Nurturing the next generation of marketing graduates with analytics talent
Industry-grade SAS technology ensures students are ready to make an impact professionally.
ranked in the top
1%
of universities globally
The University of Otago in the southern half of New Zealand's South Island, has long appealed to students from across the country and from all corners of the world, attracted to the combination of a university ranked in the top 1% of universities globally (QS World University Rankings), Dunedin's reputation as a student city and its proximity to beaches, ski fields and world-class hiking.
This combination of opportunities is even more compelling for aspiring business and analytics professionals, who have access to leading academic experts in the field, as well as close collaboration with SAS, who work closely with Otago's team to enable students to learn in-demand digital marketing, analytics and academic skills.
The University of Otago’s Department of Marketing launched its Master of Marketing programme in 2017, with a primary focus on equipping students to take the next step in their careers to become marketing professionals with strong analytical and digital skills to solve real-life marketing problems. This programme offers the opportunity to complete the Digital Marketing and Advanced Business Analytics courses that teach the skills marketers need to analyse trends and apply analytical techniques to sales and marketing challenges.
Dr Mathew Parackal, who runs the Digital Marketing course at the University of Otago says that the growing demand for analytics talent in New Zealand and globally means that courses that provide students with solid foundational knowledge and industry-standard technology and techniques will set up graduates for professional success. .
The University of Otago's Master of Marketing was designed to be a programme that builds key knowledge of best-practice marketing and analytics education, with real-life scenarios and challenges that students are likely to encounter when they take on marketing and analytics roles after graduation. Our prime focus is to give marketing students the best possible footing so that they will thrive in their careers. Dr Damien Mather Advance Business Analytical course University of Otago
For Iwan Junaedi who completed his Master of Marketing at the university, he moved from Singapore to Otago for a couple of reasons. "As the first university in New Zealand, I wanted to experience the richness of the University of Otago’s history and, most importantly, to witness one of the most beautiful campuses in the world," said Iwan.
However, beyond the opportunity to experience New Zealand as a student, Iwan was seeking to build on his 17 years of experience working in sales roles in Indonesia and Singapore, by learning more about marketing, to give him a career edge. Central to that was his use of SAS Enterprise Miner and SAS Studio as part of his Digital Marketing and Advanced Business Analytics courses. "I have tried many analytics platforms and feel that SAS is the most ‘human-like’ platform and is the easiest to use and understand, even for people without a background in data analytics," said Iwan.
Vasanth Mohan
The University of Otago's global reputation was also key in attracting Vasanth Mohan to join the Master of Business Data Science program. Vasanth had completed his MBA at the University of Madras before working with organisations including Philips and Bloomberg Television. "My career in Data Analytics and Business Intelligence within the Indian Television Sector has underscored the need for an advanced, contemporary education in data science," said Vasanth.
As part of Vasanth's learning journey, he enrolled in the Advanced Business Analytics course, offered by the Department of Marketing, and experienced using SAS, "Which deeply sparked my interest in predictive modelling and data-driven decision-making. This course, through its practical SAS applications, provided a comprehensive understanding of how advanced analytics can be leveraged to solve complex business challenges. It was this exposure that solidified my passion for exploring predictive analytics in business contexts," said Vasanth.
Vasanth's experience and determination to build on his earlier study and pursue analytics education is a testament to the value students are finding in Otago's courses and the pressing need for more analytics talent across the world. "The Advanced Business Analytics course ensures you have a strong foundation in analytics, with a particular focus on SAS, as it's a vital industry-standard tool. Stay adaptable to the evolving field of data science, and begin career planning early, making the most of the program's diverse opportunities," said Vasanth.
For Otago's course leaders, Dr Parackal and Dr Mather, the growth in demand for their courses show no signs of abating, with strong interest from domestic and international students.
Dr Mathew Parackal
Dr Damien Mather
Challenge
Addressing the persistent analytics skills gap, while providing education that ensures graduates are ready for the next step in their career by offering marketing leadership in a digital environment.
Solution
The University of Otago offers students its Master of Marketing, underpinned by analytics and digital technology. Completing the Digital Marketing and Advanced Business Analytics courses makes successful graduates eligible for SAS certifications.
Benefits
- Industry-grade SAS technology ensures students are ready to make an impact professionally.
- Digital Marketing and Analytics attracts a broad cohort of students who are looking to mature and diversify their skill sets.
- Courses that promote analytics best practices through case studies, real-life projects and practical exercises.
