“I only applied to UMSI”: Why the MADS program was an easy choice

Rania El-Shenety says her best day as a Master of Applied Data Science student was when her University of Michigan diploma arrived in the mail. She gathered her friends and family in her Cairo home for the big moment. 

Celebrating with loved ones, El-Shenety says the full value of her achievement as a U-M School of Information graduate sank in. And she never had to leave her home or job to get there.

“When I wanted to get my master’s degree, I only applied to UMSI,” El-Shenety says. “Knowing it was the University of Michigan, I knew employers would recognize my alma mater.”

U-M’s resources and reputation add power to El-Shenety’s early career momentum

The fully online University of Michigan MADS program offers students around the world the value of a U-M master’s degree education, with access to outstanding resources that residential students receive. 

Those resources include expert faculty and teaching assistants and insightful peers, who support MADS students balancing coursework and other priorities like full- and part-time jobs. 

“Our job is to be here for MADS students, to talk with them not just about course content, but how the degree fits into their own career aspirations,” says assistant professor Christopher Brooks.

El-Shenety completed a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science at American University in Cairo and became interested in data science in her first job out of college, which involved performing analysis for an investment company. She decided to go for a master’s degree in data science to orient her career toward her new interests. 

Weighing her options, El-Shenety decided to enroll with UMSI because of its acclaim and easy online access — plus her ability as a MADS student to keep working and maintain her career momentum while investing in her credentials as a data scientist. 

El-Shenety didn’t have to wait for her graduation for that investment to pay off. Henkel hired her as a junior data scientist during her second year in the program. 

“One of the things that companies like is when they can see that the person they’re interviewing wants to continue learning,” El-Shenety says. “When I said that I was pursuing my master’s degree, it was impressive to interviewers because I was working while studying, especially in a data science program at a respected university like Michigan.” 

Now with a University of Michigan master’s degree in data science officially on her resume, El-Shenety says a promotion at Henkel is in the pipeline. 

MADS students are card-carrying members of the U-M community

Data science professionals like El-Shenety enroll with UMSI because they want everything a University of Michigan master’s degree program has to offer without having to relocate.

“Wherever they are in the world, MADS students are Michigan Wolverines through and through, and each one receives their own MCard in the mail to prove it,” says Amy Homkes-Hayes, UMSI’s associate director of online programs and strategic advisor to the leadership team on online programs and digital content. “MADS students have access to the array of online and hybrid events offered through the university.” 

Should they visit Ann Arbor, MADS students can also take advantage of on-campus benefits for students, like libraries, gyms and tech resale stores, and meet with faculty, staff and students from across U-M. 

That’s not to say MADS students have to come to Ann Arbor to meet peers in person. They’ll find that the U-M network reaches anywhere and everywhere. So far, MADS has brought together students from 44 countries across six continents. 

El-Shenety herself was surprised to discover that a friend from American University in Cairo enrolled in the MADS program just a year after she did. 

She’s excited to make her first visit to U-M’s Ann Arbor campus for the MADS graduation ceremony this spring. It’s a special annual event that includes a campus tour and reception for MADS graduates before they walk in the UMSI and U-M graduation ceremonies.

El-Shenety says, “It’s not just getting into the program and earning the diploma. I’m excited to go there now, to see the place and feel it. To celebrate the end of this chapter with a trip to Ann Arbor and a ceremony will be a great thing.”