Master in IA & Data Analytics for Business

Before coming to IÉSEG I completed a Bachelor in International Business Management in the Netherlands and had been working for a start-up in my home country (Portugal).

I decided that I needed to acquire in-depth knowledge in an area of business that interested me: big data analytics. I chose IÉSEG because of its reputation and the opportunity to study in English, but also because this Master would enable me to learn how to apply big data analytics to different business situations.

In addition to our academic courses, we also benefit from the rich exchanges with the other international participants on the program. Another advantage has been the support we receive for our future career, which includes coaching; career fairs and events that promote interaction with renowned companies. After finishing the program, I will be looking to take up a Data Science position for an international company.

Before I came to IÉSEG, I was working as an Information Analyst at Tecnoquimicas S.A., one of Colombia’s leading pharmaceutical and consumer goods companies. I worked in the IT department for 4 years, leading change management projects, constructing KPIs for measuring and improving the services, guaranteeing IT governance and supervising the department’s budget.

I was particularly attracted by the “for business” approach of this program, as many of the other data analytics programs I found were more technical. Since I come from a business background, it seemed like a perfect fit for me given my previous experience.

The thing I have enjoyed the most about studying at IÉSEG is the exchange of ideas that comes from a multicultural environment. I think this was key for our experience.

In terms of courses, I really appreciated the courses in predictive analytics and those that taught us to code in diverse languages like R, Python and SQL.

Working in ATOS as a Data Consultant without a degree in analytics had a lot of challenges. Having understood the business problems and working with real-life datasets, I soon realized that there was a need for me to pursue an intensive Data Analytics course to help deepen my knowledge. Attending one of the seminars of the Academic Director and discussing the course curriculum made me certain to choose IÉSEG and its Master in Big Data Analytics for Business. Alongside the regular curriculum, I also got the opportunity to work with a professor on a research paper testing a hypothesis in Machine learning.

The Master in Big Data Analytics for Business was the perfect blend of theoretical & industrial exposure with intensive tests/assignments, challenging students at every step. Forecasting and Statistical Machine learning courses helped me realize how to approach the problem statement and types of dataset. Understanding Math is good but applying the right Math in the right place is the key to success.

Lille is a small city with many universities and students, it gives an energetic vibe. At IÉSEG, being a member of a club (IÉSEG Dance in my case) helps learning about the French culture especially for international students.

In the end, what I retain from the program is that “the best data scientist is not the one who only understands the data or brings insights, but acquiring the quality of a storyteller helps you go miles ahead.”

The fact that the Master in Big Data Analytics for Business is very international was also very important, because it not only gave me the opportunity to open up to new cultures, but also to open my profile to new opportunities. The training was of course a major element, but so were the contacts that it would allow me to make. So I naturally chose the Master in Big Data Analytics for Business, which brought together all these elements for me.

I particularly liked the quality of the training, whether it was the lecturers or the projects. One event that particularly impressed me was the graduation ceremony, the moment being shared with the whole class, it was memorable!

I currently work as a Data Scientist in the Leroy Merlin France team. In the next few years, I would like to move towards the construction/management of digital products based on Data Science elements, as the group has put digital tools at the center of its strategy for the next few years.

Before joining IÉSEG I was working as a Quality and Environmental Manager while studying part-time to obtain my Bachelor of Science in Business Engineering.

I decided to pursue my studies at IÉSEG first because I wanted to study in France to improve my French. I also wanted to do a program related to Data Science as the skills taught in this field seemed valuable to me whatever career path I would choose after my studies, and finally, I wanted to study in an international environment.

The fact that we had a small and international class was very valuable. This was not only the basis for interesting discussions but it also allowed everyone to get the most out of the courses.