This document outlines Garret Albritton's mastery journey plan to earn a Master of Science in Business Intelligence from Full Sail University over the course of 12 months. The plan includes goals and tasks for each month focused on gaining expertise in areas such as data management, analytics, visualization, and case studies. Interviews with Full Sail professionals and course resources are listed to support completing the goals. The overall goal is to enhance Garret's career and bring value to Full Sail University upon graduating.

1. Mastery Journey 2014
Garret E. Albritton
Business Intelligence
Master of Science
Full Sail University

2. Mastery
Goal
To gain a better understanding of myself
and the journey ahead.
•
Read Robert Greene’s Mastery.
•
Read Malcolm Gladwell’s David & Goliath.
•
Reach out to guide and mentors at Full Sail.
FS Media Resources
Leading Change course on lynda.com
http://www.lynda.com/Business-Business-Skills-tutorials/Leading-change-your-organization/133350/153239-4.html
Mastery Timeline

3. Foundations of Business Intelligence
Goal
To gain an understanding of the core skills,
knowledge and technologies used in the business
intelligence world.
Maintain a constant, daily pulse check on
business intelligence news.
•
Begin the process of implementing knowledge
gained in this course in my department.
•
Interview Lloyd Irizzary, Manager of BI for
Full Sail Admissions Operations to gain a better understanding
of the foundations required to run a BI team.
•
FS Media Resources
Agile Project Management course on lynda.com
http://www.lynda.com/Business-Project-Management-tutorials/Agile-Project-Management/122428-2.html

4. Enterprise Data Management
Goal
To gain a 30,000 foot view of data management, systems, security,
technologies and applications.
Interview Isis Jones, CIO of Full Sail University to gain a
better understanding of the board level view of data.
• Practice delivering technical data to non-technical audience
once per week in team meetings.
•
•
Research evolution of cloud technologies.
FS Media Resources
Read Stat-spotting: a field guide to identifying dubious data
http://fullsail.bywatersolutions.com/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=10032&query_desc=kw%2Cwrdl%3A%20big%20data

5. Business Intelligence Technologies
Goal
Develop a working knowledge of systems and architecture used
in creation of data warehouses.
Interview Anne Meleshenko, Director of Full Sail
Admissions Operations to gain a better understanding of the
challenges of implementation.
• Research successful and unsuccessful real world implementation
of data warehouses.
•
Design and implement a data warehouse for
Full Sail Leadership Academy.
•
FS Media Resources
Foundations of Programming: Databases on lynda.com
http://www.lynda.com/Programming-tutorials/Foundations-Programming-Databases/112585-2.html?srchtrk=index:
1%0Alinktypeid:2%0Aq:data%2Bwarehouse%0Apage:1%0As:relevance%0Asa:true%0Aproducttypeid:2

6. Business Intelligence Analytics
Goal
To further develop knowledge and skill with statistics, including
predictive analysis, modeling and decision making.
Interview Luis Garcia, VP of Full Sail Online to gain a better
understanding of predictive analysis in forecasting growth.
• Develop predictive analysis tools for use in Full Sail Leadership
Academy future courses.
•
•
Research use of predictive modeling in higher eduction.
FS Media Resources
Web Analytics Fundamentals on lynda.com
http://www.lynda.com/Business-Data-Analysis-tutorials/Web-Analytics-Fundamentals/
123562-2.html?srchtrk=index:1%0Alinktypeid:2%0Aq:Web%2BAnalytics%2BFundamentals
%0Apage:1%0As:relevance%0Asa:true%0Aproducttypeid:2

7. Data Mining
Goal
Develop knowledge and skills in data mining through use of practical
techniques.
Research machine learning and make note of advances/trends
to follow.
• Apply data mining tools and skills to
Full Sail Leadership Academy data.
• Research data mining tools and the use in relation to
higher education.
•
FS Media Resources
R Statistics Essential Training on lynda.com
http://www.lynda.com/R-tutorials/R-Statistics-Essential-Training/
142447-2.html?srchtrk=index:1%0Alinktypeid:2%0Aq:data%2Bmining
%0Apage:1%0As:relevance%0Asa:true%0Aproducttypeid:2

8. Patterns & Recognition
Goal
Through use of advanced data mining, gain an understanding of
statistically meaningful patterns.
Interview Eric Noteboom, VP of Full Sail Education Operations
to gain a better understanding of pattern recognition in higher
education data.
• Analyze relative historic data regarding Full Sail Leadership
Academy to identify patterns and trends.
•
•
Read Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes
http://www.amazon.com/Mastermind-Think-Like-Sherlock-Holmes/dp/0670026573?
&tag=io9amzn-20&ascsubtag=[referrer|www.google.com[type|link[postId|5973200[asin|
0670026573[authorId|5717795175536518860
FS Media Resources
Performance Review Fundamentals on lynda.com
http://www.lynda.com/Business-Business-Skills-tutorials/Performance-Review-Fundamentals/149840-2.html?
srchtrk=index:1%0Alinktypeid:2%0Aq:data%2Banalysis%0Apage:1%0As:relevance%0Asa:true%0Aproducttypeid:2

9. Process Modeling & Analysis
Goal
To understand how business intelligence informs and affects
business processes, risk modeling and business simulation.
•
Develop a risk modeling simulation for Full Sail Leadership Academy.
Second interview with Luis Garcia, to better understand risk
analysis and modeling in higher education.
•
•
Develop and test KPI’s related to Full Sail Leadership Academy.
FS Media Resources
Preventing Scope Creep on lynda.com
http://www.lynda.com/Business-Business-Skills-tutorials/Preventing-Scope-Creep/128286-2.html?
srchtrk=index:1%0Alinktypeid:2%0Aq:risk%2Bmanagement%0Apage:1%0As:relevance%0Asa:true
%0Aproducttypeid:2

10. Data Visualization & Creative Reporting
Goal
To refine and enhance existing skills with reporting and
presentation with new tools designed to better deliver data.
Second Interview with Lloyd Irizzary to better understand
dashboard development
• Create and implement dashboards and reports for Full Sail
Leadership Academy
• Interview Don Larson, Program Manager of Full Sail’s MDMFA
degree to better understand what makes an effective info graphic
•
FS Media Resources
Creating Infographics with Illustrator on lynda.com
http://www.lynda.com/Illustrator-tutorials/Creating-Infographics-Illustrator/119011-2.html?srchtrk=index:
1%0Alinktypeid:2%0Aq:infographic%0Apage:1%0As:relevance%0Asa:true%0Aproducttypeid:2

11. Business Intelligence Leadership & Communication Skills
Goal
To improve communication and presentation skills in relation to delivery
of complex technical data to non-technical audiences.
Interview Bryant Hamilton, Manager of Oursource Relations at
Full Sail to better understand communication of complex BI concepts
to non-technical stakeholders.
• Build a Pinterest focused on innovative motion graphics
and info graphics to draw inspiration from.
•
Practice delivering data to a live audience once per week and elicit
feedback to improve delivery and presentation skills.
•
FS Media Resources
Infographics: Visualizing Relationships on lynda.com
http://www.lynda.com/Infographics-tutorials/Infographics-Visualizing-Relationships/89312-2.html?srchtrk=index:
1%0Alinktypeid:2%0Aq:infographic%0Apage:1%0As:relevance%0Asa:true%0Aproducttypeid:2

12. Business Intelligence Case Studies
Goal
To place the information gained over the last 10 months in
context through the study of real world examples of BI
implementation.
Second Interview with Eric Noteboom to better understand the
history of Full Sail’s use of business intelligence
•
Develop the framework for a case study around the creation
and first year of Full Sail Leadership Academy
•
Identify and study one Online and one Brick & Mortar higher
education institution to study in detail
•
FS Media Resources
Pitching Projects and Products to Executives on lynda.com
http://www.lynda.com/Presentations-tutorials/pitching-projects-and-products-to-executives/
73563-2.html?srchtrk=index:1%0Alinktypeid:2%0Aq:innovation%0Apage:2%0As:relevance%0Asa:true
%0Aproducttypeid:2

13. Business Intelligence Capstone
Goal
To bring everything learned over the last 11 months together into
a cohesive, impactful and meaningful presentation.
•
Have first version of all assets completed prior to day one of class
•
Practice presenting multiple times a week to perfect final presentation
Interview stakeholders to ensure that information presented is
relevant to their needs
•
FS Media Resources
Public Speaking Fundamentals on lynda.com
http://www.lynda.com/Business-Business-Skills-tutorials/Public-Speaking-Fundamentals/102701-2.html?srchtrk=index:
1%0Alinktypeid:2%0Aq:presenting%0Apage:2%0As:relevance%0Asa:true%0Aproducttypeid:2

14. Business Intelligence Master of Science
February
2014
January
2015
Degree Goal: To gain a working knowledge of business intelligence,
analytics and big data in order to enhance my career and bring
further value to Full Sail University