Since Devesh Petwal earned a Master of Science in Business Analytics degree in 2020 from Kent State University, he has landed positions as a data professional in corporate settings and academia.
As a student in the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship at Kent State, Petwal, an international student from India, gained expertise in advanced machine learning algorithms, data visualization and the business acumen to analyze data through a strategic lens – all skills that employers seek in the field of analytics. And, as a teaching assistant at Kent State, he also taught statistics, programming and data visualization to undergraduate students preparing to hit the job market.
Now Petwal serves as the director of enrollment intelligence and analytics at the University of Virginia in a hybrid capacity, working from his home in Kent, Ohio. He credits Kent State’s business analytics program for giving students the essential tools they will need to enter the job market.
“Students who graduate from the program are a testament to how good the program is,” Petwal said. “The way the program is designed allows students from any background to begin learning data analytics and tools, even without prior technical experience. It is really focused on applied data and analytics. So, when you graduate, you will see that the kinds of jobs that are in the market are very much in alignment with what you are taught in class.”
Kent State students in the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship earn the gold standard in education. The College is among the less than 1% of business schools worldwide to receive dual AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accreditation in both business and accounting. Only 180 institutions worldwide hold an additional specialized AACSB Accreditation.
Kent State senior Anna Bucey of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, decided to major in business analytics before she left high school.
"I learned about business analytics through a co-op in high school," said Bucey, whose father works in the tech industry. "I shadowed people at his job. This translated into me looking at what colleges offered this major. Kent State was one of the few colleges nearby that have the business analytics major."
Ishwor Acharya, a native of Nepal is in his second semester as a student in Kent State’s Master of Science in Business Analytics program. He chose to attend Kent State because the curriculum is well-rounded.
Acharya told Kent State Today that he is proud to be part of the program.
Acharya was the first-place winner in the John S. and Marlene J. Brinzo Center for Entrepreneurship’s Idea Pitch competition held at Kent State University’s Crawford Hall in November 2024. Acharya pitched his idea for a startup called Legacy Webs. The event was sponsored by the Ohio Innovation Fund. The Idea Pitch competition helps Kent State students develop their startup companies and pitch their business ideas to a panel of executive judges to win cash prizes. The event was sponsored by the Ohio Innovation Fund.
Acharya said Kent State offers students support whether they are interested in joining a company, creating a startup, or going into academic research. “Business analytics will give you all of the tools that you need,” Acharya said. “It is a really good program. You can have a good career path.”
Business Analytics Majors in High Demand
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects substantial growth at a 10% rate for management analyst roles, which includes business analysts, with more than 1 million jobs expected by 2032. Within this subset, there are more than 272,000 business analysts in the U.S. according to Zippia.com, a career resource where job seekers go to for career advice, guidance and job listings.
Business analytics has always been core to the banking and insurance industries, but in recent years there has been a high demand for business analysts in industries across the board. Demand is projected to continue to grow as companies increasingly rely on data to make informed business decisions.
“One of the main reasons that graduates walk right into jobs is the explosive growth of analytics,” said Rouzbeh Razavi, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics. “It reduces the cost of computing and the cost of storage infrastructure needed to run organizations. They are now capable of using their data to make more informed decisions when before it was more expensive.
Bucey said she is working at PNC Bank as an intern in the internal audit/data analytics team. "I have a strong foundation of skills and I have a full-time job lined up," Bucey said. "I feel good about my skills."
Unicorns Do Apply
Business analysts need a balance of several skills to be successful, all of which can be acquired at Kent State.
Razavi said there are computer science graduates who are excellent at coding, but do not understand machine learning or algorithms and there are applied math graduates who do not have computer skills and graduates who understand machine learning but not how to run a business.
“Businesses are looking for a unicorn – someone who has a good understanding of applied statistics, applied math and has the ability to write code,” Razavi said. “They are looking for someone who can pull data from different sources and understand business well. Somebody whose skills do not traditionally come from one discipline.”
Find information about the business analytics program.