Students from the NYU Stern - NYU Shanghai Master’s programs spent their summer at Stern in New York City from June to mid August. During these three months, they gained business knowledge and skills, sought more clarity on their career paths, and made meaningful connections with peers, faculty, alumni and working professionals. 

MS students in front of the Stern building

Coursework

This summer, all students immersed themselves in 13.5 credits of foundational courses taught by leading NYU Stern faculty. They analyzed global business cases, honed their technical skills, and enhanced their learning by collaborating with a diverse group of peers. 

Josh Reyes, a student in the MS in Quantitative Finance (MSQF) Class of 2026, shared his rewarding experience: "Coming from a non-traditional finance background, the pace was intense, but I found the challenge incredibly rewarding thanks to the faculty’s compassion and the cohort’s collaborative spirit." He added that core courses like Corporate Finance with Professor Anjolein Schmeits and Statistics and Data Analysis with Professor Avi Giloni provided him with rigorous quantitative tools and frameworks, which are essential for his goals in the field. He particularly enjoyed Stochastic Modeling and Simulation with Professor Josh Reed, where he discovered an unexpected connection: "Not only did the engineering-side of financial simulations fascinate me, but we also shared an unexpected connection—same first name, similar last names, and the same undergraduate alma mater (University of Illinois)."

Career Development and Company Visits

Since the start of the summer, students have been working one-on-one with career coaches from the NYU Shanghai Center for Career Development (CCD) to identify their professional goals, explore career options and develop a clear job search strategy. Students interested in career opportunities in the Asia-Pacific market outside of mainland China also attended a career session focused on the region. They learned about recruitment practices and employer expectations, and received strategies to help them better prepare for job opportunities in the region.

As part of their experiential learning, students visited a number of companies in New York City to connect classroom knowledge with real world applications. Companies included American Express, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Microsoft, and Tracksuit. They heard about what makes these companies successful and how they are adopting generative AI in their current work. They also heard from various speakers ranging from young professionals to senior executives who shared their job functions, working environments, and career trajectories. 

Tiffany Yang, a student in the MS in Organization Management and Strategy (MSOMS) Class of 2026, reflected on the Microsoft company visit: “My biggest takeaway was that we have to remember that skills are transferable. Personally, I was a pre-law student during my undergraduate so naturally I was extremely nervous to make a career change. We luckily met so many people at Microsoft who previously didn’t come from tech backgrounds and have very successful careers there. The questions and topics they discussed covered the main topics of all of our MSOMS coursework this year from negotiation to business strategy and communications.”

Students at different company visits

Social Activities

Outside of the classroom, students participated in a variety of social activities to explore the city and local culture while connecting with their peers, staff and faculty, and alumni. Highlights included a tour of Manhattan’s Chinatown to learn about the history of Chinese American, a Circle Line Sightseeing Boat Cruise to see the famous landmarks of New York City, and a visit to the legendary Yankee Stadium to watch the Yankees baseball game (the Yankees won 13-0!). To strengthen community and build cohort cohesion, cohort leaders also arranged casual outings, such as a soccer match, a trip to Coney Island, and an evening of karaoke in K-Town. Students also had multiple opportunities to meet with several MS alumni based in New York to hear about their journeys since graduation and their practical tips on academics and professional development.

Allen Wang, MS in Data Analytics and Business Computing (MSDABC) Class of 2026, shared that one of his favorite memories of the summer was playing in the cross-program soccer game arranged by the cohort leaders of the MSQF and MSDABC programs: “I had a lot of fun playing sports. I hope we can continue to play different sports games in Shanghai and more students from other MS programs can join us to relax and make more friends.”

Students watching the Yankees beat the Chicago Cubs at Yankee Stadium

Students on the Circle Line Sightseeing Boat Cruise.

Students visiting Chinatown in Manhattan.

Students chatting with MS alum, Dakota S. (MSDABC, Class of 2022).

After a successful summer at Stern, students will enjoy a two-week break before starting their fall semester at NYU Shanghai. They look forward to exploring Shanghai and taking the next steps in their academic and career journeys.