Undergraduate Programs · B.S. in Decision Analytics · Career Pathway Guide

DAN Career Pathways

A student-facing exploration and job-search planning guide for Decision Analytics majors. Use this site to learn what DAN graduates commonly do, compare role families, test your interests, and build evidence over time. You do not have to pick one path and be done; the pathways below are highlighted because they reflect common DAN outcomes and useful starting points for career conversations.

184DAN employer outcomes in historical file
49.5+minimum major hours
2linked searches: internship + full-time
Start here: how to navigate this Career Pathways site for maximum results
Use this page as a practical navigation map. The site works best when you move from outcome evidence, to pathway comparison, to employer and role research, to skill-building, and finally to a specific job-search plan you can discuss with your Career Coach.
Recommended student workflow

DAN Career Pathways navigation map

Do not treat the site as a one-time reading assignment. Work through it in a sequence: learn where students land, compare paths, identify employers and job titles, build evidence, and convert what you learn into a focused search plan.

Best use Complete one pass before a coaching appointment, then return to specific sections as your goals become clearer.
1 Review employment by function Use DAN outcome data to understand where Decision Analytics graduates most often land. 2 Explore common DAN pathways Compare finance, consulting, analytics, technology, marketing, and public-impact paths. 3 Build a target-employer list Use employer cards to identify organizations with historical hiring evidence and current-fit signals. 4 Translate interest into job titles Use job-title cards to learn the language employers use in postings and interviews. 5 Build proof for priority skills Use the Skill Builder and Curriculum Evidence sections to turn coursework and activities into evidence. 6 Create your job-search plan Convert your research into a target role, priority skills, outreach plan, and weekly search actions.
First pass: learn the market

Start with Employment by Function and outcome trends. Ask: Which functions appear most often? Which pathways match my quantitative and business interests? Which options create questions I should bring to my coach?

Employment by FunctionCareer Outcome Trends
Second pass: research targets

Move from broad interest to specific employers and job-title families. Use the site to build a starter list, then validate current openings in 12Twenty, Handshake, LinkedIn, Wake Network, and employer career sites.

EmployersJob Titles
Third pass: build evidence

Identify the skills your target roles require and connect those skills to class projects, experiential work, certifications, student leadership, internships, and independent practice.

Skill BuilderCurriculum Evidence
Final pass: execute

Use your target role, employer list, priority skills, and evidence to create a job-search plan and story you can use in applications, outreach, interviews, and coaching conversations.

Job Search PlanYour Story
Before you meet with your Career Coach, bring as many of these four components as possible
1. One or two pathways you are exploring 2. Five to ten employers to research 3. Three job titles or role families to search 4. Two priority skills you can prove with evidence
Did this create more questions than answers? That is the point of Start Here. Use the map to identify what you need to learn next, then meet with your Career Coach to turn questions into a search strategy.
Employment by Function
Functional areas of the jobs DAN graduates accepted (2018–2025), using Outcomes Data. Use this data to see where prior DAN students have landed and to generate questions about fit; the largest categories are starting points for exploration, not limits on your search.
Verified outcomes data. Data source: PowerBI data → FDS Historical Outcomes → UG-DAN by Accepted Function, 2018–2025.
29.4% Finance
30 students · #1 function
26.5% Consulting
27 students · #2 function
15.7% Analytics / Data Analytics
16 students · #3 function
71.6% Top 3 functions combined
73 of 102 students
Rank Function Count % of total
1 Finance 30 29.4%
2 Consulting 27 26.5%
3 Analytics / Data Analytics 16 15.7%
— Function not coded in FDS 11 10.8%
4 Information Technology 4 3.9%
5 Marketing/Sales 4 3.9%
6 General Management 2 2.0%
7 Operations/Production 2 2.0%
8 Other 2 2.0%
9 Accounting 1 1.0%
10 Actuary 1 1.0%
11 Human Resources 1 1.0%
12 Product/Project Management 1 1.0%
Counts are from uploaded DAN FDS Historical accepted-function data for 2018–2025. Read percentages as directional evidence, not as a rule limiting your search. Validate current opportunities in Handshake, 12Twenty, LinkedIn, Wake Network, and employer career sites.
Career pathway profiles
Explore these highlighted DAN pathways as starting points for learning and comparison. They are based on common historical outcomes, but they are not a fixed menu of only eight acceptable choices. Remember, you will want to compare this outcomes data with current market insights. What was popular 3 years ago may have shifted this cycle.
Pathway cardsPathway employersEmployer detail cardsJob titles
Filter:
High-volume DAN pathway

Financial Analytics & Risk

For students who want banking, investment, capital markets, portfolio, risk, actuarial, or finance decision-support roles that require quantitative evidence.

Financial Services · 27 industry outcomes
FIN 231ProbabilityStatistical learningOperations research
Pathway employers
BNP Paribas4 DAN hires · banking / markets / finance
Global Markets AnalystSales & Trading AnalystFinance analytics
Goldman Sachs4 combined DAN outcomes across Goldman Sachs variants · finance / markets
Investment Banking AnalystSales & Trading AnalystGlobal Markets Analyst
Wells Fargo4 combined DAN outcomes across Wells Fargo variants · banking / finance
Financial AnalystCorporate bankingWealth / markets analyst
Bank of America2 DAN hires · banking / finance
Corporate Banking FinancialFinancial AnalystAnalyst
BlackRock2 DAN hires · investment management
Investment AnalystPortfolio analyticsClient analytics
EY / Ernst & Young10 DAN hires · advisory / analytics
Financial Services AdvisoryRisk & Financial AdvisoryBusiness Analyst
Role search terms
Financial Analyst · 6Investment Analyst · 2Investment Banking Analyst · 2Sales and Trading Analyst · 2Global Markets Analyst
View employer detail cardsCompare job titles
Major DAN pathway

Consulting & Business Analytics

For students who like structured problem solving, client work, operational diagnostics, technology transformation, and analytics-enabled recommendations.

Consulting · 22 industry outcomes
Decision Analytics SeminarManagement SimulationCase problem solvingExecutive communication
Pathway employers
EY / Ernst & Young10 DAN hires · advisory / analytics
Financial Services AdvisoryRisk & Financial AdvisoryBusiness Analyst
Deloitte5 DAN hires · consulting / advisory / technology
Business Technology Solutions AnalystConsultantRisk & Financial Advisory
Berkeley Research Group4 DAN hires · advisory / analytics / disputes
AnalystData Science AssociateConsulting analytics
Accenture3 DAN hires · technology consulting / transformation
Business AnalystTechnology consultingData-enabled transformation
McKinsey3 combined DAN outcomes across McKinsey variants · strategy consulting
Business AnalystConsultantAnalytics-enabled strategy
Oliver Wyman2 DAN hires · management consulting
ConsultantBusiness AnalystFinancial services consulting
KPMG2 DAN hires · advisory / technology / risk
Technology Advisory Program StaffBusiness Advisory ProgramRisk advisory
Role search terms
Business Analyst · 4ConsultantBusiness Technology Solutions AnalystFinancial Services Business Advisory Staff · 2
View employer detail cardsCompare job titles
Core DAN identity

Data, Statistical Modeling & Decision Science

For students who want to build models, analyze data, test assumptions, and translate statistical results into business decisions.

Analytics / Data Analytics · 11 function outcomes
STA 363STA 310 / MTH 357MTH 121Model interpretation
Pathway employers
Red Ventures7 DAN hires · digital marketing / media / growth
Digital Marketing AnalystBusiness AnalystGrowth analytics
Berkeley Research Group4 DAN hires · advisory / analytics / disputes
AnalystData Science AssociateConsulting analytics
SAS1 DAN hire · analytics / software
AnalyticsData toolsStatistical software
Mather Economics1 DAN hire · media / pricing analytics
AnalyticsPricingMedia economics
UnitedHealth Group / healthcare analytics employersDAN outcomes in healthcare and health analytics
Health Analytics AssociateHealth & Benefits AnalystActuarial analytics
Philadelphia Phillies / Texas Rangers / St. Louis CardinalsDAN outcomes in sports organizations
Player Development ResearchHitting Development AnalystSports analytics
Role search terms
Data Analyst · 2Data Analytics AssociateAssociate Consultant, Data ScienceForensic Data Science AssociateInsights Analyst
View employer detail cardsCompare job titles
Systems + operations pathway

Technology, Product & Operations Analytics

For students who want roles where business systems, product operations, technical requirements, and analytics meet.

Information Technology · 4 function outcomes
Management Information SystemsOperations ManagementCSC 111 / 112Requirements analysis
Pathway employers
Amazon2 DAN hires · operations / product / tech
Operations analystProduct operationsAnalyst
Deloitte5 DAN hires · consulting / advisory / technology
Business Technology Solutions AnalystConsultantRisk & Financial Advisory
Accenture3 DAN hires · technology consulting / transformation
Business AnalystTechnology consultingData-enabled transformation
KPMG2 DAN hires · advisory / technology / risk
Technology Advisory Program StaffBusiness Advisory ProgramRisk advisory
SAS1 DAN hire · analytics / software
AnalyticsData toolsStatistical software
Role search terms
Programmer Analyst · 2Product Operations AnalystForward Deployed EngineerBusiness Systems AnalystTechnology Advisory Program Staff
View employer detail cardsCompare job titles
Growth analytics pathway

Marketing, Growth & Customer Analytics

For students who want to use campaign, customer, market, pricing, or media data to guide growth decisions.

Marketing / Sales · 4 function outcomes
Marketing PrinciplesRegressionExperimentationDashboard storytelling
Pathway employers
Red Ventures7 DAN hires · digital marketing / media / growth
Digital Marketing AnalystBusiness AnalystGrowth analytics
Mather Economics1 DAN hire · media / pricing analytics
AnalyticsPricingMedia economics
3Q Digital1 DAN hire · digital marketing
Digital Marketing AnalystCampaign analyticsGrowth metrics
Role search terms
Digital Marketing Analyst · 3Digital Marketing AssociateSales Excellence InternConsumer Product Sales Representative
View employer detail cardsCompare job titles
Domain analytics pathway

Sports, Healthcare & Public-Impact Analytics

For students who want to apply DAN skills in sports, healthcare, education, government, nonprofit, or public-impact settings.

Domain-specific DAN outcomes
Domain researchRegressionBusiness communicationPortfolio project
Pathway employers
Philadelphia Phillies / Texas Rangers / St. Louis CardinalsDAN outcomes in sports organizations
Player Development ResearchHitting Development AnalystSports analytics
UnitedHealth Group / healthcare analytics employersDAN outcomes in healthcare and health analytics
Health Analytics AssociateHealth & Benefits AnalystActuarial analytics
University of Maryland School of Medicine1 DAN hire · health research
Research AssistantBioinformatics researchHealthcare analytics
Camp Tekoa1 DAN hire · nonprofit / programs
Program analyticsOperationsPublic impact
Role search terms
Player Development Research AnalystAssociate Hitting Development AnalystAssociate - Health AnalyticsResearch AssistantHealth & Benefits Analyst
View employer detail cardsCompare job titles
Pathway employers
Use this embedded map to move from exploration to employer research. Select a pathway filter to jump to matching employer detail cards, review employer examples tied to common DAN outcomes, then verify current openings in Handshake, 12Twenty, LinkedIn, Wake Network, and employer career sites.
Filter employers:

Finance analytics targets

Use these employers for banking, markets, investment, risk, portfolio, and financial decision-support searches.

BNP ParibasGoldman SachsWells FargoBank of AmericaBlackRockEY

Consulting analytics targets

Use these employers for advisory, analytics-enabled strategy, technology transformation, and client-facing problem-solving searches.

EYDeloitteBerkeley Research GroupAccentureMcKinseyOliver WymanKPMG

Data, tech, and domain targets

Use these employers for product analytics, statistical modeling, marketing analytics, healthcare analytics, sports analytics, and public-impact pathways.

Red VenturesAmazonSASMather EconomicsHealthcare analytics employersSports organizations
Back to Pathway cardsEmployer Detail CardsJob Titles
Did this create more questions than answers? That is okay. Meet with your Career Coach to turn what you are learning into a focused next step.
Back to PathwaysBack to Pathway Employers
Employer detail cards
These cards prioritize employers with DAN hiring history, show the employer type and hire evidence, and connect each employer to role/title families students can research, compare, and network into.
Verified outcomes data. Data source: PowerBI data → FDS Historical Job Titles and Employers → DAN Employers and DAN Job Titles, 2018–2025.
Filter:

EY / Ernst & Young

Professional services / advisory / analytics · 10 DAN hires
Verified

Risk advisory, financial-services consulting, technology advisory, analytics, and client-service pathways.

Roles / title families to research
Financial Services AdvisoryRisk & Financial AdvisoryBusiness AnalystAdvisory Associate
12TwentyAlumniFind in Handshake

Red Ventures

digital marketing / media / growth · 7 DAN hires
Verified

Growth analytics, customer acquisition, digital marketing, business analytics, and media decision roles.

Roles / title families to research
Digital Marketing AnalystBusiness AnalystInsights AnalystGrowth analytics
12TwentyAlumniFind in Handshake

Deloitte

Consulting / professional services · 5 DAN hires
Verified

Business technology solutions, risk advisory, analytics-enabled consulting, and transformation roles.

Roles / title families to research
Business Technology Solutions AnalystRisk & Financial AdvisoryConsultantBusiness Analyst
12TwentyAlumniFind in Handshake

Berkeley Research Group

Advisory / consulting / analytics · 4 DAN hires
Verified

Analytics, advisory, economic consulting, disputes, financial analysis, and data science project work.

Roles / title families to research
AnalystData Science AssociateFinancial AnalystConsulting analytics
12TwentyAlumniFind in Handshake

BNP Paribas

Banking / global markets · 4 DAN hires
Verified

Capital markets, sales and trading, finance analytics, structured products, and banking decision-support.

Roles / title families to research
Global Markets AnalystSales & Trading AnalystFinance strategy analystAnalyst
12TwentyAlumniFind in Handshake

Goldman Sachs

Investment banking / markets / finance · 4 combined DAN outcomes across Goldman Sachs variants
Verified

Investment banking, global markets, asset/wealth management, and analytical finance pathways.

Roles / title families to research
Investment Banking AnalystSales & Trading AnalystGlobal Markets AnalystAsset Wealth Management Analyst
12TwentyAlumniFind in Handshake

Wells Fargo

Financial services / banking · 4 combined DAN outcomes across Wells Fargo variants
Verified

Banking, securities, finance analytics, commercial finance, and wealth/markets roles.

Roles / title families to research
Financial AnalystCorporate Banking FinancialWealth Management AnalystMarkets analyst
12TwentyAlumniFind in Handshake

Accenture

Technology consulting / transformation · 3 DAN hires
Verified

Technology consulting, process redesign, analytics-enabled transformation, and business analyst pathways.

Roles / title families to research
Business AnalystTechnology consultingImplementation analystAnalytics transformation
12TwentyAlumniFind in Handshake

McKinsey

Strategy consulting · 3 combined DAN outcomes across McKinsey variants
Verified

Strategy, operations, growth, organization, and analytics-enabled business problem solving.

Roles / title families to research
Business AnalystConsultantAnalytics-enabled strategyOperations analytics
12TwentyAlumniFind in Handshake

Bank of America

Banking / financial services · 2 DAN hires
Verified

Corporate banking, finance, operations, markets, and analytical decision-support roles.

Roles / title families to research
Corporate Banking FinancialFinancial AnalystAnalyst
12TwentyAlumniFind in Handshake

BlackRock

Investment management · 2 DAN hires
Verified

Portfolio analytics, investment operations, risk, client analytics, and market-facing analytical roles.

Roles / title families to research
Investment AnalystPortfolio analyticsClient analyticsAnalyst
12TwentyAlumniFind in Handshake

Oliver Wyman

Management consulting · 2 DAN hires
Verified

Strategy, financial-services consulting, operations improvement, and analytics-backed recommendations.

Roles / title families to research
ConsultantBusiness AnalystFinancial services consulting
12TwentyAlumniFind in Handshake

KPMG

Advisory / technology / risk · 2 DAN hires
Verified

Technology advisory, business advisory, risk, audit analytics, and analytics-enabled professional services.

Roles / title families to research
Technology Advisory Program StaffBusiness Advisory ProgramRisk advisoryBusiness Analyst
12TwentyAlumniFind in Handshake

Amazon

Technology / operations · 2 DAN hires
Verified

Operations analytics, product operations, supply-chain decision support, and systems-focused analytical roles.

Roles / title families to research
Product Operations AnalystOperations analystProgram ManagerAnalyst
12TwentyAlumniFind in Handshake
Source base: UG-DAN Employers FDS Historical 2018-2025. Similar employer names may appear separately in raw FDS exports; combined employer labels here are used as a student-facing research guide, not as a guarantee of current openings.
Did this create more questions than answers? That is okay. Meet with your Career Coach to turn what you are learning into a focused next step.
Back to PathwaysBack to Employer Detail Cards
Job titles
Each job-title card includes DAN hire evidence, skills to prove, employers to research for that role family, and direct next steps for postings and Skill Builder work. Use these titles as search language while you are testing fit, not as a fixed list of everything you can do with DAN.
Verified outcomes data. Data source: PowerBI data → FDS Historical Job Titles and Employers → DAN Employers and DAN Job Titles, 2018–2025.
Filter:

Financial Analyst

Finance / corporate decision support
6 hires

Builds forecasts, variance analyses, models, and financial recommendations for managers, finance teams, and client-facing groups.

Excel modelingFinancial analysisBusiness communication
Employers to research for this role family
Wells Fargo4 combined DAN outcomes across Wells Fargo variants · banking / finance
Financial AnalystCorporate bankingWealth / markets analyst
Bank of America2 DAN hires · banking / finance
Corporate Banking FinancialFinancial AnalystAnalyst
EY / Ernst & Young10 DAN hires · advisory / analytics
Financial Services AdvisoryRisk & Financial AdvisoryBusiness Analyst
Berkeley Research Group4 DAN hires · advisory / analytics / disputes
AnalystData Science AssociateConsulting analytics
BNP Paribas4 DAN hires · banking / markets / finance
Global Markets AnalystSales & Trading AnalystFinance analytics
12TwentyAlumni

Business Analyst

Consulting / operations / technology
4 hires

Translates business problems into requirements, analyses, dashboards, process maps, and recommendations.

Problem framingRequirementsData interpretationPresentation
Employers to research for this role family
Deloitte5 DAN hires · consulting / advisory / technology
Business Technology Solutions AnalystConsultantRisk & Financial Advisory
Accenture3 DAN hires · technology consulting / transformation
Business AnalystTechnology consultingData-enabled transformation
EY / Ernst & Young10 DAN hires · advisory / analytics
Financial Services AdvisoryRisk & Financial AdvisoryBusiness Analyst
McKinsey3 combined DAN outcomes across McKinsey variants · strategy consulting
Business AnalystConsultantAnalytics-enabled strategy
Red Ventures7 DAN hires · digital marketing / media / growth
Digital Marketing AnalystBusiness AnalystGrowth analytics
12TwentyAlumni

Analyst

Broad DAN analyst family
3 hires

A flexible entry title across finance, consulting, analytics, product, operations, and business strategy.

Quantitative analysisResearchSynthesisExecutive-ready output
Employers to research for this role family
EY / Ernst & Young10 DAN hires · advisory / analytics
Financial Services AdvisoryRisk & Financial AdvisoryBusiness Analyst
Deloitte5 DAN hires · consulting / advisory / technology
Business Technology Solutions AnalystConsultantRisk & Financial Advisory
Berkeley Research Group4 DAN hires · advisory / analytics / disputes
AnalystData Science AssociateConsulting analytics
Goldman Sachs4 combined DAN outcomes across Goldman Sachs variants · finance / markets
Investment Banking AnalystSales & Trading AnalystGlobal Markets Analyst
BlackRock2 DAN hires · investment management
Investment AnalystPortfolio analyticsClient analytics
12TwentyAlumni

Digital Marketing Analyst

Marketing / growth analytics
3 hires

Uses campaign, customer, channel, pricing, and funnel data to improve marketing and revenue outcomes.

Campaign analyticsDashboardingExperimentationCustomer insight
Employers to research for this role family
Red Ventures7 DAN hires · digital marketing / media / growth
Digital Marketing AnalystBusiness AnalystGrowth analytics
Mather Economics1 DAN hire · media / pricing analytics
AnalyticsPricingMedia economics
3Q Digital1 DAN hire · digital marketing
Digital Marketing AnalystCampaign analyticsGrowth metrics
12TwentyAlumni

Data Analyst

Data / statistical decision support
2 hires

Cleans, analyzes, validates, and visualizes data to answer business questions and support decisions.

RegressionSQL / data toolsVisualizationData quality
Employers to research for this role family
Red Ventures7 DAN hires · digital marketing / media / growth
Digital Marketing AnalystBusiness AnalystGrowth analytics
Berkeley Research Group4 DAN hires · advisory / analytics / disputes
AnalystData Science AssociateConsulting analytics
SAS1 DAN hire · analytics / software
AnalyticsData toolsStatistical software
UnitedHealth Group / healthcare analytics employersDAN outcomes in healthcare and health analytics
Health Analytics AssociateHealth & Benefits AnalystActuarial analytics
12TwentyAlumni

Investment Analyst

Investments / portfolio analysis
2 hires

Evaluates markets, assets, performance, and risk to support investment decisions and client recommendations.

Market researchFinancial modelingRisk analysisInvestment writing
Employers to research for this role family
BlackRock2 DAN hires · investment management
Investment AnalystPortfolio analyticsClient analytics
Goldman Sachs4 combined DAN outcomes across Goldman Sachs variants · finance / markets
Investment Banking AnalystSales & Trading AnalystGlobal Markets Analyst
Wells Fargo4 combined DAN outcomes across Wells Fargo variants · banking / finance
Financial AnalystCorporate bankingWealth / markets analyst
BNP Paribas4 DAN hires · banking / markets / finance
Global Markets AnalystSales & Trading AnalystFinance analytics
12TwentyAlumni

Investment Banking Analyst

Banking / transactions
2 hires

Supports transaction analysis, financial modeling, due diligence, valuation, and client materials.

ValuationExcel modelingPitch materialsAttention to detail
Employers to research for this role family
Goldman Sachs4 combined DAN outcomes across Goldman Sachs variants · finance / markets
Investment Banking AnalystSales & Trading AnalystGlobal Markets Analyst
BNP Paribas4 DAN hires · banking / markets / finance
Global Markets AnalystSales & Trading AnalystFinance analytics
Bank of America2 DAN hires · banking / finance
Corporate Banking FinancialFinancial AnalystAnalyst
Wells Fargo4 combined DAN outcomes across Wells Fargo variants · banking / finance
Financial AnalystCorporate bankingWealth / markets analyst
12TwentyAlumni

Sales and Trading Analyst

Markets / trading / client analytics
2 hires

Supports market analysis, trading desks, sales coverage, structured products, and client-facing decision support.

Market awarenessQuantitative analysisClient communicationRisk thinking
Employers to research for this role family
BNP Paribas4 DAN hires · banking / markets / finance
Global Markets AnalystSales & Trading AnalystFinance analytics
Goldman Sachs4 combined DAN outcomes across Goldman Sachs variants · finance / markets
Investment Banking AnalystSales & Trading AnalystGlobal Markets Analyst
BlackRock2 DAN hires · investment management
Investment AnalystPortfolio analyticsClient analytics
Wells Fargo4 combined DAN outcomes across Wells Fargo variants · banking / finance
Financial AnalystCorporate bankingWealth / markets analyst
12TwentyAlumni

Programmer Analyst

Technology / systems analytics
2 hires

Connects programming, systems, data, and business needs to support technical problem solving and analytics delivery.

Programming basicsSystems thinkingTestingTechnical translation
Employers to research for this role family
Amazon2 DAN hires · operations / product / tech
Operations analystProduct operationsAnalyst
Deloitte5 DAN hires · consulting / advisory / technology
Business Technology Solutions AnalystConsultantRisk & Financial Advisory
Accenture3 DAN hires · technology consulting / transformation
Business AnalystTechnology consultingData-enabled transformation
KPMG2 DAN hires · advisory / technology / risk
Technology Advisory Program StaffBusiness Advisory ProgramRisk advisory
SAS1 DAN hire · analytics / software
AnalyticsData toolsStatistical software
12TwentyAlumni

Consulting / Advisory Analyst

Consulting / risk / professional services
2+ hires

Uses structured thinking, stakeholder research, analytics, and business judgment to support consulting or advisory teams.

Case thinkingClient communicationProcess analysisRecommendation decks
Employers to research for this role family
EY / Ernst & Young10 DAN hires · advisory / analytics
Financial Services AdvisoryRisk & Financial AdvisoryBusiness Analyst
Deloitte5 DAN hires · consulting / advisory / technology
Business Technology Solutions AnalystConsultantRisk & Financial Advisory
Berkeley Research Group4 DAN hires · advisory / analytics / disputes
AnalystData Science AssociateConsulting analytics
Accenture3 DAN hires · technology consulting / transformation
Business AnalystTechnology consultingData-enabled transformation
KPMG2 DAN hires · advisory / technology / risk
Technology Advisory Program StaffBusiness Advisory ProgramRisk advisory
12TwentyAlumni

Job Search Plan

Build a customized DAN search plan by choosing either a career pathway or job title / role group, selecting a related skill, and connecting that skill to actual Decision Analytics curriculum evidence. Then choose the search track you are running: summer internship or full-time job.

Customize your DAN Job Search Plan

Start with a pathway or role group. Then choose a priority skill and turn DAN coursework, quantitative projects, internships, and portfolio evidence into a targeted search plan.

Step 1 — Begin with a pathway or job title / role group
Open Skill Builder
Step 3 is available now. Choose a target above and a skill below to customize the Job Search Plan and curriculum evidence. Until then, use the internship and full-time timing tracks underneath as your baseline DAN search system.
Step 2 — Choose a priority skill related to that target
Select a Step 1 target to see skill choices.
If the skill you want to build is not listed: use the built-in skills as examples, not limits. Name the skill, upload syllabi for courses you are taking or considering, and ask an AI tool to map that skill to Decision Analytics coursework, assignments, models, dashboards, research, internship evidence, university resources, student organizations, employer events, LinkedIn Learning, certifications, independent projects, and portfolio artifacts. Then meet with your Career Coach to decide which evidence is strongest for your target role.AI prompt to try: I am a Decision Analytics student exploring [target role or pathway]. I want to develop [skill]. Using the syllabi and course materials I upload, suggest ways I can build this skill through curricular evidence, university resources and activities, non-university resources, projects, and portfolio artifacts. Also suggest how I could explain the skill on my resume, LinkedIn profile, and in interviews.
Search direction
Select a pathway or role group
This panel will translate your selection into search keywords, employer targets, weekly actions, and networking prompts.
Step 3 · DAN curriculum evidence
Connect coursework to proof
After Step 1 and Step 2, this area will show the actual DAN courses, statistics/math/business requirements, electives, and portfolio artifacts that support the selected skill.
Timing tracks for the DAN search
DAN students should use the same evidence-building logic for both searches: prove quantitative rigor, business translation, and decision impact.
Search 1 · Summer internship
Secure a first proof point: model, analysis, dashboard, business recommendation, finance/analytics project, or technical documentation that anchors senior-year recruiting.
Search 2 · Full-time job
Convert DAN coursework, internship evidence, quantitative projects, and alumni/employer outreach into a focused offer strategy.
Summer internship search. The internship should create a concrete analytics artifact. Search by pathway + title + employer type + geography + evidence you can produce; do not search broadly for “analytics jobs.”
Goal: choose two role-family hypotheses and search terms that match DAN evidence.
  • Identify one primary pathway to test and one adjacent pathway to compare. Choose from finance/risk, consulting, data/statistical modeling, tech/operations, marketing/growth, or domain analytics.
  • Select 3-4 searchable titles. Start with Financial Analyst, Business Analyst, Data Analyst, Digital Marketing Analyst, Investment Analyst, Programmer Analyst, or Sales & Trading Analyst variants.
  • Translate current courses into evidence. Use STA 112, Management Information Systems, FIN 231, MTH 121, MTH 253, STA 363, and Decision Analytics Seminar language to show quantitative and business readiness.
Goal: apply to roles where you can talk about data, models, metrics, and decisions.
  • Build a 40-employer list. Include DAN historical employers, finance firms, consulting firms, sports/healthcare/public-impact organizations, product/operations teams, and analytics-forward employers.
  • Submit 8-12 targeted applications weekly while roles are open. Tailor bullets around modeling, statistics, dashboards, operations research, finance, and business translation.
  • Pair priority applications with outreach. Ask alumni and recent graduates about first projects, tools used, data sources, team structure, and intern success factors.
Goal: explain methods, assumptions, tradeoffs, and business implications clearly.
  • Prepare one quantitative project story. Explain the problem, data, method, assumption, result, limitation, and recommended decision.
  • Practice explaining models to nontechnical managers. Employers value the DAN student who can connect math to business decisions.
  • Expect mixed interviews. Prepare for behavioral questions, Excel/case prompts, data interpretation, business scenarios, and technical explanations.

Weekly internship-search rhythm

  • 8-12 applications to roles aligned with one of your two DAN pathways.
  • 5-7 outreach messages to alumni, analysts, internship contacts, or recruiters.
  • One technical proof update: model, chart, dashboard, code sample, memo, or project summary.
  • One interview rep explaining a quantitative project in business language.

Internship evidence targets

  • One model or quantitative analysis.
  • One dashboard or visualization artifact.
  • One decision memo or slide story.
  • One story connecting data to business or stakeholder action.
Full-time job search. Your full-time search should convert DAN projects and internship evidence into proof that you can help an organization make better decisions with data, models, and business judgment.
Goal: enter senior recruiting with a coherent quantitative + business story.
  • Convert internship and class projects into portfolio proof. Build one model story, one visualization story, and one business recommendation story.
  • Choose one primary role family to test and one adjacent role family to compare. Use DAN job title evidence and employer cards to define your search terms.
  • Update resume and LinkedIn with tool + decision language. Include statistics, modeling, operations research, finance, visualization, and business translation where relevant.
Goal: build sufficient pipeline before deadlines close.
  • Submit 6-10 targeted applications weekly. Prioritize roles where your DAN proof maps directly to job requirements.
  • Build a 50-employer target list. Blend historical DAN employers, analytics-forward firms, finance/consulting targets, regional employers, and growth companies.
  • Network into teams, not just companies. Ask alumni about data teams, analytics tools, business problems, new-grad programs, and hiring timelines.
Goal: adjust the pipeline based on evidence, not anxiety.
  • If you are not getting interviews: tighten titles, add keywords, show clearer project evidence, and increase referral volume.
  • If interviews are not converting: practice explaining assumptions, tradeoffs, and business impact with a coach.
  • If a target market is saturated: expand to adjacent employers that need decision support, forecasting, optimization, finance analytics, customer analytics, or business intelligence.

Weekly full-time-search rhythm

  • 6-10 targeted applications tied to one primary or adjacent role family.
  • 6-8 alumni/employer outreach messages, prioritizing teams with analytics or finance roles.
  • One technical interview practice rep and one behavioral/story practice rep.
  • Friday pipeline review: applications, contacts, interviews, follow-ups, and progress rate.

DAN search assets

  • Role-specific resume with quantitative methods and business impact.
  • Portfolio artifact: model, dashboard, code sample, or decision memo.
  • LinkedIn profile naming Decision Analytics, tools, domains, projects, and target roles.
  • Clear answer to: what decision did your analysis improve?

Skill Builder

Use Skill Builder to convert a DAN interest area into visible evidence: statistical reasoning, business problem framing, modeling choices, data preparation, dashboards, technical fluency, ethical judgment, and employer-ready stories. Step 3 is always available, but its curriculum text customizes only after the student completes Step 1 and Step 2.

Build the skills that make DAN evidence visible

Select a target role family, review the priority skills for that role, then connect each skill to curriculum, WFU resources, and employer-facing proof.

WFU LinkedIn Learning access for skill building: Use LinkedIn Learning through WFU to close gaps for your target role. Pair one course with one DAN project, model, dashboard, coding artifact, decision memo, internship deliverable, or interview story so the skill becomes evidence you can use on your resume, LinkedIn profile, and in interviews.
Open LinkedIn Learning Connect to curriculum evidence
Step 1 · Choose the role family you are targeting
Step 2 · Choose a priority skill to build evidence
If your priority skill is not one of the built-in choices: create your own skill-building plan. Upload syllabi, assignment descriptions, internship descriptions, data/project ideas, or job postings into an AI tool and ask it to identify where the skill can be practiced, documented, and translated into employer-facing evidence. Bring the AI-generated plan to your Career Coach so you can refine it into resume bullets, LinkedIn language, interview stories, and next actions.AI prompt to try: I am a Decision Analytics student. I want to build evidence for [skill] for [target role]. Review the syllabi, assignments, job postings, and resources I upload. Recommend course projects, campus activities, university resources, non-university resources, LinkedIn Learning topics, portfolio artifacts, and interview stories that would help me prove this skill.
WFUSB / Statistical Sciences curriculum and experiences
    WFU / external resources
      Evidence to show employers
        Start by selecting a role family above.
        How to use this: Do not try to list every analytics skill. Choose the two or three skills that matter most for the role family you are exploring and build one concrete proof point for each: a class model, code notebook, dashboard, decision memo, internship deliverable, LinkedIn Learning completion, or employer-ready story.
        Return to Step 1Return to Step 2
        Step 3 is available now. The curriculum map below shows default DAN guidance. To customize the text, choose a DAN role family in Step 1 and a priority skill in Step 2 first.
        After both selections are made, this section updates with role-specific courses, academic actions, and employer-facing evidence.
        Step 3 · Connect your DAN choices to the curriculum. This section is available as default guidance now. After Step 1 and Step 2 selections, it updates to show which DAN courses, electives, projects, portfolio artifacts, and interview evidence best support the selected career direction.

        Step 3 · Curriculum → career: Leverage the DAN Academic Program to Build Skills

        This Step 3 curriculum map provides default DAN curriculum guidance and becomes personalized after Step 1 role-family and Step 2 priority-skill selections. Use it to choose coursework emphasis, electives, projects, internship evidence, and portfolio artifacts that make the selected DAN career direction credible.

        49.5+hours in the major
        business + statistics/math
        Decision Analytics Seminardecision analytics seminar
        integrative case evidence
        STA 363statistical learning
        modeling evidence
        Portfolioturn analysis into proof
        resume + interviews
        STEP 3 · PERSONALIZED FROM SKILL BUILDER STEPS 1 AND 2

        Best-fit academic signal

        Select a role family to see how to position the business core, math/statistics sequence, computer science/economics electives, and Decision Analytics Seminar seminar work.

        Courses to emphasize

        • DAN business core plus Decision Analytics Seminar, MTH 121, MTH 253, STA 310/MTH 357, STA 363, and targeted electives.

        Evidence to produce

        • Model notebooks, dashboards, data dictionaries, recommendation memos, technical summaries, resume bullets, LinkedIn stories, and interview examples.

        Next academic actions

        • Use advising and coaching to align electives, projects, internships, and search materials with a target analytics role family.

        Skill-specific emphasis

        Select a Step 2 skill to see how that skill should shape your coursework, data projects, internship deliverables, and portfolio proof.

        Business foundation

        Use the DAN business core to show employers that your analysis is grounded in how organizations operate: accounting, finance, marketing, operations, management information systems, legal environment, organizational behavior, and management simulation.

        ACC 221FIN 231Marketing PrinciplesOperations ManagementManagement Information SystemsManagement Simulation

        Quantitative and modeling foundation

        Use the math/statistics requirements to show rigor: regression and data science, linear algebra, operations research, probability, statistical learning, and electives that deepen technical credibility.

        STA 112MTH 121MTH 253STA 310STA 363

        Integrative proof

        Use Decision Analytics Seminar and electives to translate technical analysis into business recommendations. Strong DAN evidence explains the problem, data, method, assumptions, limits, recommendation, and decision impact.

        Decision Analytics SeminarCSC 111/112STA 362Electives

        Goal: move from “I like analytics” to a first role-family hypothesis and evidence plan.

        • Choose one primary analytics pathway to test and one adjacent option to compare.
        • Inventory technical evidence from STA 112, math, business core, and any coding/data work.
        • Start a portfolio folder for models, dashboards, memos, code snippets, and sanitized class/project work.
        Course signalCareer translation
        STA 112Regression, data thinking, and early analytics language
        DAN business coreBusiness context for analytics questions
        MTH foundationQuantitative rigor and problem-solving discipline

        Goal: pair coursework with one employer-ready artifact before internship interviews.

        • Use MTH 121, MTH 253, STA 310/MTH 357, and STA 363 to build modeling credibility.
        • Use Management Information Systems and optional CSC coursework to strengthen systems, data, and coding language.
        • Create a project artifact that matches the selected role family in Skill Builder.
        ArtifactBest-fit search use
        Model notebookData/statistical modeling, finance analytics
        DashboardMarketing, operations, product, business analytics
        Recommendation memoConsulting, business analyst, management roles

        Goal: show employers that you can move from analysis to decision.

        • Use Decision Analytics Seminar to create a capstone-style business analytics story.
        • Use advanced electives to deepen the technical angle most relevant to your target role.
        • Turn internship, research, or project work into STAR stories and portfolio proof.
        Senior-year evidenceInterview translation
        Decision Analytics SeminarBusiness case, method, recommendation, and decision impact
        STA/MTH electiveTechnical depth and modeling judgment
        Internship/projectWorkplace application and measurable contribution
        Elective directionCareer positioningEvidence to build
        Computer scienceData, product, technology, software-adjacent analyticsCode notebook, SQL/Python project, technical requirements brief
        Statistics / mathematicsStatistical modeling, risk, forecasting, decision scienceModel validation, assumptions memo, technical summary
        Business / financeFinance analytics, consulting, management analyticsFinancial model, market memo, strategy recommendation
        EconomicsMarket analysis, policy, finance, public-impact analyticsTrend analysis, causal reasoning, industry brief

        Resources

        Use these platforms to research employers, find postings, build skills, connect with alumni, and prepare for interviews. Start with the resource that matches your current question; you do not need to use everything at once.

        Not sure which platform to start with? Meet with your Career Coach to decide whether your next move is employer research, alumni outreach, skill building, or applications.

        12Twenty

        Use outcomes and employer history to identify realistic targets and alumni patterns.

        Open 12Twenty

        Handshake

        Find internships, full-time postings, employer events, and campus recruiting timelines.

        Open Handshake

        Wake Network

        Use alumni connections to learn about teams, tools, timelines, and role expectations.

        Open Wake Network

        LinkedIn - Wake Forest University Alumni

        Search Wake Forest alumni by employer, location, function, and keyword to learn about analytics teams and referral paths.

        Open WFU alumni on LinkedIn

        LinkedIn - Wake Forest University School of Business Alumni

        Find WFUSB-connected alumni, recent graduates, and business-school employer pathways for analytics, consulting, finance, and data roles.

        Open WFUSB on LinkedIn

        LinkedIn Learning through WFU

        Build evidence in Excel, SQL, Python, statistics, data visualization, consulting, and storytelling.

        Open LinkedIn Learning

        O*NET

        Use occupational profiles to identify keywords, skills, and role families for search terms.

        Open O*NET

        Employer career sites

        Verify current role titles, deadlines, locations, and intern/new-grad programs directly with employers.

        Start with employer cards

        Your DAN story

        Generate audience-specific talking points as you explore and refine your direction. Use this to explain how Decision Analytics combines business context, statistics, modeling, technical fluency, and decision judgment.

        Build your DAN story

        Use this before analytics interviews, alumni outreach, technical conversations, and employer events. Step 4 changes the wording, depth, and ask based on who you are speaking with.

        Step 1 · What is your strongest DAN edge?
        Step 2 · What evidence do you want to feature?
        Step 3 · What role family are you targeting?
        Step 4 · Who are you speaking with?
        Select one option in each step to generate talking points.
        Generated talking points
        WFUSB DAN Career Pathways · Skill Builder

        Curated Skill Clusters on LinkedIn Learning

        Build technical and business-translation skills used in finance, consulting, risk, marketing, operations, and data-focused roles.

        How these resources fit: Complement and reinforce skills developed through the academic program while building additional capabilities for specific job titles and functional roles.

        Relevant entry-level roles
        Data AnalystBusiness AnalystFinancial AnalystRisk AnalystDigital Marketing AnalystDecision Analyst
        A focused approach

        Do not try to complete everything.

        Choose a target role, identify the most important gap, and complete the course that helps you create credible evidence for that role.

        1. Choose a roleUse the job-title and employer pages to select a realistic entry-level target.
        2. Build one skillComplete the most relevant course—not the largest number of courses.
        3. Create proofTurn the learning into a project, work sample, resume bullet, and interview story.
        Shared professional core

        Three foundations for responsible, employer-ready work

        Use these courses to strengthen responsible AI use, judgment, and communication across business functions.

        Shared core 01

        Building AI Literacy and Fluency with Microsoft

        Building AI Literacy and Fluency with Microsoft

        Use AI productively while checking accuracy, protecting data, and preserving your own judgment.

        Turn it into proof: Create a one-page AI use and verification checklist for a class or career project.
        Shared core 02

        Critical Thinking for Better Judgment and Decision-Making

        Critical Thinking for Better Judgment and Decision-Making

        Employers expect you to frame ambiguous problems, test assumptions, and recommend a practical next step.

        Turn it into proof: Write a short decision memo showing the evidence, alternatives, tradeoffs, and recommendation.
        Shared core 03

        Communicating with Confidence

        Communicating with Confidence

        Strong analysis only creates value when you can explain it clearly to a client, manager, or teammate.

        Turn it into proof: Record a two-minute explanation of a project for a nontechnical audience.
        DAN technical collection

        Top technical and functional skills

        Start with the cluster closest to your target role. Each cluster pairs two relevant courses with a work sample you can create.

        Technical cluster 01

        Get and analyze the data

        SQL: Data Reporting and AnalysisPython Data Analysis

        SQL and Python help you move from a provided spreadsheet to independently retrieving, cleaning, and analyzing business data.

        Build this: Publish a documented SQL query or Python notebook that answers a real business question.
        Technical cluster 02

        Model and visualize decisions

        Statistics Foundations 1: The BasicsPower BI Essential Training

        Connect the quantitative DAN curriculum to the dashboards and decision tools used by business teams.

        Build this: Build a dashboard that defines the metric, shows the trend, and identifies one recommended action.
        Technical cluster 03

        Translate analysis into action

        Telling Stories with DataIntroduction to Business Analysis

        Analyst roles require more than correct calculations: they require requirements gathering, stakeholder awareness, and a clear recommendation.

        Build this: Pair your analysis with a one-page executive memo or three-slide recommendation.
        Technical cluster 04

        Govern AI-supported decisions and model uncertainty

        Responsible AI: Principles and Practical ApplicationsExcel: Scenario Planning and Analysis

        The current DAN pathway is strong in analysis, visualization, and business translation. This pairing adds responsible-use controls, model risk awareness, and scenario-based decision support so students can explain not only a forecast, but also its uncertainty and guardrails.

        Build this: Create a scenario model with documented assumptions, best/base/worst cases, decision thresholds, and a responsible-AI review checklist.
        DAN power-skill collection

        Top power and durable skills

        Pair technical depth with the human skills needed to clarify needs, collaborate, earn trust, and move work forward.

        The power-skill collection aligns with the NACE Career Readiness Competencies and the World Economic Forum Future of Jobs 2025 skills outlook.

        Optional depth

        Role-specific add-ons

        Use these only after reviewing several postings for your target title and confirming that the skill appears repeatedly.

        Your DAN proof challenge

        Complete one technical course and one translation course. Combine them in a single decision-analysis project with code or calculations, a visual, and a recommendation.

        Open WFU LinkedIn Learning Return to Skill Builder

        LinkedIn Learning periodically updates course titles and URLs. These links were verified against LinkedIn's public course catalog in July 2026. Course access is provided through Wake Forest University.