Master's in Data Science

Saint Joseph’s University MS in Business Intelligence & Analytics – An Interview with Virginia Miori

We reached out to Virginia Miori, Ph.D. to learn more about the Master of Science in Business Intelligence & Analytics program at Saint Joseph’s University. Read on to learn more about business intelligence, its value to companies, and important skills for students to master.

Dr. Miori is the Academic Coordinator of the Master of Science in Business Intelligence and Analytics at Saint Joseph’s University. She has 15 years of teaching experience and over twelve years of industry experience in developing and implementing statistical and operations research models. She is Editor in Chief of the International Journal for Business Intelligence Research, active in research in the areas of supply chain, scheduling and predictive analytics, and has received multiple research awards.

Dr. Miori is a graduate of the LeBow College of Business at Drexel University, holding a doctoral degree in Operations Research. She also holds an MS in Operations Research from Case Western Reserve University and an MS in Transportation from the University of Pennsylvania.

Q: What kinds of students will get the most out of the program?
A: The beauty of our program is that it provides opportunities for students of varied backgrounds. Though it is unnecessary, many students enter with backgrounds in one of the areas of business intelligence and analytics. We endeavor to ensure that every student benefits substantially from our program. Our faculty maintain materials at basic, intermediate and advanced levels. If a student already has familiarity with a topic area, we offer materials beyond their expertise.
Q: What skills are crucial to student success?
A: Strong quantitative skills are the most critical to success in any analytics program. Beyond this, our students benefit particularly from strong organizational skills and the ability to effectively structure their work. Students must also be highly self motivated and interested in the topics. This Master of Science program is quite challenging, and each course progresses at a rapid pace. It is a testament to our students that many of them work full time, complete their course work and maintain a personal life.
Q: What’s the difference between business intelligence and analytics?
A: Business Intelligence, as currently defined in the industry, deals closely with data and data storage mechanisms, including relational databases, data warehouses, data visualization and distributed data. This encompasses the management of Big Data. Business analytics refers to the modeling and decision-making techniques that assist in making business decisions. These techniques include data and text mining, web analytics, decision making, optimization and statistical analysis, among others. Analytics cannot be effective without a strong BI foundation.
Q: Why is it important for business intelligence analysts to be strong communicators?
A: We especially emphasize communication in our program. The results of any analysis are useless unless they are interpreted and applied to the business setting. Often, the BIA professional will be the only person who understands all aspects of the analyses. They must be able to effectively translate and communicate the outcomes and implications to mid- and upper-level managers.
Q: Can you think of examples of when business analysts you know had a big impact on their company?
A: Our faculty receive updates from our graduates on a regular basis as well as keeping in contact via professional social media tools such as LinkedIn. Many have been able to improve the overall quality of decision making, thus improving the company’s ability to compete. Other graduates have had the opportunity to have an impact on how their company uses business intelligence and analytics. In every case, the graduate’s professional life has been vastly improved. New occupational avenues have opened for everyone. We are so proud of the meaningful and profound contributions our graduates have made.