Category: MSM

MS in Marketing Program Ranked #3 by CollegeChoice

by canipec

The Master of Science in Marketing (MSM) at the McCombs School of Business ranked #3 among “Best Master’s in Marketing Degree for 2017) by CollegeChoice.net.

The program is new to the offerings in McCombs Masters programs, securing the #3 ranking after only its second year. The program recently opened admissions for its third cohort, which will begin in the summer of 2018.

“Our program is unique among graduate marketing degrees – our curriculum is designed to prepare students as much for the quantitative as the qualitative sides of marketing,” says Program Director Jade DeKinder. The success of the program lies in this quantitative approach as well as the dedicated resources, including specialized career services, the program offers to its students.

The Texas MSM is a 10-month program open to all undergraduate majors with strong quantitative training or test scores. Because it requires no experience, the degree also prepares students with little to no experience for careers at the forefront of marketing. The curriculum, which highlights data-driven analytics behind marketing decision-making,  allows students to complete the degree in less than a year and provides access to the McCombs School of Business extensive alumni network.

Ranking alongside the program were the University of Pennsylvania and Texas A&M. CollegeChoice bases its rankings on average credit hour cost, financial aid packages, academic reputation, and average career salary for graduates. Affordability, return on investment, and accessibility all consider strongly into the rankings, and data is compiled from a number of resources to average the rankings. Dr

The Texas MSM program began accepting applications on August 1, 2017 – applications remain open until May 1, 2018 for admissions to the summer cohort. Applicants are admitted once a year to this selective program.

Students interested in the program can contact Program Coordinators at TexasMSM@mccombs.utexas.edu.

 

#TXMS Extra Coverage: Succeeding In and Out of the Classroom

by canipec

The Texas Master of Science Programs attracts some of the best and brightest students from across undergraduate disciplines, but we also love catching up with our students in their extra curricular activities as well! Nate Frank, MS Marketing 2018 student, recently caught up with Student Executive Committee Marketing Chair Mariah McFadin on his achievements in Three Wall Handball…all while earning his MS degree here in McCombs!

Who: Nate Frank in MSM class of 2018

Undergrad: UT Austin Computer science

Event: United States Handball Association Three Wall National Handball Championship, August 31- September 4th

What is Three Wall Handball??

Three wall handball is a slightly different form of handball than the 4-wall handball that is played by most handball teams. It is an outside sport and unlike regular indoor handball, there are no back walls. It requires a very different strategy than 4 wall hand ball. I played in the B singles (20 person bracket) and B Doubles (14 team bracket) and won first in both! My doubles partner is a friend from Pennsylvania named Chris Persaud.

How did you get involved?
I got into the sport because my dad plays handball too. I am actually a fourth generation handball player. I’d always travel to tournaments with my dad as a kid, and I started playing in tournaments around age 11. My dad also won both his division’s at the tournament for Mens 45+ Doubles and the mens 55+ doubles.

How much time do you spend practicing?

I’ve been president of the team for about 2 and a half years, so it does get time consuming sometimes. I practice 4 wall three times a week for about 3 hours each time. But for this tournament, I had to practice 3 wall as well. The nearest 3-wall courts are in San Antonio, so I’d have to wake up early on the weekends and drive to SA to play for a few hours.” Mariah tell us he did this every weekend during the summer session. He was also running 3-5 miles every day to make sure he had the cardio endurance necessary for the tournament. All in the killer Texas summer heat!

How many tournaments do you have a year?
There are anywhere from 12- 15 tournaments a year that I go to. This is one of the biggest because it was a championship game. Because of this, it did require more prep especially since there aren’t any 3 wall courts nearby.The other major tournament I play in is the Collegiate 4-wall National tournament in February.  So everyone should keep an eye out for him then and cheer him on!

Other wins: He won the 15 and Under division in 2010 and the 17 and under in 2012.

Congrats on the win, Nate, and we can’t wait to hear how the next tournament goes!

#TXMS Extra Coverage articles document our student achievements outside of the classroom. If you’re a current or former #TXMS with a story you’d like to share, contact your Program Coordinator for more information!

Contributions to this blog were made by Texas MSM 2018 & Student Executive Committee Marketing Chair Mariah McFadin.

MS Programs Alumni Feature: Danny Farrington, MS Marketing 2017

by canipec

This week, Texas MS Programs is catching up with Danny Farrington, a 2017 alumni of our Master of Science in Marketing Program. Alumni spotlights give insight into where our graduates go after they finish #MasteringMcCombs and we hear some advice to current students on how to leverage their degrees!

Danny Farrington

PMG Advertising Agency
Data Innovation Coordinator

What was your journey to the MS in Marketing degree?

I completed a BSA in Chemistry from UT in 2016 and went straight in the MSM program afterwards. Near the end of my undergraduate career, I realized I didn’t want to pursue a PhD in chemistry and wasn’t interested in pharmacy or med school. So I acknowledged the things I enjoyed: working with numbers, being creative, and psychology. After hearing about the MSM program in one of my business foundation classes, I realized it was the perfect combination of all three of those traits and I immediately applied.

What is the most valuable skill or lesson you learned while in your MS program (either inside or outside of the classroom)?

Understanding how to work with data that is specifically useful for marketing.

What are some highlights of your career since graduating from your MS program?

I have used the coding and digital marketing knowledge I learned during the program to help set up automated reporting on dynamic promotions to determine which ad copy performs well and which ones don’t.

Who was your favorite MS Professor or what was your favorite MS Course?

Professor Ty Henderson

What are the biggest challenges you have faced since completing your MS degree?

As I’ve transitioned from chemistry into a more tech focused discipline, I’ve had to do some catch-up on computer terms and knowledge that a computer science major might have learned. But, I’ve enjoyed the challenge.

What should future graduates be considering as they begin their careers?

I noticed that as the program went on and my classmates and I started to narrow our focus on what we wanted to pursue after graduation, two main interest categories formed: those who wanted to be in a more analytical role working hands on with data and those who wanted to be in a more strategic role but understand the data and how it can be valuable. I feel like the program prepares you well for each category, and as you decided where your interests lie, reach out and speak with professors and industry professionals to see if that category/direction is truly what you want. I know I changed my interests a lot during the program but after talking with professors and people in the industry I realized what I really liked and am currently extremely happy with the job I have. The program is short and its never too early to start exploring your options.

We love hearing from our graduates on how they are doing, so if you are a #TXMS grad and would like to share your Alumni story, please contact us at cayce.canipe@mccombs.utexas.edu. To learn more about any of our Texas MS Programs, browse our Admissions Blog and link to our main pages.

Texas MS #StudentSpotlight: Thomas Hair, MSM 2018

by gabylio

Program:

Master of Science in Marketing

Student Name:

Thomas Hair

Graduating Class:

Class of 2018

About Thomas:

Another member of the UT Class of 2017 who just really wanted to stay on the 40 Acres another year. I was born and raised in Dallas, but got to Austin as soon as I could! Here, you can find me catching live music (especially rock and metal), biking around town, reading or trying new foods. I still go back to Dallas from time to time to play with my beloved dog Jesse, visit my parents and little sisters, and maybe catch a Mavs/Cowboys/Rangers/FCD game (huge fan).

Proudest Accomplishment:

I am proud of how much interdisciplinary experience I was able to explore in my undergraduate career. I completed three very different internships (corporate, agency and non-profit) and three additional certificates (including one in Environmental Science) while maintaining nearly a 3.9 GPA. At the top of the list, however, might be when my winless intramural basketball team finally won our first game at the very end of the season. It was a cathartic moment for us.

Why did you choose the MSM Program?

I am fascinated by what Marketing is becoming: a marriage between the qualitative (persuasion, creativity, strategy) and the quantitative (science, data, information). I started out as a journalist and remain a writer at heart, but as my undergraduate career I progressed, I recognized a need for people who can play on both sides of this 21st century Marketing field. I believe that, with the help of this program, I have the ability to fill that need and apply quantitative knowledge to enhance the qualitative decisions in business.

What are you most looking forward to in your program?

I’m looking forward to getting to know my fellow MSM students and doing some awesome work with them. Of course, securing a job for after the program will be nice, too!

More on Texas MS Student Spotlight:

Texas MS #StudentSpotlight is a new feature showcasing the talent, background, and aspirations of the McCombs Master of Science Program students! Learn more about the Texas Master of Science in Marketing on our homepage.

Current Texas MS students interested in appearing in our student spotlight should contact their Program Coordinator regarding access to the Student Spotlight Survey.

Women’s Roundtable Breakfast

by emilygraves

This past Friday, female students from the MS Marketing, MS Finance, and MS Business Analytics programs sat down for a roundtable breakfast with successful women from typically male-dominated fields. The effort to connect young women with industry leaders was initiated by Linda Vytlacil, Walmart VP in Data and Analytics, when the MSBA program kicked off four years ago in order to provide mentoring to young women beginning their careers. Other companies represented included IBM, JDA, W20, AT&T, Teacher Retirement System of Texas, Bank of Texas, EY, and Facebook. While much was to be taken away from this roundtable, we’ve captured a few of the key pieces of advice.

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Defining Your Definition of Success

Whether you’re kicking off your career or re-evaluating your goals, you need to define what success means to you. At this point in time, success could be climbing the career ladder. Or it could be focusing on family and taking a job that allows you to spend more time at home. There is no wrong answer, but you must look within yourself to determine what that answer is.

 

Find a Mentor or Support Group

When starting your career, it is important to surround yourself with people who will have your best interests in mind. Whether it’s family or colleagues, you need a group of people you can turn to. In addition to building a strong support group, it is also important to find mentors throughout your career. Lisa Perry from JDA emphasized the importance of not only finding a mentor but also finding one who is your opposite in order to push you and offer different perspectives.

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How to be Assertive and Have Confidence in the Workplace

One topic that came up at multiple tables was how to overcome the negative stereotype of a strong woman and be more assertive. The women seemed almost unanimous in that the best way to overcome to stereotype is to ignore it altogether. Perception is reality, and the more you buy into or believe a particular thing, the more it becomes true. If we, as women, believe that there is a gender gap, the stereotype will continue to build. It is important to let the strength of your work define you as opposed to your gender.

-Emily Graves