Finance and Managerial Economics students, alumni, employers and partners talk about their invaluable academic experiences at the UT Dallas Jindal School of Management, providing advice, perspective, and vision.
Crystal Moreno-Rivero
As a graduate student and Industry Association Liaison of the UTD Real Estate Club, I actively participated in impactful events, connecting with peers and industry leaders. This engagement broadened my perspective, fostering lasting connections that significantly contributed to my growth in the real estate industry. Read More
Jai Rawat, PPF 5
Investment Banking Analyst at KeyBanc Capital Markets
PPF has been instrumental in fueling my professional growth through its comprehensive curriculum and esteemed student-run investment fund. I credit all my success to the opportunities, knowledge, and connections fostered by this outstanding program.
Ariel Furman, PPF 5
Healthcare Analyst at Teachers Retirement Systems of Texas
The PPF program was pivotal to my experience in college. If you are looking for a place to meet like-minded, driven peers, as well as accomplished mentors, look no further. Thanks to PPF, I developed the skill set and fluency necessary to enter a competitive financial industry. For me, it was undoubtedly one of the highlights of my college career.
Katelyn Lobo, PPF 6
Intern at West Monroe Consulting
I joined the Professional Program in Finance as a sophomore and I will say it has exceeded my expectations in every aspect. PPF enabled me with a plethora of mentors that have pushed me to believe in myself and guided me toward my goals. Additionally, taking part in the student investment fund has allowed me to engage in real-world investment scenarios which has sharpened my analytical skills and provided practical insights into the intricacies of financial decision-making. To my surprise, one of the most valuable aspects of PPF has been the incredible community of peers. I have found myself surrounded by ambitious and motivated individuals who are genuinely dedicated to supporting one another’s success. I am immensely grateful to Professor Murray and the program for their guidance and mentorship, which have propelled me to achieve new heights of accomplishment. PPF has truly been instrumental in my pursuit of success, and I am sincerely thankful for the opportunities it has provided me.
Matyas Farkas, PPF 6
Internships at Credit Suisse New York and FT Partners in San Francisco
The PPF is a transformative platform that empowers high-achieving students to unleash their full potential. Through its dynamic collaborative culture, unparalleled access to resources, and unwavering commitment to excellence, this program equips individuals with the tools needed to compete in the fiercely competitive landscape of high finance.
Zhiyao Zhao, Class of ’21
Credit Risk Senior Analyst, CitiGroup
The MS in Finance program in JSOM is one of the most valuable MSF programs — with sophisticated and ingenious curriculum design, flexible career directions, and affordable tuition. With a various range of workshops and events, students can obtain many opportunities to network with finance professionals and prepare their future careers based on the suggestions and recommendations from those professionals. The thoughts I would like to share with the students are: Find your real passion, keep putting in the effort and never quit easily.
J.B. Garza, Class of 2021
Owner, Vertex Real Estate Group
I like how UT Dallas engages us with real businesses in the area. We got a chance to visit a coal mine, solar farm, and natural wetland amongst other sites. The opportunity to engage with the operators provided real information about the multitude of challenges in energy during modern times.
Sharon McGrath, Class of 2021
Senior Plan Settlement and Revenue Accountant, Lucid Energy
I’ve been in the energy industry for the last decade, and I love it. However, I knew I needed to gain both broader and more in-depth knowledge of the sector if I wanted to advance my career. I compared UT Dallas’s Energy Management program to OU’s EMBA Energy program and found UT Dallas’s curriculum to be far more rigorous from many standpoints: business and economics, global, environmental and ethical.
Van (Lynda) Ong
For several years, I was a working professional in the real estate industry with experience in appraisal, title, and mortgage. When I decided to go back to school, The University of Texas at Dallas was my first choice. What made it even more gratifying in choosing UTD, was when I discovered that they had a great Real Estate Program. Read More
Shiv Patel
The first day I entered the Jindal School of Management, I had no idea what to expect. Coming in as a transfer from The University of Texas at Austin during my sophomore year, it was rather discouraging, at first. I reminisce those times where I was fixed on going to class and going back home. Nothing more, nothing less, but consciously knew that mentality had to change. Read More
Giovanny Martinez
After completing my military service, moving in to a new state, and transitioning from a Marine Corps lifestyle to a university student, I was careful to choose a university program that would best equip me for the rapidly-changing business environment within the real estate industry. I decided The Jindal School of Management at UT Dallas Real Estate program was uniquely positioned to provide a solid foundation for a top career in this industry. Read More
Peter Bellino
I chose the Jindal School of Management at The University of Texas at Dallas to complete my M.B.A. in part due to the Professional Cohort program, which was made up of 50 other early- and mid- career professionals, employed full-time by day, and enrolled in a full-time course load in the evenings. Read More
Skye Johnson
The UT Dallas MBA experience is truly special. There are so many people invested in each student’s success, and I felt like a valued member of my classes. Some of my favorite classes included the real estate classes. I’ve had an interest in real estate for a long time, and the professors at UT Dallas made the material engaging with real world stories and examples. Participating in the CoreNet Academic Challenge was definitely a highlight of my experience at UT Dallas. Read More
Cory Smith
Like many of the other students, I sought out UT Dallas for my MBA due to its reputation, it being close to home and having flexible programs. In doing so, I also wanted to make sure I stretched outside of what I had done as an undergrad by diving into topics I found more interesting and useful. The Real Estate Program at UTD was definitely one of the best ways to do this Read More
Amir Safvat
Professional MBA, Finance and Real Estate Concentration
Through a diverse career path, I have had numerous challenging opportunities to engage with many great real estate professionals within a wide spectrum spanning from developers to construction team members, as well as many other players in between these two extremes. Read More
Amber Rao
After 10 years of work experience, I decided to take the GMAT and pursue an MBA. I evaluated my options for an Executive MBA program at UTD and other institutions, but ultimately decided to pursue the Professional Flex MBA program at UTD for the value and flexibility it provided. Business travel was a part of my career, so the flexibility to take one online course and one in person course per semester allowed me to fit the MBA into my life. Read More
Marcos Marcano
I joined the Real Estate Club at UT Dallas out of curiosity during my Sophomore year. The more I became involved with the club, the more I was exposed to the many great careers within the real estate industry. Through speaker panels, property tours, and even one-on-one networking sessions facilitated by the club, I developed a strong interest to pursue a career in real estate. Read More
Jacob Sandler
For years, I had been wanting to return to school and focus on real estate studies. While spending the last decade in restaurants I dreamed of working in the real estate industry. I had no clue where to start but knew completing my bachelor’s would be the best launching pad. Looking at the regional options, the Jindal School of Management (JSOM) at UTD was by far the wisest choice for its national and global ranking. To top it off it came with the perks of being a public institution. Read More
Gabby Hernandez
The Real Estate Concentration offered at the Graduate and Undergraduate level is one of the best, if not, the best concentration to choose from. Aside from the transferability of skills and knowledge between different career paths in real estate. The program director along with the associate director and adjunct professors have copious years of experience in the industry that allows them to tailor their respective course material to single out the most beneficial topics for students. Their ability to bring in their personal expertise into class examples helps to learn new topics with ease by knowing that what they are teaching you will be helpful in practice not just in theory. Read More
Arden Pray
I have been interested in real estate for the majority of my life now. I grew up in awe of my mother’s career as a broker. When it came time to pick a college, UT Dallas was my first choice because of its great reputation and high rankings. Soon after being admitted to the School of Management, the Herbert D. Weitzman Institute for Real Estate was established. When I heard the news, I immediately joined the real estate program, pursuing a degree in Business Administration with a concentration in real estate. Read More
Alejandro Jimenez
Being a part of UTD’s Real Estate Program has been an eye-opening experience. My advice to anyone interested in the program is to join the Real Estate Club. The club first exposed me to the program and has not only allowed me to network with industry professionals but also taught me the fundamentals of both residential and multi-family real estate. Read More
Arpita Pai
Intern, Santander Consumer USA, Dallas TX
I was looking for a masters program that would mesh with my Finance and IT background, so I chose FTEC. The curriculum is structured in a way that it opens different avenues in finance like risk management, financial data analytics, quantitative analyst etc.
Siddharth Yatindra Mudbidri
Intern, Essilor of America, Dallas
My experience as a Graduating student of the Financial Engineering and Risk Management program has been enriching, preparing me for the road less travelled, an amalgamation of Financial and Engineering concepts coupled with a splash of professional development skills.
Yun Ting Lee
Intern, Comerica Bank Headquarters, Dallas, Texas
I would like to express my gratitude to the FTEC program. I’m glad that I chose MS FTEC as my second master program.
Sneha Venkataraman
Intern, American Express, New York
As finance and risk professionals, it is of foremost importance that we understand the impact of our work on the global economy. FTEC has taught me exactly this, in a multicultural collaborative classroom environment.
Mallory Hubbard, Class of 2018
The finance program embraces student diversity in meaningful ways. Through working with others in a variety of project-based courses, I was able to gain valuable interpersonal skills – which I am proud to be bringing to the workforce.
Sarah Mayanja, Class of 2019
As a transfer student, I came to UT Dallas with little exposure to the financial services industry, but had strong motivation to learn anything necessary to be successful. The finance program at UT Dallas empowered me to reach out to mentors and apply for jobs in areas that led to growth opportunities and enabled me to build on the knowledge taught in my classes.
Vivek Sinha , Class of 2020
Dr. Peabody and the finance team at JSOM work with you to make sure that whatever sector of finance you pursue, you will be prepared. Anyone seriously considering a career in finance whether it be in banking, consulting, private equity or even hedge funds, should apply to the BS in Finance program. You will have personalized planning and advice at your disposal at any time that will help set you up for a successful career.
Luke Lessig, Class of 2020
The unique mix of high quality instructors and coursework, numerous professional and informative student organizations, industry connections and career guidance through the CMC, and supportive, knowledgeable fellow students has helped me define my career goals and work towards them. I have no doubt that the education I’ve received in the BS in Finance program at the Jindal School of Management has more than prepared me for a top career in finance.