde and about the course, but I think the biggest thing I would say to others considering the course is to try and learn as much as possible about it before you start. That way, you can know if it’s the right step towards what you want to do. Reach out to friends you might know who have studied other courses at Strathclyde or use LinkedIn to search for others who have been on the course previously. In my experience, people are always happy to help and share advice. The more information you have before making your decision the better!
