Mandy Chan (’18SPS, Applied Analytics) co-founded and served as President of the Healthcare Analytics Association at the School of Professional Studies while enrolled as a full-time student in the Master of Science in Applied Analytics program. As a recent graduate, her career goal is to combine her data analytics and problem-solving skills to help improve patient care and the overall healthcare system. Chan received her bachelor’s degree in physiology from the University of Minnesota and her previous experience includes working as an analyst at a biotech firm, an English instructor in South Korea, and a research assistant in a genetics laboratory.
What initially attracted you to the Applied Analytics program at Columbia University?
I was initially drawn to the fact that the Applied Analytics program is built from two essential cores: business management and data analytics. The program’s focus on combining management and analytics speaks directly to my career needs, as the ability to draw insights from big data and strategically apply them to business stems from a deeper understanding in both areas. Moreover, this program offers compelling courses and teaches students challenging concepts starting from the basics. All of this combined with Columbia’s compelling location in New York City has provided an unmatched academic experience in analytics.
The program’s focus on combining management and analytics speaks directly to my career needs.
Which program option did you choose, and why?
Aside from academics, I was seeking networking opportunities from this program and so I decided to enroll full-time on campus. As a full-time student, I was able to partake and dedicate myself in various student organizations that were meaningful to me. Joining a specific community and becoming a student leader at Columbia allowed me to expand my network and it undeniably enriched my overall student experience.
What type of skills were you able to build and improve on through the program?
Coming from a life science background, I was lacking in both the soft business skills and hard data science skills. Through the Applied Analytics program, I acquired business management knowledge and improved on my data science and coding skills. The capstone project allowed me to put my newly learned skills to practice!
