How data reveals what assumptions miss

MMA Diaries 

Nafiseh Esmaeeli, ‘26 MMA

As part of our MMA Diaries series, we’re highlighting students and graduates who are shaping their careers through the Master of Management in Analytics (MMA) program.

Nafiseh Esmaeeli shares how the program is helping her strengthen her analytical skills while learning to apply them to real business decisions, gaining hands-on experience through team projects, applied coursework, and industry-focused learning.

What motivated you to choose the Master of Management Analytics (MMA) program?

I am interested in how data and analytical models can support strategic and operational decisions beyond purely technical contexts. I chose the MMA program because it allowed me to further build my analytical skills while shifting toward business-oriented decision making.

The program curriculum is highly focused on this goal, and the capstone and internship components strongly complement the coursework by helping students gain real-world experience and apply their knowledge in practice.

How do you see your career evolving over the next five years, and how is the MMA program helping you get there?

Over the next five years, I see my career developing in advanced analytics roles within industry, such as operations analytics, consulting, or data-driven decision support, where analytical models inform strategic and operational decisions.

The MMA program is helping me achieve this by building strong analytical and communication skills, with an emphasis on applying these tools to real business problems. Through applied coursework, team-based projects, and the capstone and internship components, I am gaining hands-on experience translating data into practical insights that support organizational performance.

What has surprised you most about the MMA program so far?

What has surprised me most about the MMA program is the diversity of students’ academic and professional backgrounds and how well the program is designed to support this diversity.

The curriculum begins with strong foundational courses and then gradually transitions toward more business-oriented topics, allowing students to build confidence as they progress.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the range of resources available to support students in such an intensive one-year program and by how supportive the program team has been throughout the experience.

What are some key skills or experiences you’ve gained in the MMA program that you know you’ll use after graduation?

One of the key skills I have gained through the MMA program is the ability to approach complex problems in a structured and data-driven manner, from problem formulation through to interpretation and clear communication of results. Working in diverse teams across courses, along with participating in the program’s networking sessions, has significantly strengthened my communication and professional networking skills.

In addition, the program has enhanced my ability to communicate analytical insights to non-technical audiences, a capability that will be essential for translating data into effective decisions after graduation.

What is a project you’ve worked on in the MMA program that really stood out to you, and what made that experience meaningful?

One project that stood out to me during the MMA program was a customer analytics project focused on understanding and predicting customer churn. At the beginning of the project, our team formed several hypotheses about the main drivers of churn based on intuition and prior knowledge. However, as we analyzed the dataset using the analytical tools and methods learned in the program, we discovered additional factors that we had not initially considered, and in some cases, the results even challenged our original assumptions.

This experience was particularly meaningful because it demonstrated how data-driven analysis can uncover overlooked insights and lead to more informed conclusions. It reinforced for me the value of relying on analytical evidence rather than assumptions when supporting business decisions.