As an MBA student with a background in cognitive science, I wanted to explore the intersection between business and human behavior. But I was unsure how to bridge the gap between these two fields, and how to turn my interests into a career.
Luckily, I had the opportunity to attend Yale SOM’s Global Network Week. I took part in the behavioral management courses and knew that I had found precisely what I needed to take my career in a direction that I’m truly passionate about. The classes were fascinating. They bridged the disciplines I was most interested in and gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in the intersection between business and cognition, and translate that into original business insights. During the week, I also learned about the MAM programand its flexible curriculum, and decided to apply.
The MAM program lets us design our own experience in a way that no other program would. It has also given me access to renowned faculty in behavioral management and to innovative thought hubs like the Center for Customer Insights. The variety of courses is incredible, but what I find even more unique is the interdisciplinary approach. I’m planning to take a course on Power, Race, and the Environment that will include students from all of Yale’s graduate and professional schools sharing their perspectives. This type of interdisciplinary approach to learning is incredibly powerful. It helps situate our knowledge within a real-world context, and that’s important, given the multidimensional nature of the challenges we’re all going to face as business leaders.
I’m continually awestruck by Yale faculty and alumni. Every time there’s a Yale speaker series, I’m surprised by the network of speakers, many of whom I recognize as leaders in their respective fields. I also catch myself sheepishly grinning when I see faculty on the news, which is a common occurrence, but somehow still surprising and inspiring every time.
The most surprising thing of all, however, is the readiness with which these faculty members make themselves available to us. These are, literally, the leading experts in their respective disciplines, and yet they actively give us time outside of class and encourage us to reach out.
I find this especially meaningful in the time of COVID-19. It’s challenging to have spontaneous post-class conversations in a hybrid learning environment, and I’m grateful that our faculty have strived to maintain an “open office door” in a virtual space.
