Global diversity explodes in Olin’s specialized master’s programs

The reputation of WashU Olin’s specialized master’s programs has gone global: This year’s SMP students call 20 different countries home, up from nine in 2023.

“We believe a global perspective is key to student success,” said Evan Bouffides, senior associate dean of graduate programs.

At Olin, we’ve built a close-knit, collaborative, and diverse community by expanding our international recruitment efforts and streamlining the application process. We’re proud to welcome our most diverse SMP cohorts yet.  

Evan Bouffides

Those ongoing recruitment efforts include outreach by Dean Mike Mazzeo to Africa and India in December. He has been in Lagos, Nigeria, and Accra, Ghana, this week, meeting with prospective students and alumni. The dean then travels to Hyderabad, India, to participate in panel discussions at the ShiftED Global Education Fair.

For current students in the SMP programs, the paths that led them to Olin were varied, but all acknowledged the benefits of working with peers from other cultures.

Deepak Thalari

Thalari, who is from India, is currently pursuing a master’s in logistics, materials, and supply chain management. He originally intended to seek an MBA but decided the SMP would be more relevant to his career goals.

“I was researching all the high-ranking universities,” Thalari said. “I was looking all over the world, but the biggest concern was the university’s ranking.”

That search led him to Olin, where he was a little surprised at the diversity of his cohort in St. Louis. But Thalari said exposure to other viewpoints and approaches will help him in his future career. He noted that discussions with students from other parts of the world have helped his team-building skills and his understanding.

“It’s great to know different perspectives,” Thalari said. “I really appreciate the diversity, even though I hadn’t really thought about it before I came here. When you go into a corporate role, you may see that kind of diversity, and Olin has really helped me to adapt to that atmosphere.”

Thalari has also benefited from the resources at Olin and WashU, including the school’s experiential learning opportunities. He promotes those programs as he advises other international students in his role as a student ambassador.

“There are a lot of resources here, and I wish everyone would utilize them,” he said. “The hardest part is to manage your time between all of these things. But if they were able to do that, I think it would help them be very successful in their careers.”

Elisha Akli

Akli came to Olin for a master’s degree in accounting after eight years working as an accountant in his home country of Ghana. He said he wanted to broaden his knowledge of U.S. accounting practices, since multinational companies based in the U.S. are becoming increasingly interested in Africa.

“The world is becoming more of a global village,” he said. “As an accountant, I need to have that global perspective. I need to understand how businesses in the United States are operating and how they do their reporting. It was about getting that international exposure.”

Akli eventually settled on Olin because of its focus on practical learning.

“Beyond the classroom work, I saw that Olin has a lot of experiential learning, where they provide a platform for you to practice what you’re learning in the classroom,” he said. “And most of their professors in accounting are people who have had experience in the field. I don’t want to just read books, I want to hear from people who have really experienced what it is like out there.”

Akli also cited the strong support that WashU students receive through the Center for Career Engagement, including coaching, programs, and access to opportunities.

“I see this as a complete business school, beyond academics,” he said. “The way I see it, 40% of what we’re doing is academic work, while 60% is preparing you for the future. Career coaches are always available, letting you know about jobs and how to do interviews.”

Like Thalari, Akli believes that working with students from other cultures has given him insights that he can carry into his professional life. It can extend to something as simple as learning to use WeChat (a popular Chinese instant messaging app) when coordinating with Asian peers, rather than the WhatsApp he uses in Ghana. Or knowing what companies are prominent in other parts of the world.

“So yes, I’m learning about the standards accepted in the U.S., but informally, I’m learning about how different countries do things. And that’s the advantage of this diversity,” Akli said.

Seth Aboagye

Aboagye is also from Ghana and came to Olin after several years working in banking as an audit and risk management professional. He learned about Olin via videos on YouTube, particularly about the school’s fellowship programs, and ended up receiving a fellowship to earn his master of science in finance with a quantitative finance concentration.

He said studying at Olin with students from other cultures has broadened his horizons. “Nobody is an island to themselves, and nobody is the repository of all the knowledge in the world,” Aboagye said. “Finding yourself in a class with others and doing projects, you learn from one another. You share perspectives. So I think so far that has been very helpful.”

He said he hopes to see Olin’s global diversity grow even further.

“By increasing diversity, we also increase innovation and creativity,” Aboagye said. “Which is important in an academic, research-focused community. People of different nationalities, of various backgrounds, bring on board new ways of doing things. It can be a win-win.”

Thalari, Akli, and Aboagye all said WashU provided support during their admission process, helping them navigate visas and introducing them to WashU and St. Louis via several Zoom sessions.

“There was enormous support, even before we got here,” Aboagye said.

Tommaso Maiocco

Maiocco is an American student — a native St. Louisan — who is pursuing a master's in business analytics. He was introduced to the field while getting his undergraduate degree at Olin and interning at Centene.

“I thought, ‘Wow this is exciting to me — I’m able to be creative and find solutions to problems,’” he said. “I was fortunate that they had a program here.”

He said learning alongside students from around the world can be rewarding for American students who take advantage of it.

“If you’re willing to ask questions: ‘How do you say this? How does this work where you’re from?’ You’ll really see people open up,” Maiocco said. “I’ve learned a lot by interacting and joking and spending time with people from other cultures. It’s enriching.”

He noted that Olin’s faculty are a great model of the benefits of global diversity.

“I have had professors from Israel, from Iran, from China, from Belarus, from the U.S. — they’re from everywhere,” Maiocco said. “And it’s not just that they're from everywhere, but they are the best and brightest people. Every time I walk into a classroom, I know that the person who is instructing me is the real deal and knows their stuff. If someone is genuinely championing diversity, they should look to the professoriate here, and the level of competence and excellence that the professors here have.”

 

Interested in a specialized master’s degree from WashU Olin? The next application deadline is January 5, 2025. Take part in a virtual chat with faculty members or get more details in an online application overview.