Crafting a Curriculum: Amine Dkhil ’26

Hometown: Bizerte, Tunisia, where I grew up and where my family lives
Pronouns: he/him/his
Favorite thing about New Haven: My favorite thing about New Haven is that it’s the perfect student city. Everything’s nearby, from classes to cozy cafés and amazing food spots like Sally’s pizza and Atticus coffee.
Best place to study: The Yale SOM library. It’s quiet yet social, with everything you need to stay productive. It’s perfect for meeting friends, collaborating on group projects, or getting work done between classes.

How did you approach choosing your electives and shaping your customized curriculum?

Choosing my electives was such a new experience for me. Coming from the Tunisian and French systems, where schedules are fixed, it was really exciting to have the freedom to build my own. I approached it in two ways: first, I picked classes that truly interested me and matched my career goals, especially data-oriented ones that could help me stand out to employers later on. And second, I thought about my rhythm. I'm definitely a morning person, so I chose classes earlier in the day. That way, I could stay productive and still have time to enjoy everything Yale and New Haven have to offer, whether it’s networking events, joining the soccer club, or just exploring the city.

What surprised you about the coursework available to you?

How rich and diverse it is. There are so many high-quality classes to choose from. You can take a course on ethics and leadership one day and another on finance or data analysis the next. The variety is truly unmatched, and what makes it even more special is that we can also take classes across the entire university, not just at SOM. It really reflects the school’s mission of developing leaders for both business and society.

What are your favorite electives so far and why?

That’s such a tough question, because I’ve honestly enjoyed all my courses so far! But if I had to pick a few favorites, I’d say Managing Groups and Teams with Professor David Munguía Gómez and Data Analysis and Causal Inference with Professor Robert Jensen. The first one stood out because it teaches you how to listen, create psychological safety, and build effective collaboration within a team—all skills that are crucial to being a good leader. It’s not just theory; we do hands-on group exercises and simulations that reveal how biases can influence our decisions, and how to avoid them. It’s truly learning by doing. The second course fascinated me because it shows how data shapes our world, from business decisions to public policy. I remember being especially struck by reading a study on how rainfall in Mexico can influence crime rates in a U.S. city. It made me realize how interconnected and surprising data relationships can be.

But beyond the content, what makes these classes special are the professors. Their passion, energy, and openness to discussion really bring the material to life. You can tell they love what they teach and that they genuinely care about their students’ learning.

How are you hoping to apply your coursework in your career?

I am looking to start my own company one day, and the coursework at Yale SOM is giving me the perfect foundation for that. Learning how to analyze data helps me better understand customer needs, anticipate market trends, and make informed decisions based on evidence rather than intuition. It’s also key for designing effective business strategies and evaluating how different policies or external factors can influence performance. At the same time, courses like Managing Groups and Teams are teaching me how to be a thoughtful and effective leader—someone who can build trust, foster collaboration, and communicate clearly with customers, colleagues, and eventually my own team. The flexibility of the curriculum is helping me develop both the analytical mindset and the human skills I’ll need to run a successful and meaningful business.