Pandemic Made New Jobs Harder to Come By. Unless You're a Stevens Grad
Three Months After Commencement, 93% of Master's Business Graduates Have Accepted Job Offers
The Class of 2020 graduated into the worst jobs market since the Great Depression. But even as employers cut recruitment efforts and rescinded offers, the value of a graduate business degree from Stevens Institute of Technology speaks for itself.
Three months after commencement, 93 percent of students who earned a business master’s degree from Stevens had accepted job offers, owing to the intensive analytical rigor of their programs, an emphasis on applied knowledge, and a location that encourages regular interaction between students and recruiters. At the same time that more students accepted jobs, they earned higher average starting salaries.
The three-month outcomes rate is an improvement from 87 percent at the same time last year, with a number of programs recording perfect employment rates, including the MBA and master’s programs in Financial Analytics, Finance, Enterprise Project Management, Management and Network & Communication Management & Services. Notably, each of these programs is available fully online.
“The role that data and analytics play in every industry continues to grow,” said Dr. Chihoon Lee, associate dean of the graduate division at the School of Business. “It’s no surprise that our graduates continue to be in such high demand in the workplace. By getting exposed to programming languages and new tools, they develop the agility and flexibility needed to become successful change agents in pharmaceuticals, consulting, technology, finance and other industries.”
That’s certainly true of Fatine Zaaj MBA ’20, who was recruited earlier this year to join Amazon, where she works as an operations manager at its Staten Island, NY, location. The pandemic has squeezed supply chains and placed new demands on retailers — challenges she’s been able to navigate thanks to lessons from her Stevens MBA.
“Operating in a fast-paced, data-driven environment requires a great level of strategic planning, focus, delegation and control,” she said. “The technology emphasis of my business classes at Stevens has helped me add great value to my career.”
Perhaps one reason the Stevens Class of 2020 did so well in competing for jobs is how thoroughly the School of Business prepared them for a virtual workplace. Students like Aayushi Gandhi M.S. ’20 said her professors’ commitment to creating a highly engaging online experience helped them get her most out of her education, even though she couldn’t be on campus. Faculty have experimented with flipped classrooms, recitation sections and digital breakout rooms in search of ways to encourage students to engage with the material — and one another — in learning new concepts and developing networks.
“My lectures have been extremely interactive — it’s difficult to lose interest when there’s a lot of talking involved, and my professors have been working hard to keep students engaged,” said Gandhi, whose internship at Scotiabank was extended into a full-time opportunity.
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