Introduction
Praxis Business School launched its one-year full-time Business Program in 2011. The Praxis brand was new in this domain. When I found out that people were mentioning Praxis on our blog initially, I thought it was one of the many programs started by management schools in the country. I dismissed it without opening the course page.
A few months after this incident, a couple of our community members had great things to say about the program. As usual, I consider this to be one of the strongest early indicators of program quality and long-term success. Then, this time I spoke with these community members for a long time on the phone and also spent time understanding their offer. I also checked the details of the course and looked at the profile of the teachers.
There were quite a few things this show was doing differently:
- They had received a call that, to do justice to the issue, would run the program as a full-time program for 12 months (unlike other part-time programs).
- The faculty was impressive with people from the best institutes of education and experience in the industry.
- Praxis was also providing on-campus placements., internships followed by final placements, for students attending the program.
All of this was offered at a price comparable to part-time programs in the country.. The only concern I could think of was that the show was based solely on Kolkata. Although Kolkata has been a city of scholars, I personally thought that a program like this would benefit a lot if there was a bigger industrial ecosystem in the city.
Regardless, I approached Praxis and asked them to visit the campus and interact with the students in the program. They happily obeyed! We review the program and include it in our ranking after that. During one of the discussions with the Praxis team, I mentioned that although Praxis was not suffering due to its location in Kolkata, a program like this should also have a center in Bangalore.
A few years later (In other words, In the past week), I got a call from the Praxis team informing me that they are now launching the same program in Bangalore. I congratulated the team and had a long conversation with Professor Charanpreet Singh about the vision and incorporation of Bangalore as a program location.. Here are some excerpts from the discussion:
Prof. Charanpreet Singh
KJ: How do you see 5 years of analytics teaching journey in India?
It has been a wonderful trip. We started the one-year full-time program in 2011 based on suggestions made by our industry associates. While we were doing our own research, three things were very clear:
- There would be a massive global demand for data scientists in the future;
- There were no courses in the country that address this need from a training perspective;
- The analyticsAnalytics refers to the process of collecting, Measure and analyze data to gain valuable insights that facilitate decision-making. In various fields, like business, Health and sport, Analytics Can Identify Patterns and Trends, Optimize processes and improve results. The use of advanced tools and statistical techniques is essential to transform data into applicable and strategic knowledge.... and data science were complex fields that would require in-depth analysis facilitated by exceptionally high-quality professors.
We started with a batch of only 8 students in 2011, and today we are an established brand in analytics in the country with perhaps the only solution for 360 Grades for student: strengthening concepts, experiential learning with labs and projects, and placement in the company. analytics world.
Our alumni have performed with distinction and we have repeat recruiters on our campus, two pieces of unequivocal evidence that our efforts are paying off. And if, in these five years the world of analytics has evolved rapidly, And also our curriculum!
KJ: Explain to us the thinking behind the Bangalore launch.
As data science and analytics awareness gains momentum, the demand for good quality programs is bound to accelerate. Since we have chosen the high contact option, in class and full time, one way to grow and meet this growing demand is to make the same program available in more geographies.
We started in Kolkata and focused on making our course content, the faculty staff and industry involvement were correct. Now we rely on a gradual expansion, and Bangalore is, apparently, the best candidate for the first stage. It is the analytical capital of the country, with the most people working with tech companies and the most potential recruiters.
As someone warned us a few months ago, if it is in analysis, you just have to be in Bangalore. We are excited about student participation in Bangalore and believe this move will help enhance Praxis' position as one of the leading analytics institutions..
KJ: The three critical strengths of the Praxis program have been its curriculum, faculty and placement program. Do you see a dilution risk in these attributes with the launch of Bangalore??
We seriously believe in this and come to the conclusion that this ‘extension’ will truly enhance our strengths. We are preserving the core of the curriculum: subjects will remain the same in Kolkata and Bangalore, but every member of the faculty, of course, will add its own flavor.
We have engaged some very successful people in Bangalore with a combination of academic and industry experience to teach the course..
This will strengthen our teaching team and create a rich set of resources that we can draw on for research and teaching.. In conclusion, a larger pool of trained candidates amplifies our value initiative for recruiters, as the demand for data scientists continues to gallop.
KJ: Are there any changes in the type of applicants you are targeting in the two geographies? Can you briefly explain the selection criteria?
Selection procedure and criteria remain the same regardless of geography.
We have two simple criteria to determine suitability for this program: the degree of commitment to the mastery of analytics and the degree of passion and ability to solve problems. Our program in Kolkata had a full spectrum of students, from newly graduated engineers and eco specialists / statistics to professionals with 10 years of experience in IT and ITES.
The medianThe median is a statistical measure that represents the central value of a set of ordered data. To calculate it, the data is organized from lowest to highest and the number in the middle is identified. If there are an even number of observations, the two core values are averaged. This indicator is especially useful in asymmetric distributions, since it is not affected by extreme values.... it would be someone with approximately 3-4 years of experience seeking a transition to a career in analytics. We've found that there are recruiters ready for the right talent and skill set at all levels.
KJ: Who should apply to Praxis programs and why?
Let me sketch a picture of an aspiring Praxis – serious about a career in Analytics – willing to dig deeper and dedicate a year to learning – loves numbers and loves to solve problems – not intimidated by technology or complexity.
If one is looking for a complete curriculum, rigorous and state-of-the-art backed by a strong placement program that creates attractive career prospects, Praxis is a great option. I would also recommend that applicants research the quality of the programs to which they apply and engage with alumni of the institute before making an election..
KJ: There are several actors in the hybrid and online space, which gives a much broader scope. Continue to stick to the high touch program full time. Any specific reason?
Agree, online yes it reaches. Despite this, I look at two different types of audiences: one, those who see analytics as a supplement to their existing skill set in order to strengthen their capacity in their current assignments; and two, those looking to move from their current careers to analytics.
Our programs address the specific requirements of the latter: analytics is a complex domain and a budding data scientist must devote all of his energy and time to understanding the concepts and their applications.
A part time program, in my opinion, can get the candidate a job, but it may not be suitable for the person to perform with distinction. Even in a full-time program, students sometimes have difficulty dealing with advanced statistics and econometrics, data mining algorithms, tools like R, SAS, Python, new technologies like Hadoop and its ecosystem, all in a small capsule of 500 hours.
In the future, We also have plans to address the needs of the online audience..
KJ: Praxis is one of the few programs that appropriates student placements. What is the thought process behind this and how has this changed over the years?
We are clear that our target students are seeking a transition to a career in analytics., that's why they join our program. Therefore, It is our responsibility to ensure that both of you obtain the necessary learning that prepares them for this career and that you obtain institutional support in your search for that important first job. (and more complex) in this area.
And I guess the two go hand in hand: as we better understand corporate expectations with every interaction, we make appropriate improvements to our academic content and delivery.
A) Yes, by taking responsibility for the practices very seriously, we ensure that the quality of the program is continuously improved. It also ensures that we keep adding new recruiters every year., while retaining the current.
This approach also introduces a lot of clarity in our selection procedure.: if we believe that certain candidates will encounter seemingly insurmountable barriers to enter this domain for any reason, we make it very clear and, in general, we do not admit them in the program (unless they insist, and some actually do, who are happy to learn and solve something on their own).
From a results perspective, our curriculum has evolved substantially in the last 5 years and continues to be recognized as the most complete and current program; and we have found the ‘first analysis work’ for more than 90% of our students, consistently, batch after batch.
KJ: Thanks Prof. Singh for his time. As usual, I enjoyed talking to you. I wish you all the success of this program and hope you continue to build the momentum and the Praxis brand in the future..
To know more about the program, may visit here.
You liked reading this post ? Are you planning to join the business analysis program? Share your experience / suggestions in the comments section below.
