Crafting a Curriculum: Jinwoo Cho ’26
Jinwoo Cho ’26, a student in the Master of Advanced Management program, chose electives to build on his background in nuclear engineering and broaden his understanding of other energy sources.
Students in the Master of Advanced Management program have the opportunity to build their own slate of courses from diverse electives at Yale SOM and across the university. We asked students to explain how they customized their curricula and how they will apply lessons from their coursework at work.
Hometown: Mokpo, South Korea
Pronouns: he/him/his
Favorite thing about New Haven: Arethusa’s butter pecan ice cream
Best place to study: Marx Science and Social Science Library near Evans Hall
How did you approach choosing your electives and shaping your customized curriculum?
Having majored in nuclear engineering as an undergraduate and believing that nuclear energy can play a role in addressing climate change, I have long been interested in climate-related subjects. The Master of Advanced Management program was the perfect place to pursue this interest, since the customized curriculum allowed me to take a wide range of electives that are both directly and indirectly related to climate and ESG issues.
This semester, I chose the course Energy System Analysis because I wanted to broaden my understanding of the role that non-nuclear energy sources play in global climate mitigation. I also enrolled in Pricing and Managing Sustainable Assets, which deepened my perspective on how ESG factors, climate risks, and sustainability metrics are incorporated into financial decision-making and asset valuation.
What surprised you about the coursework available to you?
When I first saw the list of available electives, I was both overwhelmed and thrilled by the sheer breadth of options inside and outside of SOM. After spending one semester here, I realized that the classes I have taken are interwoven in synergistic ways that deepen my understanding of seemingly unconnected subjects. For example, concepts from Energy System Analysis complemented what I learned from Pricing and Managing Sustainable Assets, where we examined how energy pathways translate into financial risks, valuation adjustments, and investment decisions. Learning the technical trade-offs of different energy systems alongside their implications for asset pricing helped me see how climate strategy, engineering realities, and market incentives are deeply interconnected. This unexpected level of cross-course integration has been one of the most surprising and rewarding aspects of my experience so far.
What are your favorite electives so far and why?
My favorite elective so far is Consumer Behavior with Professor Joowon Klusowski. This elective class reinforced the idea that every business is, at its core, all about people. The more I want to persuade and influence people, the better I need to understand them. Although the course teaches students to better understand people as consumers, I think the process of engaging individuals and guiding them toward desired decisions could also be applicable in other situations as well. Through this class, I learned effective methods, grounded in rigorous academic research, to communicate my ideas and build consensus within teams.
How are you hoping to apply your coursework in your career?
My long-term goal is to become an energy expert with strong business acumen who can meaningfully contribute to climate change mitigation. Before Yale SOM, my knowledge was mostly centered on nuclear energy. However, through the diverse electives offered here, I now have a much broader understanding of various energy sources, as well as climate policy and sustainability-focused financial decision-making.
Drawing on these interdisciplinary insights, I hope to eventually advise Korea and countries around the world on developing sustainable and economically viable energy policies that support their climate goals. I also hope to go beyond purely technical discussions. By applying the principles of human understanding and persuasion that I learned from Professor Klusowski, I want to communicate energy strategies in ways that resonate with stakeholders, guide their decision-making, and ultimately generate positive social impact.
