More than 100 graduate students will receive their master’s degrees from the Belk College of Business Friday. We asked some of those graduates about their new jobs, post-graduation plans, and the effect their new degrees have had on their professional careers. Here’s what they had to say:
BARBORA SILOVSKA
What degree are you receiving?
MACC with a tax concentration
What is your current title and company?
I was a Senior Accountant at a local CPA firm for three years. However, in March, I decided to pursue my MACC full-time and prepare for the CPA exam.
What are you planning to do after graduation?
I will continue working toward my CPA licensure during the summer and hopefully, will pass all four exams before starting as a Tax Associate with PwC this fall.
How will having a master's degree affect your professional life (or how has it already)? I certainly received more interest from the large accounting firms during on-campus recruiting. I was able to land interviews with three of the Big Four, two national firms and one regional. Such success was unimaginable when looking for a position with my Bachelor’s in Accountancy. As a result of the program recruiting events, I have secured my dream position at PwC.
TYRONE DAVIS
What degree are you receiving?
Master of Business Administration
What is your current title and company?
Lead Technical Analyst at Duke Energy
What are you planning to do after graduation?
I plan to continue to expand my career within the energy industry and utilize my marketing analytics foundation to help make invaluable business decisions.
How will having a master's degree affect your professional life (or how has it already)?
Pursuing a master’s degree has already affected my professional life. I have started to apply many of the concepts I have learned from the MBA program in my daily routine. It has given me the opportunity to understand business operations from a much larger perspective.
CHRIS LUPFER
What degree are you receiving?
MBA with concentration in Finance
What is your current title and company?
COO of Advanced Photonic Crystals
What are you planning to do after graduation?
I plan to divest current intellectual property and then look to purchase a business to buy and grow.
How will having a master's degree affect your professional life (or how has it already)?
This program provided the knowledge and experience to review and evaluate the business aspects of companies. Running a start-up while going to school provided me the ability to bring my situations and issues to the classroom. Several times, I was able to immediately take information from class and implement at the office.
JOHN WHITE
What degree are you receiving?
Master of Science in Economics
What are you planning to do after graduation?
I plan to move to Chicago to work for British Petroleum as an Oil Analyst.
How will having a master's degree affect your professional life (or how has it already)?
Earning my master’s in Economics has allowed me to further develop my data and coding skills and ultimately secure employment in the oil and gas industry.
ANTHONY SPENCER
What degree are you receiving?
MBA with a concentration in Public Administration and Management
What is your current title and company?
Client Services Manager at TIAA
What are you planning to do after graduation?
After a well-deserved vacation, I plan on continuing my career development.
How will having a master's degree affect your professional life?
The master's degree gives me a higher level of knowledge that will help me advance my career. I now approach work with a different perspective. I have a greater understanding of how decisions are made, how to analyze information and how to work more effectively with my colleagues.
Click here to learn more about Graduate Programs in the Belk College of Business.