Brian Camerano (MST ’16) began his path to tax associate at PwC while still in high school.

There, in addition to the typical English, history and math classes, Camerano elected to take two years of financial accounting. The subject fascinated him, and he decided to apply to Bentley University for a Bacholor of Science in Accountancy.

At Bentley, he soon found himself taking a plethora of accounting classes, including a tax course that was mandatory for his major.

This class, Federal Taxation with Professor Arthur Reed, helped Camerano narrow his focus. He found himself spending hours deep in the pages of the Internal Revenue Code, not realizing that half the day had gone by while he was researching.

“There is something about tax that when you are reading and studying it, you know whether or not it's something for you,” he says. “I knew I could make a career out of doing something I like.”

As an undergraduate, Camerano ended up completing two internships in corporate tax and a third doing personal tax returns. By graduation, he was a self-professed “tax nerd” and decided to remain at Bentley for an additional year to complete his Master of Science in Taxation (MST).

From Intern to Tax Associate

Camerano wanted to go straight into his graduate studies so he could focus solely on work after graduation. He also realized that a master’s degree would help differentiate him from his peers in job applications — something that certainly helped him land a gig at PwC.

Now, having some experience in the real world of tax, Camerano is learning to appreciate the challenges his chosen field poses. “The facts never perfectly align with the law,” he explains.

Congress often leaves specifics of laws open to interpretation, as every case is unique. It’s up to tax professionals like Camerano to think both analytically and creatively to apply the law to specific cases.

In addition, these laws are constantly changing, forcing those in tax to stay up-to-date and be expert researchers. “With the amount of information out there, nobody can know everything,” he says, “but what sets some apart from others is the ability to find the answer.”

Camerano learned how to do this research and find the answer to each case in his graduate studies at Bentley.

The MST Program at Bentley

The most important aspect of the MST program for Camerano was the expertise his professors brought to the classroom. They were practicing lawyers, former partners at tax firms, and more, able to incorporate real examples into classroom discussions.

This practical approach made a big difference for Camerano once on the job.

“It sounds simple, but the Internal Revenue Code is extremely complex and navigating and understanding it can be a daunting task,” he says, who learned the code’s ins and outs in Professor David Missirian’s Transactions course. “From showing us some specific words and phrases in the code that should be noted, to looking further for exceptions in the law, this class was invaluable.”

He also greatly enjoyed Professor Scott Thomas’s class on International Tax Practice. Most businesses have operations in multiple countries, he explains, and having a hands-on experience with these types of companies in the classroom was important. “He had us putting the numbers on the actual forms to see how it would be done in a real-world setting.”

All of his classes taught Camerano something he uses daily at work, and he still stays in touch with many of the professors who shaped his education.

Looking Forward

Today, Camerano works in the Boston PwC office as a tax associate. He began in October 2016 and aims to continue “climbing the ladder” there. With his master’s degree already conferred, he is able to focus on his career completely.

As the landscape of his field changes, Camerano’s business background prepares him to continue to succeed in tax.

“Technology is constantly evolving and only time will tell how much of the tax process becomes automated,” he says. “I think we will see tax professionals become more of business advisers rather than just providing tax advice.”

Consider the johnny. This standard-issue garment at a doctor’s office or hospital — unstylish, uncomfortable, tied in back to ill effect — is an apt metaphor for many personal encounters with the U.S. health care system. We feel vulnerable. Anonymous. Parted from everyday life.  A company that triggered those emotions would not survive for long.

Take heart: Work by Bentley faculty like Danielle Hartigan and alumni such as Karl Wagner ’87 shows providers moving to treat patients more like the health care consumers they are. Our cover story, starting on page 11, explores the emerging customer-focused mindset and other business strategies with potential to improve the quality, cost and delivery of care.  

Elsewhere inside, the partnership between business and health care gets personal. The topic is drug development; our experts are Lance Colwell ’92 of biotech giant Biogen and a Bentley family living with a gut-wrenching diagnosis. Their paths connect in a surprising way, which came to light thanks to a third alumnus (and one very high peak). We appreciate the courage and honesty of all involved.

These stories suggest a measure of optimism in contentious times. At Bentley and elsewhere, there’s collaboration underway that promises better solutions for social ills. Complex issues are best addressed with expertise from across business sectors and academic disciplines. Let’s say fewer walls, more bridges. As for that johnny situation? Paging Calvin Klein.    

Stay well and stay in touch.


Susan Simpson
Editor

Only a few months after enrolling in Bentley University’s MBA program, Tony Murphy accepted a job as vice president of Information Technology (IT) at a Massachusetts-based technology company.

He decided to pursue an MBA after two decades in the field of IT. “I really felt I needed to understand a business end to end,” explains Murphy. “It was only then that I could formulate and execute an IT strategy that would benefit the company and its customers.”

Hailing from Monaghan, Ireland, Murphy had studied economics as an undergraduate and then computer science in graduate school. An MBA, he felt, would build upon his work experience and help broaden his education.

At the time Murphy lived in Watertown, MA, down the road from Bentley, and knew of the university and its outstanding reputation in the business world. He had also seen the success of its graduates first-hand: a VP at his prior company was an alumnus and spoke highly of the program to Murphy.

He decided to apply and began taking classes.

Applying 24 Years of Experience to Class

Murphy admits he is a bit older than most of his classmates, but with age comes experience. And experience is something Murphy brings a lot of to classroom discussions. 

Professors constantly use real-world business examples to teach, he explains. Many times he has experienced a similar situation in his own work and is, therefore, able to add a personal perspective to the class.

Likewise, his younger classmates bring a diverse millennial point of view, something he says he’s come to appreciate more as they learn from one another.

Even when his busy work schedule takes him away from the Waltham campus, Murphy doesn’t miss out on these valuable class discussions. Whether he’s traveling for business or at home with his three children, he can still join the hybrid classes from his laptop.

IT in the Business World

Murphy entered the MBA program with a concentration in IT, eventually switching to Leadership. Now, halfway through his degree, he is considering not having a concentration at all. For him, it’s all about picking the classes he needs to fill the gaps in his knowledge.

“You need that big overall picture to see how your role matters,” he explains. Though he and his classmates all entered Bentley with specific backgrounds in fields such as finance or IT, the holistic approach they find in the MBA classes allows them to see how their various disciplines work together.

Working at a business is a lot like building a house, Murphy says. When you’re focused on laying down each individual brick, it’s hard to step back to see how it all fits together to become a building.

“I think it is only natural for people to focus on their particular role, but it is important to ask the question: What am I trying to build here?”

The Bentley MBA helps students envision the completed building. But in order to see that big picture, they must learn to communicate with departments outside their area of expertise. Murphy says that all of his readings on IT stress the value of using a common language.

“Whether it’s communication with the C-levels or with the board, basically you don’t speak in IT terms — speak in business terms.”

Now that we live in a digital world, it’s more important than ever for IT professionals to know how to communicate effectively. Murphy says the near future will “require not only the leaders in organizations to leverage IT more, but also for IT leaders like myself to continuously demonstrate how IT can add value.”

UX Magazine has named Bentley University’s Human Factors in Information Design (HFID) program top academic program in its 2016 UX Magazine Awards.

In announcing the award, UX Magazine hailed Bentley for “preparing students with the right information, skills, soft skills, and experience to contribute valuably to experience-driven projects.”

The 2016 UX Magazine Awards also recognized excellence in products, teams and services, with the aim of bringing “valuable lessons from these leading examples of mastery in UX to the broader community.”

Bentley’s HFID program emphasizes the strategic role of UX in today’s global marketplace, focusing on communication skills and a mix of design, business and science. Opportunities to work with companies like Twitter and the Harvard Business Review give students priceless hands-on experience.

“I chose Bentley because it definitely is one of the best UX programs in the nation, and the director of the program really cares about the well-being and success of the student,” says Latoya Hall HFID ’16, who now works as a product designer at Rocket Lawyer in the San Francisco Bay area. “Bentley also has a very hands-on, client-based curriculum, making it very easy to build your first portfolio even if you’re coming from a non-design background.”

Sharron Zhu (ELMBA ’15) took inspiration from startups when deciding what to do with her career.

She was working at a venture capital firm at the time. Watching the success of her clients, she realized she needed to equip herself with the very tools they used to succeed in order to succeed herself. Though she already had a bachelor’s in International Relations, she decided to further her education through an MBA.

“In the competitive world of startups, I saw first-hand how companies that were able to thrive were also the ones that employ novel technologies, streamline efficiencies, and use data analytics,” says Sharron. She sought an MBA program that offered an education in all of these skills.

Choosing Bentley for a Well-Rounded MBA

Sharron chose Bentley University’s Emerging Leaders MBA, a two-year, full-time program designed for young professionals to fast-track their career.

The well-rounded curriculum taught Sharron the skills she had admired in the startups with whom she worked, providing her a background in all aspects of business.

“I learned how a business functions in Accounting and Finance,” she says. “I analyzed workflow practices in Business Process Management. And I realized how companies optimize from a people, process, and technology standpoint in Business Strategy.”

She applied these skills to the real world while still a student. For example, during her Corporate Immersion class, she and her teammates worked as consultants for their corporate partner. Sharron created a market expansion plan, segmenting potential customers and increasing visibility and reach. The corporate partner joined the class for weekly deliverables, scoring the teams and discussing the recommendations.

This wide range of classes prepared Sharron to be a better leader. Rather than simply looking at a business problem through an International Relations lens, she learned how to approach problems as a marketer, accountant, IT coordinator, manager, and more. All positions in a company have different goals and needs, and by recognizing all of them Sharron is better able to see how they work together.

Diversity in the Classroom

Not all of Sharron’s classes took place in the Bentley classroom. She also took hybrid online classes, meaning some students attended in person and some virtually, allowing greater flexibility for adults with busy lives.

“I was pleasantly surprised with how interactive the online class experience was,” she says. “I was able to follow along, ask questions if needed, and even participate in breakout sessions with my classmates while remote.”

Sharron’s classes also took her overseas. As part of the Emerging Leaders MBA program, she traveled to Nantes, France, to tour the Manitou Forklift Facility, their corporate partner. They also took classes and competed in a case competition at Universite de Nantes while in France.

The trip abroad allowed Sharron to work with a diverse group of students, but her classes at home were also made up of students from around the world.

“In today’s world, globalization is inevitable,” she says. “I felt that having a diverse and global MBA class would expand my own horizons and help me transition into a world where understanding people of all cultures and ethnicities is paramount.”

Today, Sharron has applied her well-rounded and global education to her career. Upon graduation she joined Metlife’s Global Leadership Development Program on their customer analytics team, creating data-driven strategies for Metlife’s customer solution center. However, when offered the chance to relocate to California, she couldn’t say no, and now works in the Leadership Development Program with Blue Shield of California.

Written by Jennifer Wright

By Francesca Concina, Alena Vorobieva, Temitayo Tijani, Prajkta Waditwar & Hongling Tong, BMBA '17

It was a hot July, Monday morning when we arrived at Bentley for the first time. We were told that we will spend the next year together, every day, eight hours a day, at least. It sounded impossible. We were excited, a little shy, smiling, looking around sleepy and jet-lagged. Now, 10 months after, we know each other as if we have always been friends. We have been through so many experiences, modules, tough times, exams; the world around us has changed since last July, and we changed —professionally, and personally.

The Bentley MBA program is an international, intensive, full-time learning experience where four themes —innovation, value, environment and leadership — enhance the skills and abilities of the managers of tomorrow. We would like to share with you some other interesting insights and peculiarities of the program, now that the graduation is knocking on the door. 

The Life at the MBA Studio

The BMBA studio is not your typical, old-school, blackboard classroom setting. It is a learning studio in every sense of the word. Furnished to taste with state-of-the-art equipment, the studio boasts as many facilities as any high-tech learning environment  can expect to have. The impact of this ultra-modern study environment is that learning becomes a more vivid experience for students. You are also able to connect with the real world in the instant your learning experience requires you to. Given the    emphasis on the experiential nature of the BMBA program, we get to do many team activities. These team activities are stimulating, often fast paced, exciting and as competitive, as you would expect to find in an MBA program. The interesting thing about working in teams is that you get to understand and appreciate the diverse competencies of individuals and cultures. Working randomly with 29 people from 19 different countries across five continents is a sure way to learn what idiosyncrasies to expect working in a multinational workplace. Working in teams also teaches you the essential elements of tolerance, collaboration and reliability. You don’t want to disappoint your colleagues as much as you don’t want to disappoint yourself.

Working with Cross-Cultural and Cross-Functional Team  

Working on a team is nothing short of an adventure. With every day’s teamwork, we have learned to respect and accept the cultural differences and different working practices. Before this MBA, the gestures, behaviors and speaking styles of other culture used to be either surprising or embarrassing for us, but after learning these differences in individuality and our unconscious biases, we made ourselves efficient to manage diverse teams and bring the best outcome of team’s hard work. 

Innovation with USINE: Build, Make, Iterate!

In September, we went to Paris to work and innovate at USINE. This was the first time we worked on prototyping with a team in a specialized prototyping studio. The challenge our team faced was that we had one day to brief our design to the USINE engineer, who helped produce all the tailor-made materials for the product, and then we collaborated to put the material together for final prototyping product. We are still very impressed by team’s creativity and flexibility. This experience taught us how to deal with setbacks and how to practice flexibility: when we found the material provided by the USINE studio, we could not present our design as we wished, but we brainstormed as a team and pivoted with the limited materials available and presented our new design perfectly.

Heritage Management in Greece

In Athens, we had the chance to study heritage management while visiting some of the most amazing, enchanting archeological sites in the world. During this field experience, we learned to understand potential business implications that can impact a city or location. We also learned to have an open mind in defining heritage (cultural, natural, food, industrial), to apply social sciences to innovate and preserve culture, and to use operational marketing to redesign the customer journey of tourists in the museums and archeological areas. The most important takeaway, however, was having the right attitude. If you do not have the right mindset, the right approach, you better stay home. When traveling with the BMBA you have to be open-minded, ready to see things from a different perspective, eager to innovate, to change, to make a difference. This is a life-changing experience if you embrace it.

Understanding the Entrepreneurial World at 360 Degrees

As a link between the value and environment themes, as well as a segue way into the leadership theme, we explored the food industry in San Antonio, Texas. During our eight days there, we met with leaders from eight diverse food companies, ranging from one-person entrepreneurs to large businesses with several thousands of employees and nonprofit organizations. We had the opportunity to discuss topics such as food waste, stakeholder engagement, and strategic management. During our company and manufacturing plants visits, we discussed future trends in the food industry, and how to deal with threats from a global field of competitors.

These experiences have shaped our time at Bentley and have pushed us to think outside the box to become better leaders tomorrow. 

Bill Starner, director of the Professional MBA program and a management professor at Bentley University, has seen it happen time and time again: large, multinational employers supporting promising employees in their decision to attend a part-time MBA program, in hopes of seeing them move up the ranks when they’re done.   

Many companies in the Boston area see value in continued educational pursuits, so Starner wasn’t surprised when he recently crossed paths at Bentley with an employee of a large defense contractor headquartered in the area. She was pursuing her MBA while working full time in communications. As part of the program, she participated in a global business experience to the Middle East led by Starner and spent an afternoon at her employer’s Middle Eastern branch with the in-country manager of the region. Her hard work eventually paid off. Soon after completing the part-time MBA program, she was promoted to an international corporate communications position. The right mix of ingredients — her job performance, her new skill set, and the insights from her recent trip — proved to be just what the company was looking for in its next-generation leaders.

There are plenty of companies that see value in supporting their employees’ desire to further their education. Sometimes, employers themselves may even suggest the idea if they want to see you compete for a higher-level job. But what if they don’t?

Not sure if you’re ready to have this conversation with your employer? Find out how other people knew when it was time to make the leap toward their MBA with this free guide.

Don’t wait for your employer to come up with the idea, Starner says. In most cases, it’s up to you to get the ball rolling. Pursuing an MBA while working is a challenge no matter what the circumstances, but it will be easier if you have the support of your current employer. For some, additional time off to attend class is enough; others might need financial assistance or some solid assurance that they’ll be considered for a position higher up the ladder as a result.

But how do you ask for what you need? The key, says Starner, is to focus on the benefits to your employer.

Convincing Your Employer To Support Your Part-Time MBA

Most companies are more willing to help out than you might think, but your boss must be convinced that your MBA will have value for the organization. That’s not hard to imagine when you consider these realities: More than 25 percent of all job openings in New England will require graduate degrees by 2020, and one-third of all managerial positions will require advanced degrees. If you’ve been an asset to your company in your current job, chances are your boss would rather promote you to a leadership position than hire someone new. With that in mind, statistics like these are handy to have at your fingertips when you’re talking to your boss.

To drum up an employer’s support for earning your MBA while working, craft a persuasive case  based on the following:

• You’ll have a broader and deeper understanding of how your department functions within the rest of the business. MBA students learn about all aspects of business and how they work together; as a result, they develop unique insights about an organization’s “bigger picture.” Your MBA will enable you to bring the same kind of strategic thinking to your employer and be part of driving your organization forward.

• You’ll bring current business practices and fresh ideas to the job. A good MBA program incorporates the very latest in business concepts, tools, and techniques, all of which you can share with your employer and your co-workers. As a student, you’ll have an inside look at how leading companies operate and innovate. Such knowledge can be invaluable if your current company hopes to stay competitive.

• You can start applying your newly acquired business skills immediately. As you progress through the MBA program, you’ll become more adept at decision-making, communication, problem-solving, leading groups, and looking at business issues from different perspectives. It’s likely that not enough current employees possess the combination of these higher-level business skills, which makes you a hot prospect.  Having someone with advanced business knowledge who is already part of the team will be seen as a value-add.

Whatever the specifics, be sure your boss hears this message: “I want to scale my career and I want to do it here.” If you’re hoping for support, make it clear that your goal is not to look for a job outside the company; it’s to apply your new knowledge at your current one.  

Get Your MBA While Working With Bentley’s Part-Time Professional MBA Program

Our Professional MBA students are all pursuing their MBA while working, gaining valuable business skills that will make them desirable candidates for next-level jobs within their organizations. To find out more about Bentley’s part-time Professional MBA program, visit our website or request more information from our admissions team.

Amstat News, the member magazine of the American Statistical Association, has chosen Bentley University’s Master of Science in Business Analytics as one of four MS analytics programs to be featured it its latest issue.

Bentley joins the University of Tennessee, George Mason University, and University of Minnesota in this selection.

“More universities are starting master’s programs in data science and analytics due to the wide interest from students and employers,” said Steve Pierson, ASA Director of Science Policy. “Amstat News reached out to the statistical community involved in such programs. Given their interdisciplinary nature, we identified those that involved faculty with expertise in different disciplines to jointly reply to our questions.

“While the ASA has not issued a statement about the role of statistics in analytics, we assume statistics to also be foundational there,” Pierson added. “For this reason, we highlight the programs that are cross-disciplinary and engage statisticians.”

In an in-depth Q&A with Amstat News, Associate Professor Mingfei Li, MSBA program director and coordinator of the business analytics certificate and concentration programs, spoke about key components of Bentley’s MSBA program, including:

• Basic elements of Bentley’s MSBA curriculum and how it was developed
• The primary motivation for developing a master’s program in analytics
• Student reaction to the program
• How she views the relationship between statistics and data science/analytics
• The types of jobs Bentley grads are prepared for, and the employer demand for them
• Advice for students considering an analytics degree and institutions considering the establishment of such a degree

Bentley’s MSBA program continues Bentley’s long tradition of training analytics professionals at the graduate level, providing the valuable tools needed to succeed in this emerging field.

When it comes to choosing a school for your master’s in finance, a number of factors should play into your decision — reputation, cost, location, admission requirements, and more. One of the most important criteria is the course offerings: Are they rigorous enough to prepare you for the demands of today’s marketplace? Will they give you a competitive advantage when it’s time to search for a job?

To answer these questions, ask any prospective school how its finance program was developed and how it’s changed over time. Programs that remain static or are developed solely by faculty (without the input of industry professionals) are less likely to be reflective of real-world challenges.

At Bentley, our master’s in finance program was developed in close collaboration with the corporate community, putting our graduates among the top candidates in the hiring pool. Our latest enhancements to the program give you even more choices for planning your finance career, boost your salary potential, and make you more marketable than ever.

How Bentley’s Master’s In Finance Program Prepares You For Work

Here’s what Bentley faculty members learned from working with leaders in the finance industry: Many graduate school finance programs prepare people well for traditional finance positions, but not well enough when it comes to valuable ancillary skills such as math, data, programming, and knowledge of statistical analysis packages.

Times are changing, and so is the world of finance. While traditional jobs in corporate finance and capital markets will always be relevant, there’s rising demand for individuals who are knowledgeable about finance but also have advanced math and technology skills. Statistical modeling, mathematical theory, and quantitative techniques are increasingly being used to reduce risk and maximize profit in a world of global competition.

Want to know the most sought-after job skills in finance today? Download this free ebook to get an inside look at the job market.
 

Reflecting this reality, Bentley’s master’s in finance program now offers you two options for study: the traditional finance path and a newly created quantitative finance path.  

About The Bentley Master’s In Finance Program

Bentley has partnerships with both the CFA Institute, which administers the Investment Foundations certificate, and GARP (Global Association of Risk Professionals), which offers financial risk management certification. Getting your degree at Bentley in either path will go a long way toward obtaining both certifications, as our course offerings closely match the required certification skills.  

Students in the finance master’s degree program don’t always have a finance background — in fact, it’s fairly common that they don’t! If you haven’t already taken undergraduate courses in economics, statistics, accounting, and finance, then you’ll need to take three foundational courses in these areas first. (If you have, there’s no need to take them again.)  

Both paths have the same five core courses:

• Quantitative Analysis for Business

• International Financial Management

• Corporate Finance: Theory, Tools and Concepts

• Investments

• Financial Modeling

The Finance Path

The traditional finance path requires five electives, allowing you to focus on your personal areas of interest. Among the electives offered are: Derivatives, Mergers and Acquisitions, Large Project Finance, Financial Strategy, Advanced Portfolio Theory, Fixed Income, and Equity Valuation.

If you want to work toward being a corporate treasurer or a CFO, for example, you’ll take corporate finance classes like Advanced Corporate Finance or Financial Strategy. Or, if you want to work at a financial services company, you might take Fixed Income and Advanced Portfolio Theory.

The Quantitative Path

The quantitative path, on the other hand, is more prescribed.

It requires an additional foundation course (possibly two, depending on your background) in calculus. It also features six additional required courses (in addition to your core courses) that are strong in market applications and emphasize the advanced math and coding skills a lot of employers are looking for, including:  

• Fixed Income

• Equity Valuation (or Mergers and Acquisitions)

• Derivatives

• Advanced Portfolio Theory

• Intermediate Statistical Modeling

• Computational Finance

One elective is also required — any course in finance, mathematics, or computer science.

Here’s an added benefit to the quantitative finance path for international students: Because the quantitative finance program is heavily math-oriented, it qualifies as a STEM degree. Thanks to a recent change in the federal government’s F-1 OPT requirements as related to STEM students, Bentley’s international students who choose the quantitative finance path are eligible to extend their stay in the U.S. by 24 months (in addition to the usual one-year work authorization).

Learn More About Our Master’s In Finance Program

The Bentley Master’s in Finance program emphasizes the skills you need to attract employers today, including technical proficiency, critical thinking, and analytical and communication skills. Plus, our unique online option makes it possible for busy working professionals to complete many of the courses from any location — while still participating in real-time classes.

To be part of the next generation of financial experts and leaders, learn more about Bentley’s Master of Science in Finance program.

Xu Han (MSIT ’15) quickly realized understanding data in the business world would provide him with job security for his future. After completing two business internships as an Economics and Business undergraduate student at the Capital University of Economics and Business in Beijing, he still craved a more direct focus on data analysis.

He decided to pursue a master’s in information technology (IT), and began researching universities for potential graduate schools.

Through his research, Han came across multiple accounts from Bentley University alumni in the online forums he was perusing. “The people I spoke to who graduated from Bentley were just so warm-hearted,” he says. And just as important to Han: “I realized that Bentley gives you good opportunities to find jobs.”

Switching to Information Technology

Han applied to Bentley and was initially accepted into another program. Though he enjoyed his classes, he still craved more knowledge about the technology world, recognizing that it would be vital to his career.

Motivated to make the most of his time at Bentley, Han approached Professor Wendy Lucas and asked about the Masters of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) program. He wanted to take Java to start, but with no experience in the subject, he was worried he wouldn’t grasp the concepts quickly enough.

Professor Lucas encouraged him to take the course anyway. Now, Han says, understanding Java makes him a better employee, as he is able to quickly learn new programming languages that share common traits with Java.

“At Bentley, if people want to achieve more they just need to start reaching out to people and networking,” Han says. He had plenty of resources on campus when he first started taking IT classes, including the Computer Information Systems (CIS) Sandbox, his professors at weekly office hours, and his classmates.

Han transferred into the MSIT program and excelled, eventually becoming a tutor himself at the CIS Sandbox. A professor even hired him as a Teacher’s Assistant. And, with his education and work experience, he landed an IT internship at Dunkin’ Brands after his first year at Bentley.

Using IT in the Business World

Upon graduation, Han accepted a position at EY as a Staff Consultant on the National Advisory Board. In this two-year program, he works under the IT advisory branch, but the position allows him the flexibility to explore other branches, such as health care, as well.

In completing his degree and securing this job Han did, of course, face challenges. He says he struggled with speaking English initially, as it isn’t his native language. However, the MSIT program gave him plenty of chances to practice his English through class discussions and presentations. EY is also a very diverse and encouraging environment, which he feels is the perfect fit.

Today, Han uses the business experience his first internships provided him as well as the technical skills of IT. For him, switching to IT wasn’t that far of a leap.

“A lot of people think IT is just about computers, but that’s not really true. IT at a business school is still about business, still about communicating with other people.”

Bias influences our every decision.

Hiring a new employee, deciding who to sit next to in class, even choosing a meal at a restaurant: All actions are influenced by our past experiences and personal preferences.

“The danger in our thinking is that we believe we’re fully aware of why we’re doing what we’re doing; however, there are always invisible factors influencing our thinking” says Wiley Davi, associate professor of English and Media Studies at Bentley University. She teaches a course called “Thinking about Thinking” in the Bentley MBA program’s Leadership module, the first of four in the 11-month program.

She and her fellow instructor Professor Duncan Spelman use simulations and class discussions to show students the factors which influence their thinking, which in turn influences their behavior.

It’s a course about metacognition, or paying attention to our cognitive processes. And it’s essential to effective leadership.

Bias and Our Understanding of the World

There are two types of bias: explicit and implicit. Explicit bias is easy to spot, such as when a leader readily admits to preferring American-owned companies or hiring students who hail from her alma mater.

Implicit, or unconscious, bias is more insidious.

“I can be the best, most well-intentioned person in the world,” says Davi, “but given my past experiences . . . there may be patterned ways of thinking that I’ve inherited that could influence my thinking without me actually being conscious of it.”

She says our brain creates a shorthand to decipher the vast amount of information we absorb every moment. Our unconscious notices every last detail, down to the sound of the dishwasher in the next room.

Our mind, however, makes snap judgments to determine the most vital information. This shorthand is based on a number of factors; in their course, Davi and Spelman focus on what they see as four key factors: emotional intelligence, social identity, your brain’s drive for certainty, and “out of awareness,” or activity happening in your brain that you don’t notice.

As future leaders, the MBA students learn how to recognize each factor at play in order to mitigate the negative impact of bias.

Developing Processes to Eliminate Bias

Davi explains that unconscious bias isn’t inherently evil. For example, when we go to restaurants the fonts on the menu and the lighting in pictures can influence our choice of one meal over another, helping us make a decision quicker.

However, when left unchecked, that same influence can become harmful. For example, before blind auditions became the norm in the 1970-’80s, orchestras were made up of primarily male musicians. Once they began holding blind auditions, new members were chosen on talent alone, increasing the number of women represented.

The class is designed to teach students to create similar processes to avoid bias in their work. Davi puts the students into simulations, such as leading a team in a decision-making process, in order to help them learn to spot the four factors at play.

Emotions Role in Effective Leadership

To help students begin to pay attention to influencing factors such as emotions or social identities, Davi and Spelman put them into a number of simulations.   In addition, they use fiction as a way to trigger certain responses.  For example, students are often baffled by being assigned a short story by Milan Kundera in an MBA leadership course. However, by the end of the discussion of the reading, they come to recognize the complex ways in which their emotional reactions influenced their understanding of the characters and the story.  

“Leaders shouldn’t be reluctant or afraid to pay attention to how emotions are influencing their thinking,” she says. “It can be really useful data.” 

A New Kind of Leader

“Thinking about Thinking” creates a new kind of leader.

For too long, “leader mode” simply meant work hard and fast and be the best. A more effective leader, Davi argues, is reflective.

“Unless your deadline is two minutes from now, pause.” Give yourself 15 minutes before replying to a rude email or spend a few days considering a candidate for a job.

By taking a moment to think, leaders stop reacting on instinct, which would force them to rely on their subconscious shorthand. Instead, they become more accepting, humble, and open to feedback.

The class is designed to create this type of leader by strengthening the students’ communication, intercultural, and critical-thinking skills. Those who have completed the module tell Davi that the lessons they learned have given them stronger interpersonal skills and allow them to manage teams better.

Now, Davi and Spelman are hoping to continue to change the world’s perception of an effective leader by writing a book, sharing some of the lessons they teach. They hope the book will inspire leaders to incorporate these lessons into their daily lives, not just a day-long corporate workshop or a 10-week MBA course.

Learning to think this way is a lifelong process, says Davi. When we stop thinking about the way we think, we fall into old biases. Executive teams at businesses continue to look the same, and we miss out on valuable perspectives from women and minorities.

“The only person you can change is yourself. So the more you think about your own thinking, the better the outcome in any situation.”

Bentley University Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) Program Director Wendy Lucas recently headlined the second annual Bentley faculty/industry roundtable, focusing on “Diversity in Tech: Addressing the Talent Pipeline and Workplace Culture.” Co-sponsored by Bentley’s Center for Women and Business and the Bentley Research Council, the event also featured Danny Best, director of global diversity and inclusion at Dell Inc.

The roundtable took aim at the “leaky pipeline” of women entering the tech fields. Despite overall growth of good jobs in the computing field, the percentage of women in higher-level jobs have consistently dropped since the mid-1990s .

Fostering diversity at the start of the pipeline will help the tech industry address a looming qualified labor shortage, according to Lucas.

“At current graduation rates,” she said, “the U.S. can only fill about 30 percent of the predicted computing-related jobs.”

Lucas said early intervention and encouragement can have a positive impact on girls considering careers in computing and other tech fields. Getting more young women and girls excited about and mentored in tech fields can also help address this shortfall.

More coverage of the roundtable can be found here. 

If you're interested in learning more about the gender gap facing women in STEM fields, check out BestColleges.com's Women in STEM guide. 

A Bentley MBA student has developed a mobile app he hopes will create a new community for pets and their owners. Diego Alves’s free “GoPetie” connects pet owners so they can schedule pet play dates, find walkers or pet sitting, report a missing pet, and find pets available for adoption, even arrange breeding. It’s available now in the Apple App Store and on GooglePlay.

“I used to work for a software company,” Alves explains. “I also loved pets. My family has pets I’m a pet owner and I know a lot of people who are pet owners, and we always talk about issues we face.

“In the summer of 2015 one of my friends has having a hard time finding other pets to breed nearby. He has a unique breed so it was very hard to find. So then I did some research about the market and I talked to people about ideas, some challenges they face, and what they would like to find on an app or website that would help them take care of their pets and make connections.”

The native of Brazil got his undergraduate degree from Worcester State University, and is finishing up his Professional MBA this spring.

“I wanted to advance my career, and I knew that an MBA would be helpful to be a manager or supervisor,” says Alves. “The job market is so competitive so you have to be ready to have that education. I think it will help my professional goals and also my personal goals.

“The Bentley PMBA is very good for young professionals or if you are working full time because of the evening classes and also the hybrid courses which means you can attend class on campus or online in real time.” 

Building a Community for Pet Owners

GoPetie has some features that users of Uber, Tinder or other share economy apps might notice, plus some tweaks aimed specifically at pet owners.

“The app offers a platform where pet owners can meet each other and connect. So the idea is that you can find all the pet owners near you to schedule play dates, members can connect and exchange services such as pet sitting and pet walking for free,” says Alves. “By allowing people to connect and exchange pet services, the app helps owners take care of their pets while creating community and relationships.”

Response to the idea has so far been great, Alves says. He secured $150,000 in capital from investors in Brazil, which he says is the third largest market in the pet industry worldwide, and where the app is scheduled to launch next. Microsoft also partnered with the startup through its Biz Spark Plus program.

“Microsoft has given us $120,000 in cloud services, licensing and support,” Alves explains. “That was really helpful because cloud services are very expensive.”

Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone

Alves says Bentley’s focus on career development, and its strong international community, helped him stay on target and consider new perspectives.

“Bentley is a great school especially if you are willing to step out of your comfort zone and meet international students,” he says. “It exposes you to cultural differences and also helps build résumé and personal skills. Bentley has very good faculty and career services, I really appreciate all the help from them.”

“I have encountered many students from India, China and other countries and everyone has a different perspective or opinion about how to solve a problem or how to approach any given matter. I think it’s helpful because we can understand how people have different solutions to everything. The interaction is very helpful.”

As far as GoPetie, Alves says the company is expanding marketing to include a series of MBTA ads, and reached out to shelters to offer services there.

“I’m very excited, we have a lot of challenges every day,” says Alves. “There are a lot of late nights but now everything is coming together so it’s very exciting.”

When Sanjay Patil (ELMBA, MSMA and Grad Certificate in BA ‘17) arrived at Bentley University in 2015, he wasn’t here for just any graduate degree.

He came to Bentley to pursue his second and third graduate degrees along with a grad certification.

“I have always been keen on gaining knowledge; education is like a craving and I have immense respect for everything I learn,” he explains. Though he already has an MBA in Finance from India, he was curious about marketing and wanted to explore the subject while experiencing a new culture.

That yearning for knowledge led Patil to pursue a dual-degree at Bentley: an MBA in Marketing and a Master of Science in Marketing Analytics.

Adding an Analytical Approach

Patil is part of Bentley’s Emerging Leaders MBA program, which promotes this type of dual-degree, meant for students who want to be effective leaders in a tech-centric economy.

This fusion of business administration and analysis was a major draw for Patil, who says it has offered him a chance to develop a more “holistic profile” of both technical and soft skills.

It is also evident in his graduate classes. For example, as part of the MS in Marketing Analytics, he has already taken Intermediate Statistical Model Building and Customer Data Analysis. He then focuses on leadership and management through his MBA in Marketing courses, with offerings such as International Marketing, Consumer and Buyer Behavior, and Enhancing Creativity.

Credits from some classes apply to both degrees, making it possible for him to complete two more degrees in just two years.

Outside the Classroom

Patil’s classwork has already begun to pay off in the workforce. He completed an internship in Production Management at Red Hat over the summer, where Bentley’s emphasis on group work and class discussions made him stand out.

He says that “being accustomed to group dynamics and having the ability to speak up confidently in a group” had prepared him for the realities of a job. “It sounds very basic, but it makes a huge difference when done in a professional set-up.”

The group work Patil experienced was a result of Bentley’s small class size and was a major reason why he chose Bentley.

One of his goals in entering the graduate program was to “expose [him]self to a different culture, of education, and of society.” Going to school in America allowed him to learn in a new educational culture; his classmates showed him a new societal culture.

With classmates hailing from all over the globe, Patil has the chance to “gain and share knowledge with a diverse group.” And in addition to working with these students every day in class, he has also gotten to know them as President of the Graduate Student Association (GSA).

Two New Degrees and a Growing Industry

Now that his graduation is approaching, Patil is planning to return to the professional setting with two new degrees in hand.

His drive to learn won’t diminish once he’s out of the traditional classroom setting, however. Though he originally only planned on pursuing an MBA in Marketing, he added the MS in Marketing Analytics because of the opportunities data presents.

“In the end, data is invaluable no matter where it is,” he explains. With a degree in Marketing Analytics, Patil can apply his expertise to any field, allowing him the flexibility to explore.

“Analytics can never function on its own – I love it that we have to understand the field in which we are, to be able to make sense of all the advanced tools,” he says.

Another big challenge he predicts he’ll face on the job is seeking balance. Analysts must coordinate forces which are often at odds with one another, he explains: the balance of accuracy and feasibility (in both time and money) and considering the “dynamism of the industry” at the same time keeping up with the daily tasks that need to be completed.

The rewards of the analytics industry, however, make this second and third degree worth it for Patil. He sees the speed at which demand for marketing and data analytics is growing, and is excited to enter the field and begin making meaningful contributions to businesses.

Mae Keefe (MSIT ’18) had no plans to pursue a career in IT when she completed her BA in Philosophy in 2011.

Instead, she found a job in customer service, working at a small software company. Though she answered questions about technology daily, she never directly interacted with the software’s code.

Eventually, Keefe decided to change that. She saw how her company’s software improved businesses and wanted to learn the hard skills, such as programming languages, required to design similar tools herself.

“It’s amazing to me how reliant we are on technology as a society, but really have very little understanding of how it functions,” she says.

Determined to learn more about the product she was supporting, Keefe transitioned into quality assurance in 2015. Just one year later, she arrived at Bentley University for a Master’s in Information Technology (MSIT).

Seeking a Skillset Companies Desired

Keefe was not looking for a typical computer science degree.

Her work at the software company taught her that it was vital to understand both technology and business in order to be competitive in today’s economy. She explains that she “wanted to become conversant not just with business and sales people, but with developers and system architects as well.”

She found that dual approach of IT and business at Bentley.

Rather than explaining IT through lectures and theories, her professors encourage vibrant discussions about real-world cases, showing students how IT can be utilized to innovate and streamline business processes. She recalls Professor Bill Schiano’s class, Enterprise Architecture, saying that he “demands that you learn not just the content, but the skills needed to make use of it in the real world.”

From her MSIT courses, Keefe is learning the skills necessary to communicate not only with developers and system architects but also with marketers and financial analysts and all other stakeholders in business.

Finding a Community of Falcons

Though some may see her trajectory from philosophy to IT as a drastic change, Keefe sees the two subjects as complementing one another. Her undergraduate philosophy classes taught her to take complex ideas and break them down, something she now does with technological concepts.

“Substitute esoteric ideas with systems and databases, and I’m doing the same thing today!” she says.

What was a big change for her, however, was the community she found at Bentley. Going to a large university for undergrad meant she often felt like a number and didn’t know where to go for needed resources. At Bentley, she found that the “staff and faculty seem to make it their mission to provide opportunities and pave the way for student success.”

With the smaller campus also comes a closer community. Keefe’s classmates often tell her about internships, jobs, events, and articles they think might interest her. Today, she’s created friendships with people from all over the world, and that diversity of the student population is one of her favorite parts about the MSIT.

“Learning about other people’s experiences and career goals has definitely helped me shape my own,” she says, “and I’m really thankful for that.”

Using IT to Change the World

Keefe’s career goals take a big-picture approach.

“I care less about what job I have when I graduate and more about what kind of problems I’ll be able to help solve and the people it will impact,” she says. “The world has big problems to solve, and it needs people who can build and utilize new tools in order to solve them.”

Through the Bentley MSIT, Keefe is gaining the hard skills she once lacked — she’s already completed her first programming class — while learning how to think in business terms. Add in her passion for social justice, and she is optimistic about her future.

She hopes to use technological tools to support sustainability and encourage more women to study and work in STEM fields, two causes about which she is passionate.

“I am genuinely concerned about the problems facing humanity right now, but I am also optimistic about our ability to solve them,” says Keefe. “Technology is inevitably going to be part of that solution, and so am I.”

Here’s a question we’re frequently asked in the admissions department:Should I take the GRE or the GMAT for business school?

There isn’t a definitive answer that applies across the board. Different schools accept different tests—and some accept both. But there are some things to consider before you make your decision; we’ve outlined them below.  

GMAT vs. GRE

To understand the purpose of these tests, it helps to see them in context, alongside other exams associated with higher education. Each of the so-called “professional schools” has its own standardized test:

• MCAT—for applicants to medical school

• LSAT—for applicants to law school

• GMAT—for applicants to business school

The GRE was created for applicants to most other graduate programs that don’t fall into one of these three professional schools.

The GMAT Exam

The Graduate Management Admission Test, or GMAT, was created by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) specifically for admission to business schools. GMAC owns and administers the test.

What’s on the GMAT test?

Generally speaking, the GMAT assesses your quantitative and analytical skills, which are necessary for business school and demanded of business professionals. According to the official GMAT website, the skills demonstrated on the GMAT exam are the ones “that matter most in business school and beyond.” Up until just a few years ago, it was the only test accepted by MBA program recruiters. The GMAT is comprised of four sections:

1. Analytical Writing Assessment: Test takers are presented with a topic and asked to analyze the reasoning behind a given argument in a written critique. Skills evaluated: analysis of the argument.

2. Integrated Reasoning: Test takers are presented with numerous information sources in different formats and asked to solve complex problems based on all the information provided. Skills evaluated: multi-source reasoning, graphics interpretation, analysis.

3. Quantitative: Test takers use reasoning skills (data analysis and drawing conclusions) to solve mathematical problems. Skills evaluated: data sufficiency, problem-solving.

4. Verbal: Test takers answer questions related to understanding/analyzing information and using reasoning skills to craft arguments, as well as proficiency of the English language. Skills evaluated: reading comprehension, critical reasoning, sentence correction.   

Test takers receive one score for the GMAT, ranging from 200 to 800. For the past five years, 500 has been the average score on the GMAT around the world. (Note: You can find sample topics from each of these sections on the GMAT website.)

Wondering when to start preparing for the test? Download our instruction manual for grad school applicants and get a complete timeline for the application process.
 

The GRE Exam

The GRE General Test assesses quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and analytical writing skills. According to the Educational Testing Service (ETS), which administers the test, the questions featured on this test “closely reflect the kind of thinking you’ll do in graduate or business school.”

What’s on the GRE test?

The GRE has three test sections:

• Verbal Reasoning: Test takers are presented with text passages and answer questions demonstrating their ability to analyze and draw conclusions, distinguish major from minor points, summarize text, and understand the meanings of words. Skills evaluated: analysis and evaluation of text, and the ability to synthesize information obtained from it.

• Quantitative Reasoning: Test takers answer questions requiring them to interpret data presented in a variety of forms. Skills evaluated: basic math skills and the ability to reason quantitatively and solve problems with quantitative methods.

• Analytical Writing: Test takers write two separately-timed responses—one to analyze a particular issue and one to analyze an argument. Skills evaluated: critical thinking, information analysis, and writing.

Test takers receive three scores for the GRE—one for each test section. In verbal and quantitative reasoning, scores range from 130 to 170. Analytical writing scores range from 0 to 6.

Which test should you take?

In the past five years, some business schools have started to accept both the GRE and the GMAT. In deciding whether to take the GRE or GMAT for business school, consider the following:

1. Which test does the school or schools you hope to attend accept? Check this first—GMAT vs. GRE requirements vary.

2. How much time do you have to prepare? The GMAT takes longer to prepare for because it’s a more complex test. It has four parts compared to the GRE’s three, and places more emphasis on quantitative and analytical skills. If you’re short on time (and it doesn’t matter if you take the GRE vs. GMAT), you might consider taking the GRE.

3. What are your strengths? A lot of people ask, “When it comes to GRE vs. GMAT, which is easier?” Unfortunately, the answer varies according to the person taking the test. In general, people with better-than-average analytical skills, like engineers, for example, tend to do well on the GMAT because their natural way of thinking matches the structure of the test, with a greater focus on logical arguments and quantitative questions. People who are stronger in vocabulary and communications may do better on the GRE, though math is still a big component of the exam. It all depends on your strengths, your study style, and the way you think. So don’t waste time considering which is harder or easier—both require a great deal of preparation if you hope to do well.

4. Will your GMAT score be necessary for future employment? Depending on the type of career you go into, some companies may ask to see your GMAT score as part of the recruitment process (though this happens very rarely). They’ll consider it right along with your transcript, interview, experience, and any other information they have available. If you have a GRE score, it’s possible they won’t consider you as a potential candidate for employment. Research companies that you would like to work for post-MBA or talk to corporate recruiters to seek out what they look for in new hires.

5. How will my scores compare against other applicants? Some schools convert GRE scores to GMAT scores using a special comparison tool. Only the verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning scores will be considered in the conversion, not the analytical writing score.  

6. How much will each test cost? Both the GRE and GMAT are an investment. Depending on what part of the world you live in, the cost to take the GRE is either $205 or $220. It can be retaken once every 21 days, up to five times within any continuous 12-month period. The cost to take the GMAT exam is $250 globally. The GMAT can be retaken once every 31 days, up to five times within a continuous 12-month period.

Testing Tips For Future MBA Applicants

• Ask potential schools for three things when it comes to both the GMAT and the GRE: 1) The minimum requirement for admission, 2) the range of test scores they receive, and 3) the average test score they admit. The definition of a “good” score varies by school, so asking the three questions above will give you a good idea of the type of schools you should apply to based on your test score. Because the tests are computer-based, you’ll know how you did as soon as you complete the test. (Though the GRE test score will be “unofficial” until 10-15 days after your test date, during which time the writing portion will be scored.)

• Give extra attention to the beginning sections of both tests. Both the GRE and the GMAT are adaptive, meaning that the questions at the beginning of each section start out at an average level of difficulty (500-level, approximately) and either increase or decrease in difficulty based on how you performed early on. If you start out low, it will be that much harder to make up lost points.   

When deciding whether to take the GMAT vs. the GRE for business school, remember this: Test scores aren’t everything, but they are a significant starting point for admissions departments simply because they provide common ground on which to evaluate all business school applicants. Everyone who applies has different backgrounds, different work experience, and different life experience; as the recruiting process goes on, those things will also come into play. But good test scores will always be an asset—so choose the test that you believe you’ll do best on, and prepare to the best of your ability.

Visit our website for more information about Bentley’s three MBA programs and to find out about our own Admission Committee’s review process.