What were you doing before the MSc?
Before the MSc course I worked at Vietnam Maritime Bank as a senior business intelligence specialist. During four years of working, I obtained important experiences in many areas such as operational analysis of retail banking and business intelligence analysis.
What made you take the programme? Why did you choose Strathclyde?
Through my previous work, I understood myself and my sole interest in data. In order to choose the right course for me, I studied the programme structures of different data analytics/data analysis courses offered by different universities and I learned that the MSc Data Analytics course at the University of Strathclyde was the most suitable course for me. I also asked many friends who previously studied at the University of Strathclyde for references and all of them strongly recommended the University to me. Upon finishing the course, I knew that my decision was completely right. The course gave me what I needed and I achieved what I intended to achieve.
What has been your experience of the classes?
All of the classes were always well prepared with lecture notes and reading documents being provided before each class. The lecturers were also very patient to answer all our questions. Based on my perspective, the outcome of each class depends on two main factors. One is the quality of the lectures which was always very good. The other one is how the students interact with the lecturers during the class. Overall, I am very happy with what I have learned and gained from this MSc course. More importantly, after finishing this course, I knew what skills and knowledge I needed to develop further to support my long-term career.
Is there anything you would especially recommend about the course/classes?
During the course there are many opportunities for students to do both individual and group coursework. These are great opportunities for you to develop skills such as teamwork and independent working. I strongly recommend taking these opportunities as seriously as you can to understand your ability to develop yourself. Also, the lecturers are always there for you to ask questions. One suggestion from them may save us a week or a month of reading books and articles. So, please take these great chances to communicate, discuss and observe.
What is it like to be a student at Strathclyde and in the city of Glasgow?
Studying at Strathclyde and living in Glasgow is a great experience and I am very honoured for that. At Strathclyde we, the students, are always listened to and supported. Studying at Strathclyde also allowed me to live right in the centre of Glasgow city where I could feel the warmth and hospitality of the people here, which is the best thing about Glasgow.
What advice would you give to prospective students?
To obtain the best outcome, good preparation in terms of mathematics and a background in coding is strongly recommended. You can find some recommended mathematics and statistics books on the course’s website as well as on the welcome email by the course director and administrator. For coding skills, Python and R are strongly recommended. Again, you don’t need to worry too much in terms of where to start. The essential documents and free courses to help you become familiar with Python and R are available on Myplace. Please learn and make a good preparation for these since it will help you a lot throughout the course.
In addition, there are a lot of events and services to support your career development, such as work opportunities, as well as CV and cover letter writing help. Please do take part in these events and take advantage of them.
