11 May, 2026
The UVA M.S. in Business Analytics (MSBA) program is designed to help students understand organizational challenges and the data, tools, and technologies used to solve them. But just as important as learning analytics is seeing how it actually works in practice.
That’s exactly what students experienced during the recent MSBA DC Industry Trek, where faculty led a two-day immersion into how organizations across the Washington, DC, area are using data to drive decisions. From Microsoft, Capital One, and Guidehouse to the Washington Nationals and the National Gallery of Art, students explored how analytics is applied across industries and how the same core skill set translates into vastly different contexts.
One Skill Set, Endless Applications
One of the biggest takeaways: The same analytics skill set applies everywhere, just in different ways.
At the Washington Nationals, analytics powers the entire fan experience, from attendance strategy to promotions.
“The Nationals were a great reminder that baseball analytics goes so far beyond the on-field product. Ballpark attendance, community engagement, promotions—there’s an entire analytics operation behind the fan experience that most people never think about.”
— Alex Balser (A&S ’19, MSBA ’26), Manager, People Analytics & Strategic Transformation, EY
At Microsoft, students saw how teams break down complex client problems and apply new technologies to build innovative solutions.
“When you hear ‘Microsoft,’ you might tend to think of legacy systems, but our tour involved taking a look at how Microsoft takes apart client questions or problems, then applies new or different technologies to arrive at some really cool solutions.”
— Jasmine Wu (MSBA ’26), Consultant, NERA Economic Consulting
Across every stop, the message was clear: The tools may be consistent, but the impact looks different in every organization.
Unexpected Places, Powerful Insights
Some of the most memorable insights came from places students didn’t expect.
The National Gallery of Art was a consistent highlight, not just for its mission, but for the sophistication of its analytics work.
“You’d never imagine how analytics-driven a museum would be, tracking humidity and temperature, building predictive models for exhibition attendance that account for weather, DC events, and the political environment.”
— Alex Balser
Jasmine was equally struck by the team’s impact and autonomy:
“Their size and newness mean they get to play around and operate at their own pace… They push the creative thinking when defining their own projects… The fact that this small but mighty team has accomplished so much in the span of a few years speaks to the power of how data and creative thinking can be used to extract and communicate genuinely impactful insights.”
One example: using Census and engagement data to identify “art deserts” and expand access to art across the country, showing how analytics can drive mission, not just metrics.
The Human Element Behind the Data
Across industries, one theme surfaced again and again: Analytics and AI aren’t just about technology; they’re about judgment.
Jasmine highlighted a theme that surfaced in nearly every conversation:
“One topic that I wasn’t sure we were going to hear about but ended up being mentioned at pretty much every stop was AI and ‘human in the loop.’”
As organizations increasingly integrate AI into workflows, questions of accountability, judgment, and trust are becoming central.
“Although AI is getting integrated into workflows at varying degrees, the discussion of who accepts the responsibility for AI-generated output is something you don’t hear about as much… It’s equally if not more important to hear about accountability and how organizations build in guardrails.”
Alex echoed this takeaway, emphasizing that human judgment remains constant even as technology evolves. Together, these insights reinforced a critical idea: The future of analytics isn’t just technical; it’s deeply human.
Learning by Seeing, Learning by Doing
Experiences like the DC Industry Trek are what set the MSBA apart, connecting classroom concepts directly to real-world application.
“It gave me a much clearer picture of what’s actually out there and how I might bring new ideas into my current organization.”
— Alex Balser
From seeing random forest attendance models presented to leadership to exploring how teams structure their analytics work, students gain more than exposure; they gain clarity, confidence, and a deeper understanding of how they’ll apply these skills in their own careers.
Because in the MSBA program, learning doesn’t stop at theory. It comes to life in the real world.