The Master of Science in Management (MSM) program, and its companion Master of Science in Management and Business Analytics (MSM+BA), is the newest MS program at the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business. As this academic year comes to a close, one of its first graduates is soon to be underway with his new professional endeavors.
After receiving his bachelor’s degree in meteorology and atmospheric science from The Pennsylvania State University, Seth Cohen turned toward Katz to earn his master’s degree in pursuit of his passions.
“I chose Katz for my master’s degree because of its strong reputation,” says Cohen. “I was also really excited by the opportunity to focus on business analytics through the graduate certificate option. I took a couple of analytics courses while pursing my undergraduate degree and wanted to sharpen those skills in graduate school.”
The MSM program at Katz is a one-year, 30 credit program designed to give students with little professional experience the knowledge and business acumen to launch their professional career. Among the 30 required credits are four and a half credits of experience-based learning (EBL) courses and six elective courses to fine tune their business interests. The MSM+BA expands on that as an 18-month, 39 credit, STEM-designated program with a similar breadth of coursework. Of all the different academic components to the courses, the importance of teamwork is at the forefront.
“One thing at Katz that was somewhat new to me was teamwork and group projects. While I certainly had some projects as an undergraduate student, virtually every class at Katz has a group component or aspect to it,” says Cohen. “Working in teams with people from diverse backgrounds helped me appreciate different perspective and points of view and taught me how to better collaborate on group projects.”
The integrity of the Katz curriculum offers a variety of opportunities for students to be involved inside and outside of the classroom. Because of the rigor of the Katz master’s programs, Cohen was able to take advantage of several opportunities.
“During my time at Katz, I was fortunate enough to be involved in several case competitions, worked for EA Sports for an in-class marketing project, interned for FedEx Ground during my second semester while pursing my six-sigma green belt, and much more,” says Cohen. “My experiences at Katz also helped me find an in-person summer internship during the Covid-19 pandemic for an essential business, which I am extremely grateful for.”
In addition to the quality academic component that Katz offers, there is also a strong sense of community and comradery that forms within and between each cohort.
“One of my favorite memories from Katz was the Friendsgiving event, where all the different cultures represented at Katz made food from their home country or culture, as a way for everyone to get together and celebrate the upcoming holidays before the fall break,” says Cohen.
Seth’s advice to making the most out of obtaining your graduate degree at Katz is to stay involved.
“Get involved with the different clubs, and network with the MBA students. Participating in a case competition is also a great experience to have under your belt. You learn how to problem solve on the fly, work in teams, and present your findings to the panel. For those inclined towards analytics, the graduate certificate is a wonderful option as well.”
Having completed his MSM+BA degree from Katz, Cohen will be joining the commercial consulting team at Deloitte in northern Virginia as a business technology analyst. You can connect with Seth here.
To learn more about the MS in Management and MS in Management and Business Analytics programs, click here.
