The new cohort of students welcomed into Boston College’s Master of Science in Applied Economics (MSAE) degree program this fall (Fall 2020) is among the largest and most diverse in the program’s history. Program Director Dr. Aleksandar (Sasha) Tomic underscored how eager the faculty and staff are to work with such a varied group of dedicated and forward-thinking students.
“The range of professional and real-world experience represented by our students demonstrates both the efficacy of our approach to applied economics and the critical need for highly-trained experts in the field,” says Dr. Tomic. This cohort is taking courses through various modalities, including online, on ground, and in a hybrid format (both online and on ground).
Fall Cohort: A Diverse Class of Graduate Students
Manifest in the MSAE 2020 Fall Cohort is a cross-section of academic and professional experience, career goals, generations, and talents. International students in the program stem from a range of countries, including:
- China
- Russia
- United Kingdom
- Burkina Faso
- Venezuela
- Yemen
Domestically, students in the online program reside in 17 different states – these include:
- California
- Virginia
- Connecticut
- Iowa
- Kansas
- New Jersey
- Kentucky
- Massachusetts
- Maryland
- Illinois
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Washington
- New Hampshire
There is generational diversity in the cohort as well. The youngest student in the Fall 2020 cohort is 21, and the oldest is 58.
Professional Experience
From research to policy analysis and business management, the Fall 2020 students bring a wealth of professional experience to their studies at Boston College. The confluence of talent, drive, and experience that merge with the desire to share, learn, and develop new skills, creates a rich learning environment that will support each student in their careers and throughout the program. This mix of experiences is a key differentiator of the program:
- A software engineer for FedEx
- A product analyst with Enfusion
- An energy supply analyst for UGI Utilities
- A math teacher at Boston College High School
- An intelligence officer for the US Air Force
- A Research Analyst, Agricultural Futures Department at Shenzhen Ganen Online Investment Management Co. Ltd
- A Data Governance Analyst for IQVIA
Students and faculty work and learn together, expanding their influence in their careers, economic sectors, and, ultimately, the global economy. It is not just one cohort coming together, but a global network of over 180,000 alumni.
Economic Analysis in a Complex Global Economy
This year’s events underscore the critical need for clear, analytical thinking and integrating data across many disciplines, and communicating effectively with leaders making important policy decisions.
Economics is the machinery that makes a functioning society possible—a society faced with unprecedented challenges in need of analytical clarity, fundamental to applied economic analysis.
Boston College adheres to the Jesuit tradition emphasizing reflective, people-centered, ethical decision making. Combined with a curriculum designed with an industry council of professional experts, students in the MSAE program emerge prepared to take on the challenges their skills demand of them.
Boston College looks forward to seeing what this latest cohort of students will accomplish as they apply the skills they will learn to their chosen careers and personal passion for a better world.