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Two graduate students in Fairfield Dolan’s online MS in Marketing Analytics and Strategy (MAS) program developed a capstone project to survey the overall fan experience at events hosted by Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR). This was their first rodeo.

Nicholas Mancusi and Christopher Weber are graduate students in the Charles F. Dolan School of Business with a truly one-of-a-kind MAS capstone project. They have set out to analyze and enhance PBR’s marketing efforts — with goals to increase fan engagement and event attendance — by implementing a fan survey at the Professional Bull Riding events that took place Feb. 28 to March 1 at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Conn.

So far, Mancusi has found the capstone project to be an incredible experience. “I’ve always been fascinated by the work and preparation that goes into putting on live events,” he said, “and this was a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes in a completely different setting than I’m used to.”

With guidance from Julie Marella, director of the MS in Marketing Analytics and Strategy program, Macusi and Weber leveraged the Fairfield Dolan alumni network to connect with alumnus John Sohigian ’82. Sohigian serves as vice president of consumer products for PBR and is a member of Fairfield Dolan’s Marketing Advisory Board. He has partnered with Marella and MAS students for the past three years as part of an experiential learning partnership focused on exposing students to diverse aspects of marketing and fan experience.

For the weekend of PBR events in Bridgeport, the Fairfield Dolan students designed a jumbotron advertisement with a QR code link to an audience experience survey and gathered insights in real-time.

“It has been an overall tremendous experience for both the students and me,” said Sohigian, who has been with PBR since 2016. In his role as VP of consumer products, he oversees licensing, event merchandise, and e-commerce. Being an industry expert has positioned him well to provide feedback and coach the students through their capstone course.

Macusi and Weber’s research is still in progress; their findings will be featured in a final graduate presentation.

Fairfield Dolan’s MS in Marketing Analytics and Strategy is ranked #2 among best online MAS programs by AnalyticsDegrees.org and offers graduate students the opportunity to gain real-world experience throughout their courses, not just in their final capstone projects. Through their experiential learning partnership, the Fairfield program partners with more than 40 participating businesses ranging from Fortune 500 companies to start-ups and non-profits.

In addition to Mancusi and Weber’s work with PBR, this spring semester’s MAS student capstone projects feature local and national collaborations with the following companies: NBA, Rhone, Melissa & Doug, Madison Square Garden, Bose, Hain Celestial, Barnum Financial Group, St. Rose of Lima School in Newtown, and Dr. Adam Bard’s medical practice.

Graduate students in Fairfield’s MAS program gain proficiency with leading industry analytical tools such as AI, Tableau, Qualtrics, SPSS, RStudio and Excel. Opportunities to learn programming languages like Python and R are offered, as well as the ability to earn certifications such as GA4, Hootsuite, and Sprout Social, in addition to CMA Level 1 and 2 industry certifications.

“Development of the experiential learning partnership program for MAS has been truly a rewarding experience for the students and businesses,” said Marella. “This real-world business experience has led directly to job opportunities for our students and has set them apart from other candidates.”

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