Crafting a Curriculum: Austin Zheng ’26
Austin Zheng ’26 came to Yale SOM to accelerate his career in technology and chose courses focused on AI theory and application.
Students in the Master’s in Global Business and Society 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: Hangzhou, China
Pronouns: he/him/his
Favorite thing about New Haven: The charm of Yale’s campus and the city’s amenities in a very walkable setting.
Best place to study: If the weather is good, East Rock Park.
How did you approach choosing your electives and shaping your customized curriculum?
The main reason I chose the GBS program was the ability to craft my own curriculum. I already had a strong business foundation from pursuing my MMS at Duke. But after three years as a product manager building an in-house intelligence hub at Lenovo, I knew I needed to deepen my technical fluency—especially as generative AI reshapes what product teams can build and how quickly the bar is rising.
I designed my electives around AI product ownership. Large Language Models, AI for Business Decisions, Database Systems, and Empirical Strategy Lab taught me to build credible technical foundations. Through Management of Software Development and Advanced Software Engineering, I learned to pair those systems with how software actually gets shipped. I rounded out my capabilities by developing my adoption and leadership skills through courses including UX Design Fundamentals, Digital Strategy, and Sales and Negotiation. When selecting electives, I look through student Slack channels, review past syllabi on CourseTable, and map a course plan that minimizes overlap while building a coherent skill stack.
What surprised you about the coursework available to you?
I was surprised by the ease with which I could create a cross-disciplinary yet still practical curriculum. Electives at SOM don’t just feature AI as a topic; they consider AI in the context of the broader world in which professionals use it, touching on technical concepts, product strategy, and design considerations.
I also didn’t expect how much the learning would be accelerated by Yale’s broader ecosystem—alumni, guest speakers, and the ability to take courses and collaborate across schools. I’ve been surrounded by builders and classmates with different backgrounds who make it feel normal to prototype quickly, test ideas, and go deeper technically.
What are your favorite electives so far and why?
Two favorites stand out. Management of Software Development with Professor Kyle Jensen truly started it all for me. It gave me an operating system for execution, and a practical method for using AI tools to turn an idea into a product more quickly. More importantly, it taught me how to turn building software and products into a repeatable habit, enabled by AI-assisted rapid development.
I’ve also loved Professor Jensen’s Large Language Models class, which merges deep technical theory with practical application. Our capstone project involved developing a web application that utilized multi-agent workflows and a technique called retrieval-augmented generation. This experience was crucial for connecting the mathematical foundations to actual product design.
How are you hoping to apply your coursework in your career?
My current coursework is directly aimed at strengthening my job search for product roles in the tech sector, specifically those at the intersection of AI and product design. My goal is to effectively bridge the communication gap between users, stakeholders, and engineering teams.
I am also immediately applying this learning through Artopath, a passion project I'm developing. Artopath functions as a “second art brain”—a personal cultural map that connects artworks, films, people, and places, and then visualizes those connections onto the physical world (like museums or filming locations).
Beyond technical expertise, I’m using my time at Yale to hone crucial soft skills that I believe will have a lasting impact. These include leadership and cross-functional collaboration. By engaging with a diverse cohort of classmates and learning from pioneering guest speakers, I am developing the comprehensive abilities necessary to successfully deploy AI-powered products.
