CHARLOTTE DIETZ

 I was looking for a master’s that would allow me to deepen my knowledge of economics, focus on statistics and at the same time acquire some management and strategy skills. I think the MSc Economics & Finance is the only program in Europe that offers such a combination 

Before coming to HEC, I completed my bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science at the University of Cologne. Alongside my degree, I completed four-years of training as an economic journalist and completed various journalism internships. In order to gain some management experience, I took a gap year before starting at HEC, during which I completed two consulting internships at Roland Berger and The Boston Consulting Group.

For me, the MSc Economics & Finance is simply unique. I was looking for a master’s that would allow me to deepen my knowledge of economics, focus on statistics and at the same time acquire some management and strategy skills. I think it is the only program in Europe that offers such a combination and at HEC Paris, the program is taught at an institution with an excellent international reputation.

I thoroughly enjoyed the core and elective courses the program had to offer. One of my highlights was the course “Data and Decisions: Applied Analytics” where we not only learnt about the potential of big data, but also succeeded in programming regression models ourselves. It is exactly this mixture of theory and practical application that makes the courses so appealing. I especially enjoyed the vast range of courses: from traditional economic subjects and financial knowledge to consulting skills, the program covers many areas that perfectly prepare students for multiple career paths.

However being an HEC student is not only about studying. It is also about the wider experience on campus. Having never lived in the same place as people from so many different countries and academic backgrounds, I’ve found the extensive intercultural exchange very enriching, and I am happy to have made many new international friends. 
On top of this, the large amount of group work has helped us improve our team working skills and has prepared us for jobs in which we will probably work in intercultural teams on a daily basis. The campus community is intensified by the active associations in which students can participate. I was part of the climbing club, gave English lessons to French High School students with “Fleur de Bitume” and even founded a small choir with a French student. Although some might think that business schools attract rather similar people, I felt that the interests, opinions and passions of HEC students are extremely diverse. This is also highlighted when looking at the career paths MSc Economics & Finance students pursue: aside from the “classic” options of consulting and banking, there are people who strive to pursue careers in international organizations, economic consultancies or small startups.

After graduation, I will start a full-time career in strategy consulting. During my gap year internships, I realized that there is probably no other first job that could offer a broader experience. I hope to learn a lot, explore different industries with different challenges and continue to work in a diverse environment, so for me this job was the perfect choice. In the long run, I want to focus on digital transformation issues and work in the media sector.