MSQF Course Spotlight: Business Communication

April 8, 2021

Speaking, presenting, writing, collaborating, communicating -- effectively. These essential skills for today’s globalized, technologically advanced business environment are the focus of the Business Communication course taught by NYU Stern faculty for the MS in Quantitative Finance (MSQF) and MS in Data Analytics & Business Computing (MSDABC) programs. This skillset builds upon the programs’ analytical and quantitative skills to equip students with a nuanced understanding of how to effectively communicate and collaborate in the workplace. This course is not only part of the core foundation of the two joint NYU Stern - NYU Shanghai Master’s programs, but of all Stern undergraduate and graduate degree programs; the vital skills covered in the course help to train successful business leaders for all levels, locations, and industries. 

Concentrated over six intensive days in February 2021, the course was split into three smaller sections taught by Professors Susan Stehlik, Yu Shi, and Meghan Dewitt, all of whom bring vast experience in the field. Stehlik spent over twenty years in international finance and as a corporate ethics officer before transitioning to consulting work in corporate communications, including leadership and diversity training, executive coaching, and emotional intelligence for companies such as ABC Television, SAC Capital, Vanguard Investments, and Comedy Central. Shi has conducted extensive research in intercultural communication, organizational communication, political and economic structures of global media, and transnational corporate strategies in China; and DeWitt, who received her MBA from NYU Stern, has a background in health care strategy, including ten years working in strategy, competitive intelligence, project management, data analytics, and consulting. All three faculty bring their unique perspectives and thorough understanding of corporate communications to the course, sharing anecdotes, research findings, and helpful advice with students. 
 

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Professor Shi Yu

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Professor Susan Stehilk

The joint MSQF and MSDABC course focuses on communication strategy and persuasion in a business context, including message construction and delivery, audience interaction, project management, and teamwork skills. Barney Huang, MSDABC ‘21, noted that “This intensive course is like a manual that teaches not only the detailed techniques but also speaking from the standpoint of the audience.” Students learn about the importance of nonverbal body language cues, visual aids during presentations, how to prepare for and approach question & answer sessions, and hone their written skills, as well. Following lectures and course readings, students immediately put these skills into practice through multiple individual and group presentations. 

 

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DABC Class of 2021 during presentation

The course culminates in a final presentation in which groups of 4-5 students present fictional solutions based on a real company’s problem. The goal of the final project is to simulate a real business environment in which they present their ideas to corporate executives; this year, projects included a fast food company seeking to improve their reputation with customers and an airline seeking to rebuild their travel brand post Covid-19 pandemic. Students must find a way to acknowledge the company’s problem, come up with a solution, and present the solution in a thoughtful, data-driven manner so as to gain the support of the fictional company executives, played by the course faculty. 

Sheng Zijie, MSQF ‘20, cited Business Communication as his “favorite memory” from the program in an interview feature with Poets & Quants. He remarked how the course, which was the first of the program in the Academic Year 2019-2020, provided an immediate opportunity for bonding: “Business communication allows a very close connection with other classmates. The short course is memorable: as a group of five, our team worked intensively from 6 a.m till midnight every day, preparing for a business presentation. We encouraged each other and had a very joyful teamwork experience.” As Sheng highlighted, students work diligently for several days to hone their message, develop their presentation skills and technique, and collaborate as a team in order to effectively communicate their message, including preparing for hard-hitting questions. 

 

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Sheng Zijie, MSQF ‘20

The role of questions highlights the importance of feedback in the course. Students receive thorough evaluations and feedback from faculty, as well as self and peer evaluations, during and after each presentation. As Shi remarked during the first class meeting, “this course encourages [you] to hold up a mirror to yourself.” Such continual evaluation and reflection encourages students to develop their self-awareness, which enables them to recognize their strengths and also build on their weaknesses in their quests to become stronger individual business leaders and collaborative team members.