Self-proclaimed “techie” David Golshirazian chose to pursue an M.S. in Business Analytics (MSBA) after realizing how much he enjoyed LMU’s strong suite of undergraduate quantitative courses. The LMU MSBA program enabled him to pursue his interest in analytics and strengthen his skills.
“The MSBA program encompassed a lot more than I expected,” said David. “Through conversations with my professors, I learned that the world of analytics is vast with so many opportunities and ways to advance in the discipline.”
David found the program to be challenging yet fulfilling, as it allowed him to expand his understanding and obtain guidance from professors. Each course in the program was specialized across many subjects, which gave him the chance to make significant gains in his knowledge base.
“The intensity of the MSBA program was unmatched compared to what I experienced as a management major in the undergraduate program,” added David. “However, it was enjoyable, because there was so much to learn, explore and apply due to the nature of the course subjects.”
He had many memorable classes such as “CRM Analytics” with Professor Sijun Wang. “The course was very rigorous, and we developed a project for a case study that really made me feel like I was making serious progress,” he said.
As part of the MSBA capstone project, David and his teammates applied what they learned to solve a real-life problem for their client, the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. The team established a predictive analytics framework using Python, Sci-kit Learn, TensorFlow/Keras, AWS and REST APIs in addition to developing a modular simulation model using Excel.
“All my professors were clear about their intentions to accelerate students’ ambitions and capacity for success,” said David. “With encouragement and guidance, I was able to develop my skills and gain more knowledge about the analytics industry. For example, my capstone leader, Dr. Arin Brahma, went beyond the role of a professor. He was a mentor, a potent source of wisdom about the industry, and a motivational life teacher who fueled my passion to learn and achieve as much as possible.”
David currently works as a data analyst at Activision Blizzard, recently acquired by Microsoft. He previously served as a business intelligence analyst at Jewels Connection Inc, where he led the company’s analytics effort including implementing a new CRM system and reporting solutions.
“My degree helped me a lot because my job included data work and developing analytical systems,” noted David. “For example, I worked daily with SQL and Tableau to develop reporting.”
With his MSBA degree and a new job, David is confident and excited about his future in the world of analytics.
“Hopefully within the next few years I’ll be able to gain knowledge and acquire skills for professions such as data scientist, analytics engineer or something similar,” continued David. “The long-term goal is to establish my own business one day.”
David’s advice to prospective LMU MSBA students is to “stay excited about the big picture” as the MSBA program has so much to offer for students who are open-minded.
“The MSBA program gave me a route into a previously unknown and completely unconsidered field,” said David. “Who knows where I would be if I did not take this opportunity.”
By Jake Lestyk ’24