Earning Money With Big Data

Three students of the Master’s program in Business Intelligence & Analytics tell about everyday university life and their future plans as data scientists

“The topic of big data has evolved greatly in recent years and is gaining importance every day – in all areas which use digital media. The increasing digitalization in business and society generates enormous amounts of data, which must then be evaluated. We learn skills for the collection, processing and analysis of data for decision support in diverse contexts and thus act as the interface between business administrations scientists and computer scientists“, explains Lena Schirmer, student of the Master’s program in Business Intelligence & Analytics. Since October 2014, the 25-year-old studies at the TU Chemnitz. Previously she completed a dual degree in Business Administration and Economics along with Informatics and Business Administration at the Berufsakademie Dresden. With an example, she makes it clear what kind of concrete applications the knowledge she acquired can have in a later career setting: ”Which airports are served at this moment and what difficulties may arise through delays? Which machines must be redirected in order to avoid accidents and to ensure a smooth flow of air traffic? In this field of study it is always a question of evaluating collected data in a company- or product-related way.“

The Master’s program in Business Intelligence & Analytics was integrated into the Faculty for Economics and Business Administration in the winter semester 2014/15, and it is in this way unique in Germany. For this broad range of courses, the Technische Universität Chemnitz and the Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg are in cooperation in order to pool the expertise of both universities and deliver highly up-to-date and pressing economic topics such as Big Data, E-Business and IT Project Management. Education takes place at the TU Chemnitz in small groups in dedicated computer pools and the newly oriented Big Data lab. “We are about ten students and have many practical exercises in very well technically-equipped premises. That way, good supervision and support from the professors and lecturers can be ensured“, says Schirmer. Martin Kammerer, her fellow student adds: “Communication is really important to our professors. We are encouraged to evaluate all coursework and make suggestions for improvement. This enables us to actively affect how our seminars are designed. In addition, some courses are offered in English, so it is equally possible for international students to study this Master’s program.“ Kammerer comes from Oberpfalz and has previously completed a Bachelor at the University of Bayreuth in English Studies with Applied Computer Science. During an internship, he deepened his knowledge in Computer Science and decided to concentrate entirely on information technology content during his Master’s studies. “I had the goal to become a specialist. The Master’s program in Business Intelligence & Analytics is new and exciting. It combines classical themes with innovation and offers us students the chance to enjoy a very particular kind of education. Because of this, we are ready to occupy technical and leadership positions in companies where data is a resource critical to entrepreneurship and creating value“, said the 26-year-old.

For quite some time, the profile of the so-called data scientist has been in high demand from the industry. Graduates of the Master’s program in Business Intelligence & Analytics have command of key competencies for consulting and managerial posts in IT projects and cross-functional projects in the Business Intelligence and Business Analytics fields. The constantly growing importance of these issues in enterprises and public administrations leads to a huge demand for specialized graduates. Stefan Bochmann, also a student of the Master’s program in Business Intelligence & Analytics is aware of this: “Industry 4.0 has become an important factor for the industrial location of Germany. We have been trained specifically as experts for data management, processing and analysis. After graduation, I want to work in the field of Computer Science for Business Administration in a practical way and improve implementation for users in various ways.“ The 27-year-old comes from a suburb of Chemnitz and previously studied Media Technology at the HTWK in Leipzig. After obtaining a Bachelor’s degree, Stefan Bochmann wanted to stay in the region to deepen his expertise in Computer Science for Business Administration. “Chemnitz is a really nice university and industry location at the same time“, he says and adds: “Because of the size, it is easy to access all university sites.“ Schirmer also is enthusiastic about the campus of the TU Chemnitz: “The campus is large and offers many opportunities for activities to do in your free time. In the summer, I love to simply relax on the lawn in front of the Mensa between classes and observe people. A great deal has happened on campus in recent years, making it a real feel-good oasis.“

Further information on the degree program at: https://www.tu-chemnitz.de/wirtschaftsinformatik/interessierte/master/master-bia/

(Author: Katharina Preuß, Translation: Nataliia Boiko & Sarah Wilson)

Mario Steinebach
11.08.2015

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