Tan Yin Yun
Master of IT in Business (Data Science & Analytics)
January 2025 Intake
When the pace of innovation in artificial intelligence began accelerating globally, it felt less like a distant trend and more like an invitation to learn.
I began my professional journey at Changi Airport Group, where I worked on analytics solutions for airport operations. Later, I moved to Shopee as a product manager, where I worked closely with technology teams to build and deliver digital products. Through these experiences, I saw firsthand how data could transform operations and decision-making. That growing interest eventually led me to pursue the SMU Master of IT in Business (MITB) to deepen my technical expertise in data science and artificial intelligence.
Although my undergraduate degree was in Business Administration, working on technology and IT projects gradually sparked a stronger interest in the technical side of things. When the rapid advancements in AI began reshaping industries, I saw it as an opportunity to strengthen my technical foundations. The MITB programme stood out because of its strong alignment with industry needs. The curriculum builds core capabilities through modules such as SQL and Python, while also introducing emerging technologies like generative AI and agentic AI. The internship component was another key factor, providing the chance to apply what we learn in a real professional setting.
The MITB curriculum has equipped me with fundamental technical skills to hit the ground running with real work. Beyond that, MITB provides strong career support through workshops, industry events, and career counselling. These resources helped me stay informed about market trends and better understand the most in-demand skills, allowing me to make more intentional decisions about what to focus on during my studies.
During my postgraduate internship with the Revenue Optimisation department at Marina Bay Sands, I had the opportunity to apply what I learned in the programme to real operational challenges. One of my projects involved refining SQL queries in the company’s ETL pipelines to improve performance. I also worked on applying machine learning engineering concepts to design and productionise my team’s first automated pipeline for forecasting hotel room demand. The model was used to support planning for major events and peak periods, demonstrating how data science solutions can deliver immediate business value.
One module that significantly reshaped how I think about technology was Agentic AI for Intelligent Autonomy. Before taking the course, my understanding of tools like ChatGPT was fairly simple—I saw them mainly as conversational assistants that respond to prompts. Through the module, I discovered that large language models can be orchestrated to perform more complex tasks with minimal human intervention. This expanded my perspective on how AI systems can be designed to support intelligent workflows and automation.
Before joining the MITB programme, I spent some time pursuing personal projects as a solo developer, often navigating challenges on my own. At MITB, I found myself surrounded by peers who share a passion for data science and technology. The exchange of ideas and perspectives created a collaborative learning environment that accelerated growth. The diversity of my classmates’ professional backgrounds also broadened my understanding of how data and AI can be applied across industries.
Dr Zhao Yiliang, who taught Applied Machine Learning, left a strong impression on me. What stood out was his step-by-step derivation of the math behind various machine learning algorithms. Understanding the foundations helped me approach model development more thoughtfully and become more intentional when improving model performance.
After graduation, I plan to pursue a career in the data science and analytics space, where I can continue exploring the AI technologies I was introduced to during MITB and apply them to real-world problems.
If I had to describe the MITB experience in one sentence, it would be this: A knowledge-intensive journey that helps you builds practical skills while giving a good primer on state-of-the-art technologies. Well worth the effort!
