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The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Joint Program Selects Fellows

The Global Business Fellows program, a joint initiative between the McDonough School of Business and the School of Foreign Service, accepted 40 percent of applicants from the SFS and 60 percent of applicants from the MSB to join its second cohort this fall.

The cohort is composed of 15 sophomores from the SFS and 15 from the MSB. The SFS received a total 43 applications, in which 38 students indicated their interest in the fellows program and five in the global business major, which is only offered through the SFS. SFS applicants were notified of their acceptance Oct. 20. The MSB received 25 applicants.

According to Senior Associate Director Laura Soerensson, the MSB fellows had an average GPA of 3.72. SFS Assistant Dean Samuel Aronson, who serves as the Global Business fellows curricular chair, did not reply to a request for the average GPA of SFS fellows.

The fellows program launched in conjunction with the global business major in spring 2015. The program allows participants in both schools to enroll in political and economic courses in the SFS and business courses in the MSB. Fellows receive a certificate in global business upon completion of the courses.

Rosaelena O’Neil, the deputy director of the Landegger Program in International Business Diplomacy and SFS coordinator of the Global Business Fellows program, said the fellows will gain valuable experience through the program.

“This experience is very unique and special because it does simulate more of the work environment that they will enter,” O’Neil said. “This is a team-based class and the other thing that’s interesting is that the big project that they do is presented to a group of outside professional practitioners.”

The academic requirements include core courses in the MSB such as accounting and marketing, as well as classes in the SFS on economics. Participants are also required to take foreign language courses in the program.

In addition to coursework requirements, the program offers opportunities for professional development to fellows. Students will participate in global business experience in their junior and senior years in order to intersect their studies with an international business and public policy focus. This year’s program will organize a boot camp designed for students considering careers in finance, which includes the conducting of mock interviews. Each participant will also work with a professor from the MSB in his senior year.

According to O’Neil, students in the pilot program have responded positively to these initiatives.

“Now, as we are moving forward, we are planning some more networking experiences,” O’Neil said. “The students that are participating in these events find them very complementary and applied in conjunction with their academic work.”

MSB Senior Associate Dean Norean Sharpe said that students in the program engage in a rigorous yet rewarding set of courses.

“This program requires the cohort of McDonough and SFS students to enroll in a series of challenging courses in business, international affairs and economics,” Sharpe wrote in an email to The Hoya.

According to O’Neil, the incoming cohort has a greater distribution of majors than the first group.

“One of the goals we had for this cohort was to get a broader distribution in majors within the fellows, as opposed to creating a lot of overlap with the major,” O’Neil said. “One of the things we were looking for was distinctively different students that were coming in with different major interests.”

Andrea Moneton (SFS ’18), who was recently accepted into the program, said she looks forward to participating in the program.

“I’m excited to gain some technical business skills to round out my Georgetown education,” Moneton wrote in an email to The Hoya. “I think it’s going to be a great way to make my education over the next few years even more interdisciplinary.”

Shaked Atia (SFS ‘17), who joined the fellows program last year, said that student interest in the program has increased since its launch.

“I believe the popularity of the program grew since I applied last year, especially because other students can now see its benefits,” Atia said. “You see more and more SFS students taking business classes because they want to gain some hard skills to complement their majors. The program is constantly changing because we are its first cohort, so naturally there will be adjustments.”

Caroline Ritter (SFS ’17) also said she enjoyed the program as it hones her interest in the intersection of politics and economy.

“This program is valuable to Georgetown because it not only equips students with the necessary skills to approach challenges that could arise in future careers in international affairs and in business, but also because it connects students to professionals who are already successful in these fields through networking opportunities,” Ritter said.

 

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