Meet the Master’s Degree in Systemic Risk Class of 2026
June Rhee, director of the Master’s Degree in Systemic Risk program, shares details about the incoming cohort.
Yale SOM’s newest Master’s Degree in Systemic Risk program class arrived at Edward P. Evans Hall on August 11 for a weeklong orientation program. Bringing a wealth of global experience at central banks and other regulatory agencies, the 16 incoming students in the Class of 2026 began classes on August 27.
This is the largest cohort since the program began in 2017. This diverse and accomplished class will contribute to the program’s overarching goal of building a community of policymakers prepared to understand and manage financial crises. The new students represent financial institutions including Bank Indonesia, the Indonesia Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Bank of Japan, Japan’s Ministry of Finance, the Bank of Korea, the Reserve Bank of India, the Central Bank of Malaysia, the State Bank of Pakistan, and the Superintendency of Banks, Insurance and Pension Funds of Peru. On average, the new students have been in the workforce for over five years, and all members of the class plan to return to their home institutions after completing the program.
The average age of the incoming students is 33, and all 16 members of the class hold international passports. They speak languages including French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Malay, Punjabi, Spanish, and Urdu; their undergraduate majors include economics, engineering, finance, management, law, and political science.
The students will complete a slate of required courses focused on macroprudential policies, central banking, financial crisis management, and global financial regulation. They will also take elective courses in statistics, economics, and finance.
The Master’s Degree in Systemic Risk program is a one-year, in-residence, specialized course of study for employees of central banks and other regulatory agencies with a mandate for financial stability. The first-of-its-kind program is designed to give students from around the world a deeper understanding of managing systemic risk and responding to financial crises.
