JAGSOM's PGDM Data Science and Analytics for Data Enthusiasts - An Exclusive Interview with Dr Supriyo Ghose

In an interesting conversation with Shiksha.com, Dr Supriyo Ghose, Program Chair, PGDM Data Science and Business Analytics says JAGSOM strongly believes that the institution is working on producing holistic, socially responsible employable professionals. The PGDM in Data Science and Analytics at JAGSoM is carefully designed to groom students in the concepts, applications and technologies of data science. Starting from the basic concepts of statistics, descriptive analytics and data visualization.

Q1. Can you discuss the philosophy and mission of the JAGSoM and how it prepares students for successful careers in the Data Science and Analytics field?

JAGSoM’s mission is to produce holistic, socially responsible and continuously employable professionals. JAGSoM strongly believes in nurturing professionals who are well-heeled not only in the basics of business but also in modern technologies. Over the last decade, data science and analytics have become an integral part of business and government. Every decision taken today is based on data, and data analysis skills have become essential for every successful professional. The PGDM in Data Science and Analytics at JAGSoM is carefully designed to groom students in the concepts, applications and technologies of data science. Starting from the basic concepts of statistics, descriptive analytics and data visualization, we go into the state-of-the art technologies such as AI and machine learning, deep learning, database management, optimization, cloud computing, etc. These concepts are taught along with applications in business domains such as marketing, finance, HR, social media, and Ecommerce. Finally, the programme has a strong hands-on component including all the modern tools used by industry, such as Excel, PowerBI, SQL, Spark, Hadoop, Python and R, to name a few. 

This triple focus on concepts, applications and tools ensures that students get a thorough grounding in data science to make them ready for 21st century careers.

Q2. What are the top five Unique Selling Points of School of Management and why students should go for it over the competitors? 

• Focus on academic rigor and practical relevance 

• Location in Bangalore, startup capital of the world 

• Very strong faculty 

• Accredited by the prestigious AACSB International 

• Close connection with top corporates 

Q3. What are the benefits of joining PGDM Data Science and Analytics from JAGSoM?

• JAGSoM has strong faculty in Data Science and Analytics. The faculty members have done their PhDs from the best institutes in India and abroad, and are highly respected in their fields. Many of them have industry experience as well, which makes not only the courses very industry-relevant but the faculty also have strong connect with various corporates for internships, projects and guest lectures. 
• Having a strong faculty pool ensures that the latest and the best in data science is embedded in our curriculum. An example of this is our courses on AI and Generative AI, which is rocking the world of business today (more on this is discussed later.) 
• The curriculum is so designed that even students with no initial knowledge of analytics or coding can go through the programme and emerge as successful professionals. We have many examples of such students who are excelling in the field of Analytics today.
• Students can directly interact with industry practitioners who serve as Visiting Faculty or Corporate Mentors. These industry practitioners are drawn from CXOs in the top corporates, GCCs, and startups. In many cases students get directly placed in organizations through such connect.
• Analytics alumni from JAGSoM are working in leading companies of the world, such as Albertsons Inc, Gartner, NeoStats, Hexaware, Factset, HSBC, Acrannolife Genomics, Kantar, Numly, Landmark Group, just to name a few. Students who graduate from the Programme in future will benefit from this strong alumni base. 

 Q4. Do you believe that knowledge should not be restricted to four walls only? If yes, how does JAGSoM ensures the same for its PGDM Data Science and Analytics programme.

A key feature of the PGDM Programme at JAGSoM is its 3-month long internship programe. Through the Industry Internship Programme, JAGSoM ensures that students are learning not only in the classroom but also applying the Analytics concepts to solve real-life problems. In many cases, the  internship converts into a final placement opportunity.

Q5. Data Science and Business Analytics is a growing field. Will the PGDM course from JAGSoM bring opportunities to the students?

Over the past 6 years we have seen an impressive list of companies hiring for internship or full-time positions in Analytics, and this set expands every year. We now have companies from all sectors such as big IT firms, MNCs, GCCs, startups, and user companies hiring students from JAGSoM. JAGSoM alumni have gone on to occupy CXO positions in various consulting and user companies. We believe that as the AI and Analytics market expands in India, more and more roles will keep getting added, and JAGSoM with its strong offering will be able to help its students carve out their desired career roles in that space. 

 Q6. Does PGDM Data Science and Analytics include live projects for students? How will it help students in their learning?

There is a Capstone Project in the curriculum, which is a credited course and is intended to bring live projects in Data Science for students to solve. The Project starts with a particular business problem and students solve it through data-driven Analytics. At the end the students have to present the solution to the corporate for evaluation. Through this Capstone Project, students are able to integrate their learning in various fields of Analytics and also learn the complexities of real-world analytical problems. 

Examples of past projects done by students in the past include IPL Player Price Prediction, analysis of sales data to forecast demand, optimization of inter-outlet product distribution, analysis of stock tweets to predict alpha values, analysis of retail shelf images to detect stockouts, etc. 

Q7. How is School of Management adapting its curriculum to keep pace with rapidly changing technology and industry demands?

The field of Data Science and Business Analytics is continuously evolving, and our Programme is designed to embrace such evolution. The Programme takes inputs from professionals through an “Industry Advisory Board” on a regular basis, to ensure that the curriculum and pedagogy are in alignment with global trends. 

An example of this is the course on “Generative AI for Business” being taught in the present batch. A course of this nature was suggested by the Industry Advisory Board sometime back. Their input has been taken into consideration and the course has been designed and offered this year, so that 2nd year students across all specializations can learn Generative AI and Large Language Models and apply it to various business scenarios. In future we have plans to integrate Generative AI technology into many of our management courses. Similarly, many other courses on digital business, AI and other topics are regularly offered in the PGDM Programme which keeps the content dynamic and relevant for 21st-century professionals. 

Q8. How does the institute ensure that its students are well-prepared for a job in Data Science and Business Analytics field?

There are many structured interventions that help students prepare for their careers in Data Science and Analytics. Few of these are: 

-Live projects such as the Capstone Project, which helps them learn by solving real-life industry problems 

-Hands-on focus in almost all courses in Data Science and Analytics, using the latest technologies 

-Corporate Mentoring Programme, which brings in top corporates as mentors to guide the students in their role preference, preparation, etc 

-Strong Industry Internship Programme (IIP) spanning a minimum of 3 months, during which the student is immersed in the corporate and