With a background in math, economics and product marketing, Kaylee found a strong fit in Jenkins’ marketing analytics master’s program. The experience helped her deepen her analytics skills while continuing to grow in a role she already loved.

Get to know Kaylee

Current role: Senior Associate Product Marketing Manager
Current field: Product Marketing
Current industry: Technology
Current location: Raleigh, NC

Program start date: January, 2024
Graduation date: May, 2026
Program format: Online MMA program, Certificate in Business AI 

Life before Jenkins

Undergraduate studies: East Carolina University, bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and economics
Pre-program work experience: JMP 
Pre-program role: Product Marketing
Pre-program industry: Technology 

Why Marketing Analytics?

After graduating from ECU with degrees in math and economics, Kaylee knew she wanted to pursue a master’s degree to apply those skills in a more specialized field. “Math and economics were very broad fields, so I knew that I could go a lot of different ways with them,” she said.

When she started her full-time role in product marketing, she wanted to better understand the marketing concepts she had not studied as an undergraduate and explore how her math background could apply to the field. “I started looking at analytics programs and was actually recommended to look at the marketing analytics program at NC State by another program director,” Kaylee said.

Why Jenkins? 

Kaylee had long viewed NC State as a strong academic fit. The university had been one of her top choices as an undergraduate, and she knew it would remain high on her list for graduate school. “There are not too many schools that offer marketing analytics degrees, so the fact that NC State had one, and I was living in Raleigh, it felt like it was meant to be,” she said.

What made it great

For Kaylee, the program stood out because of its faculty support and collaborative structure. She appreciated how accessible and invested the professors were, even for students participating remotely. “NC State faculty did a great job creating a collaborative environment and making it easy for their students to get in contact with them,” Kaylee said.

She also valued the group projects, which helped her build stronger connections with her cohort while completing much of the program away from campus. “I liked how many opportunities I got to work in groups with my classmates, which helped me get to know my cohort better,” she said.

Career impact 

Kaylee plans to continue in her current role at JMP, and she credits the program with helping her build skills she uses in her work.

“I did not go into this program looking to leave my job,” she said. “I love what I do and the people I work with. I wanted to make sure that I gave myself the knowledge that was necessary to keep growing over the years.”

“I wanted to make sure that I gave myself the knowledge that was necessary to keep growing over the years.”

One unique connection between her graduate work and her career was the use of JMP software in some of her courses. Because she uses the software often in her job, Kaylee found it valuable to see how JMP applies to marketing and analytics more broadly.

“It was awesome to take classes where they showed how JMP can be applied to marketing and analytics as a whole,” she said. “I loved being able to learn this and hope to continue taking those new skills to my current job.”

Final thoughts

Kaylee’s advice to someone considering the program is to commit fully to the experience: go for it and immerse yourself in the program as much as you can. While many students complete the program part-time, Kaylee said there are still plenty of opportunities to meet classmates, network and grow professionally. Balancing school, work and life at times felt overwhelming, but she found the faculty to be understanding and supportive.

“The individualized help from professors was super helpful,” she said. “It is great to learn from professionals who have experience in this industry and are extremely intelligent.”

“It is great to learn from professionals who have experience in this industry and are extremely intelligent.”

Get in touch

Connect with Kaylee on LinkedIn.

Learn more

To learn more about the Master of Management, Marketing Analytics (MMA) program, including tuition, curriculum, career opportunities and more, please submit the form below. 

This post was originally published in Master of Management Marketing Analytics.