Before Dipanjan Goon 24MSBA came to Goizueta Business School, he was already putting his computer science degree to good use. He worked as an applied artificial intelligence analyst then consultant for Deloitte.
Goon was a top performer during his time at Deloitte. He managed a team and helped companies successfully transition to cloud-based data storage.
He also began to see the full scale—and impact—of artificial intelligence, particularly given the rise of generative AI, like ChatGPT.
“I was always privy to the potential impact of AI, but never how much,” explains Goon.
I wanted to learn more about this intriguing technology and see how it could boost my career. At the same time, I wanted to pursue a degree that put this technology in a business context and used it to solve real-world business problems.
Dipanjan Goon 24 MSBA
So, he came to Goizueta.
Applying Data to Business
The Master of Science in Business Analytics program at Goizueta is fast-paced: Students complete the degree in 10 months. In what can seem like a whirlwind environment, the first course of the semester is over within six weeks.
As Goon approaches the end of his degree, he has started to experience “ah-ha” moments, where the content just “clicks.” The program’s structure uses content from one class as the foundation for lessons in the next, and so on. Students don’t have time to forget the material before the next building block begins.
“It’s such a fast-moving program, and we’re learning so much information. But this structure helped me retain the information,” says Goon.
Goon says this structure also allows students to begin job hunting, recruiting, and interviewing early in the program—and with confidence.
“After our first class, we were well-versed in how to speak about data science and machine learning,” he recalls.
One of the reasons that Goon chose Goizueta over other programs was because of the focus on business context. It’s one thing to understand how AI and machine learning operate, but it’s more important—for Goon’s career and trajectory—to be able to apply that information to help a client solve a business problem. This pivotal difference is the hallmark of the program.
Classes like Managing Big Data and AI and ML at Scale have been pivotal for Goon. They have shown him how to take the seemingly hypothetical concepts learned in earlier, exploratory courses and begin to apply them to business situations. That is something that’s been particularly helpful as the class works on their capstone project.
We can derive the most complex mathematical formula. But if it doesn’t help the business that we’re working with, then it’s not what we want.
Dipanjan Goon 24MSBA
Goon’s post-graduation plan builds on his experiences at Goizueta—working with businesses. He hopes to find a job that allows him to use his new artificial intelligence and data science skills to solve business challenges and help companies grow.
A Global Life Experience
Before moving to Atlanta, Goon was working for Deloitte in Chicago. But before that, he was born in India, grew up in Nigeria, and went to college in Michigan.
To say that Goon values and appreciates diversity is an understatement. Beyond the small class size and the business application of the academics, Goon says the other reason he chose Goizueta was because of the level of diversity among cohorts. He says he has found comfort at Goizueta because he’s not the only one from out of state or out of country. Goon joined a cohort that represented 13 countries.
“I’ve always come into a place feeling like a guest,” says Goon.
I’ve not been a local, but when I came to Goizueta, the diversity was more tangible. All of us were in the same boat. We were all kind of international in some way, even the non-internationals.
Dipanjan Goon 24MSBA
Even Goon’s faculty made an effort to help students feel at home in a foreign-to-them city. Rajiv Garg, associate professor of information systems and operations management, held gatherings at his home for major holidays, especially those that international students were unable to travel home for.
“He’s been super helpful with the way he teaches a very tough course and also makes a point to check in on all of us,” says Goon.
From group projects and working on homework together to hanging out at KEGs each week, Goon says all of his interactions with others have made him feel more comfortable. He hopes this will help him adjust quickly wherever he lands next, too.
“For the first time, I didn’t feel like I needed time to fit in,” says Goon of his cohort. “At Goizueta, I found an extremely tight-knit community where everyone looks after one another.”
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