Experiential Learning

Practice makes perfect

Get beyond the classroom by learning from real-world situations. While coursework and team experience form the core of your program, you’ll also explore how the concepts you’re learning apply in the field. Whether you’re analyzing an industry problem for a case competition, discovering how a leading CEO thinks about analytics, or helping a company leverage their data to solve a specific business problem, the MQM: Business Analytics program provides opportunities to ensure you learn from direct experience.

Case Studies

Case studies help you think about an analytics problem from various perspectives within an organization—often with incomplete information—in order to find a solution. Assigned as part of a course, you and your team will decide on the approach you will use to crack the case, identify useful insights from the data set, determine the most effective way to communicate your recommendations, and then present findings to your “client.”

Speakers

Our Distinguished Speaker Series, held on Fuqua’s campus in the U.S., has been running for more than 30 years. High-profile corporate executives share their personal and professional stories of how they’re actively changing the business world—and giving you an insider look at the industry or career issues they navigate.

Previous speakers include:

Tim Cook, CEO, Apple — View YouTube videos
Lisa Borders, President, WNBA — View YouTube video
Jud Linville, CEO, Citi Cards and Ajay Banga, CEO, Mastercard — View YouTube video
Mary Barra, CEO, General Motors — View YouTube video
Doug McMillon, CEO, Walmart — View YouTube video
Martin Dempsey, Retired Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — View YouTube video
Bill McDermott, CEO, SAP — View YouTube video
David Rubenstein, Co-Founder + Co-CEO — View YouTube video
Roger Ferguson, CEO, TIAA —View YouTube video

Our community thrives on a diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives—ensuring we learn from people who think differently..

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Hands-On Experience

Learning Through Competing

Group shot of participants in data competition

Students used real analytics to compete in a data competition to solve a problem for the Duke Alumni Association.

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Industry Conferences and Competitions

A wide range of student clubs organize activities designed to help students in all programs dive deeper into industries like marketing, sustainability, finance, and health care. Conferences typically include keynotes and panel discussions with managers and executives from different companies, discussing issues in the field or emerging trends. These events provide many informal opportunities to engage with alumni and recruiters in the industry, along with formal networking receptions. You don’t need to be a member of the club to participate. Whether you’re exploring all options or pursuing a specific interest, conferences help build your professional knowledge.

Competitions are typically hosted by external organizations and enable you to put your skills into practice to win prizes or bragging rights.

Here are a few examples:

Making Data Work for Nonprofits, hosted by the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE)
The Duke University Energy Conference, led by the Center for Energy, Development, and the Global Environment
ASA DataFest @ Duke, an annual competition where teams tackle a large surprise dataset sponsored by the American Statistical Association (ASA)

Explore This Program

Program Format

Team up over 10 months.

Curriculum

Gain skills in finance, marketing, strategy, or forensics.

Certificate of Research

Prepare for a doctoral program.