In today’s highly competitive global job market, the credentials on your resume need to set you apart. With that in mind, a growing number of our Bachelor of Business Administration students are taking advantage of the opportunity to deepen their knowledge, hone their expertise, and expand their international career horizons by transitioning straight to graduate-level studies at Hult.
For ambitious students who know from the start that they want to pursue a masters degree, Hult offers an accelerated Combined Degree Program. This rigorous program puts you on the fast track to earn a Bachelor of Business Administration and a masters degree in as little as three years.
Depending on your interests and careers aspirations, masters degree options at Hult include the Masters in International Business, Masters in International Marketing, Masters in Finance, Masters in Business Analytics, and Masters in Disruptive Innovation. All of these can be studied as part of the Combined Degree Program, or as a separate one-year masters program following the completion of your bachelors degree.
We spoke with two students who have taken the leap from bachelors to masters at Hult, allowing them to continue their studies and gain wider global experience across our campus network.
Here’s what they have to say about going from undergraduate to postgraduate.
Sugar Nguyen
Vietnamese
Bachelor of Business Administration, London
Masters in International Business, Boston
Class of 2018
Why did you initially choose Hult for your Bachelor of Business Administration degree?
I received a few offers from different schools, however, Hult got my attention due to its international factor.
I love that Hult offers different, practical programs at campuses around the world. As a future businesswoman, I saw that it would definitely benefit me and help me prepare for the real world.
What was that biggest lesson you learned from your undergraduate studies that has helped you as a masters student?
The biggest takeaway I have from the undergraduate program is: don’t let people tell you what you can’t do, show them what you can.
Why did you decide to do a masters degree? What were the advantages of continuing at Hult?
As the job market is getting more competitive, I think having a bachelors degree is not enough. I choose to do a masters right after finishing my undergraduate degree so I can focus 100% on my career in the future.
Continuing with Hult was totally ideal for me since I already understood the system here. It didn’t take a long time to adapt, but the program is still challenging enough for me to improve myself. Beyond that, Hult offers a great population of international students, which is amazing for networking and international IQ skills.
Did the Enrollment and Academic teams make the transition to graduate studies easy for you? How did they help?
The transition was super easy with the help of my Enrollment Advisor, Daryna. She made sure I understood every step of the transition and kept checking up on me.
Beside Daryna, Kara was my Visa Coordinator. She helped a lot with the visa process, which is one of the biggest concerns for any international student.
What’s the biggest difference between your undergraduate and masters studies?
A Hult masters degree is definitely more advanced than the Bachelor of Business Administration program. A group project now becomes a professional project, rather than just school work. It requires students to be more professional, hardworking, and committed.
I love that I have the chance to be friends and work with people who already have experience in the industry I’m interested in. This does not happen often at an undergraduate level. This is the biggest difference, and really helped me develop great industry insights.
Why did you choose to do your masters degree at a different Hult campus? What do you feel you’ve gained from the experience of studying in different cities?
I love to challenge myself and explore other cultures. I see Boston as a great place to gain academic advantages and networking. It’s the home to Harvard Business School, MIT, and—most importantly—it’s very close to New York, where I want to start my career.
Moving to a new country and city forced me to get outside of my comfort zone, learn to adapt to a new culture, and challenge myself in a new job market. I have learned the skills to adapt to different cultural environment professionally and socially, which is essential for a business person these days.
What are your career plans after finishing your degree?
My biggest dream is to work at an international advertising agency, either in New York or London. The Career Development Team has been helping me to build my professional profile and giving me information about securing an international student work visa.
What does having the “Hult DNA” mean to you?
Hult DNA to me is being a leader, being open minded, internationally educated, active, willing to face challenges, and kind.
“As the job market is getting more competitive, I think having a bachelors degree is not enough. I choose to do a masters so I can focus 100% on my career in the future.”
Sarveen Chester
Singaporean
Bachelor of Business Administration, London
Masters in International Business, London
Class of 2018
Why did you initially choose Hult for your Bachelor of Business Administration degree?
I chose Hult because of the opportunities to put business theory into practice. I think this is what many business schools aren’t able to provide.
In business education, having the fundamentals right and the opportunity to put theory into practice and learn lessons from those experiences is valuable. Hult was able to provide that to me in my undergraduate degree and I decided to continue my postgraduate journey with them.
I was also given the full Dean’s Scholarship to take on this next stage, which I’m incredibly grateful for.
What was that biggest lesson you learned from your undergraduate studies that has helped you as a masters student?
Moving from undergraduate to masters studies, the biggest takeaway for me is to never underestimate what the person beside you can do.
People surprise you most of the time in pleasant ways. Being able to have a conversation with them and asking yourself what you can learn from the people around you is a gem. Stay open and keep networking—your network is your net worth.
Why did you decide to do a masters degree? What were the advantages of continuing at Hult?
Doing a masters degree wasn’t initially part of my plan. But because I was offered a full scholarship to take this opportunity, I couldn’t turn it down. Especially because I was able to continue driving the success of the Hult Founders Lab by taking it into the London postgraduate campus.
I could also spend more time in the city that I love, and finally do my global rotations to the San Francisco and Shanghai campuses.
Continuing my journey with Hult meant that the transition and application process was smooth. I didn’t have to submit my recommendation letters and transcripts as these were all communicated internally from one registrar to another.
What’s the biggest difference between your undergraduate and masters studies?
Everyone at the postgraduate level will have done some studies in other areas besides business. So the perspectives that they bring to seminar and group discussions are, more often than not, colored with their prior academic experience, through a lens other than business.
The biggest difference would be witnessing and experiencing a change in mindset. I think experiencing a greater emphasis on the importance of a growth mindset is really important at the postgrad level because people—myself included—might already be entrenched in previous experiences when it comes to certain issues. Challenging these deeply held beliefs can be a valuable experience in itself.
What are your career plans after finishing your degree?
I’m looking to enter startup incubation programs and venture capital firms, focusing on FinTech.
I also plan to join challenger banks, and the Career Development Team has been helping me throughout the interview process. It’s helped a lot—I ended up with an offer!
What does having the “Hult DNA” mean to you?
Being global, open, future-oriented, entrepreneurial, unyielding, and empathetic.
“Never underestimate what the person beside you can do. Stay open and keep networking—your network is your net worth.”
Kickstart your career with Hult’s undergraduate business school. To find out more, take a look at our blog Meet Hult’s incoming undergraduate Class of 2019. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to learn about the business world, the future, and yourself.
