I was on the University of Virginia Masters in Commerce blog page and noticed a bunch of articles and interviews that would be of interest to anyone considering the program. I have always liked this specialized masters and over the years it has consistently been one of the most popular ones among prospective students. Hopefully these interviews and blogs will help in the decision process for anyone trying to decide whether UVA is the right school for them.
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A Day in the Life of an M.S. in Commerce Student by Justice Dixon (’21)
I love these kind of articles as you can see from a current student what it is like to be in the program and what you should expect your day-to-day to be like when you get in. A few things that stood out to me include:
- Start of Class (9:30 a.m.)
- While some classes can start as early as 8 a.m., most classes begin at or around 9:30 a.m.
- Lunch (12:15 p.m.)
- Because of the variety of classes offered in the MSC program, everyone’s schedule is a little different. I have both of my Monday classes in the morning, so I usually become free just in time for lunch.
- Evening (5 p.m.)
- By the time evening arrives, my classmates and I usually begin working on assignments. Many of the first-semester courses such as Finance and Accounting gave more individual assignments, but virtually all of the courses in the spring greatly utilize group assignments. Because of this, it is essential for groups to communicate well and plan out times to meet. I’ve been fortunate to be part of very productive groups, so our meetings run relatively smoothly and usually involve assigning tasks for projects, preparing presentations, and brainstorming solutions for case studies.
This student was an athlete so his day started very early. I would encourage all of you to adopt a similar philosophy. Morning hours spent preparing for the day, researching firms and applying for jobs as well as identifying individuals to network with is incredibly important and something that easily can get lost in the shuffle.
I also notices the comment about the variety of classes that MS Commerce students can take which allows for some customization of your schedule. Not included here, but this student also talks about the great social life and time in Charlottesville. This is an incredible college town and a massive selling point for the program.
You can read the full interview here.
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M.S. in Commerce Q&A with Program Director Ira Harris
This second blog post that I want to feature here is an interview with the MS in Commerce program director. This is a YouTube interview so I will let all of you enjoy it, but some of the questions that are answered that I think you will find interesting and helpful are:
- How does the program prepare students for the workforce and make them attractive to employers? (3:11)
- What’s the most challenging aspect of the program and what’s your favorite aspect? (19:04)
- What are common mistakes that people make when they start the program and how can I avoid them? (22:12)
- What will fall 2021 look like? Will courses be delivered online, in person, or hybrid? (26:23)
- Can you talk about the three-week Global Immersion Experience and why it’s important to the curriculum? (31:03)
It is great when you can hear directly from the program director and they take the time to answer your questions. I think the discussion on how Fall 2021 will look is very relevant right now as well as the discussion about common mistakes. Take note – learn from the mistakes of others and do everything you can to ensure you don’t make them yourself.
Watch the interview here.
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I hope any of you considering this program found this useful. You can keep track of all the upcoming and past posts for the UVA program by monitoring the schools blog page. More updates to follow. Make sure you keep checking back!
Here is a link to the University of Virginia Masters in Commerce Program
