NYU Stern’s Online MSQM: Inside ‘This Incredible Community’

Five intakes since the first, NYU Stern School of Business this fall welcomed a class for its online Master of Science in Quantitative Management that every online master in management program in the United States would be envious of.

The thing is, there aren’t many to compare it with. In fact, after Stern’s program, among business schools ranked in the top 25 for their MBA programs, only one other school currently offers an online MiM.

Stern’s 20-month, 22-course MSQM stands alone — and its latest intake of students stands apart in many ways, says Kim Corfman, vice dean of learning innovation and MSQM academic director.

“Stern’s MSQM curriculum is carefully crafted to incorporate leading-edge topics to give students the tools necessary to navigate and lead in today’s data-driven business landscape,” Corfman tells Poets&Quants. “We look for students with a natural curiosity and passion for these highly relevant emerging areas of study.”

The rarity of NYU Stern’s 33-credit online MSQM allows the school to charge a high premium: tuition and fees come to $72,600, which puts the degree in the same neighborhood as some of the most elite online MBA programs — in fact it is only about $10K less than Indiana Kelley’s top-ranked online MBA. For that, Stern students undertake a program that focuses heavily on foundational management instruction and business analytics and that sizable segments of its growing alumni base say has been invaluable in securing new roles or promotions in their nascent careers.

NYU Stern’s latest MQSM cohort includes 51 students with a wide array of backgrounds and undergraduate majors. The program is diverse, with 37% women and 45% international students, including dual citizens and U.S. permanent residents, representing 17 countries.

The program’s students are older than those in most in-person MiMs, with an average age of 28 and average work experience of 7.3 years. A program for working professionals, 98% of the new class boast some working experience; the 80% range of experience is 3-18 years. Most hail from the tech industry, with techies comprising 18% of the new class, while 14% are in finance and 10% in consulting. The retail and engineering fields are also represented.

Given the cohort’s international composition, only 61% provided grade point average information: the class average is 3.29, with an 80% range of 2.8-3.87. As the program does not require submission of a Graduate Management Admission Test or Graduate Record Exam for admission, only 8% of this year’s class provided a GMAT or GRE.

TOP 5 UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS REPRESENTED IN NYU STERN’S MSQM CLASS

Business	33%
Engineering, Math, Science	29%
Economics	12%
Social Science	20%
Humanities, Arts, Other	6%

AN ALUMNA’S PERSPECTIVE

The “cherry on top” of the Stern MSQM? Its two residential immersions at the start of the first and second academic years, says Lorraine Blobaum, a 2023 graduate of the program.

“I chose NYU Stern’s MSQM program primarily due to its innovative approach to education, academic richness, and the agility of modern online learning,” says Blobaum, who is currently Unilever’s associate innovation planning manager for North America. “The program’s range of foundational business courses, complemented by specialized courses in data analytics, provides a well-rounded yet focused curriculum. The cherry on top is the annual in-person residential immersion. This not only facilitates hands-on, traditional learning experiences in a classroom setting but also fosters invaluable networking opportunities with like-minded peers.”

Networking has always been a major concern for online business students, given the general lack of in-person connection inherent in virtual learning. But Blobaum says networking and the “meaningful connections that I made” were her favorite part of the Stern MSQM program.

“It wasn’t just about exchanging business ideas or adding another LinkedIn connection, but rather about forming genuine, lasting relationships,” she says. “Through this program, I had the privilege of connecting and collaborating with individuals who were not only accomplished in their respective fields but also incredibly inspiring as people. They expanded my horizons, challenged my perspectives, and became pivotal in my personal and professional growth journey.”

Already the program has had a positive impact on her career, she says.

“It has been a catalyst for significant milestones in my professional journey,” she says. “While enrolled, I earned a promotion, then a pay raise, and most recently secured a new role within my company, one that resonates with my career aspirations and long-term goals. Also, the prestige associated with the program’s brand has improved my standing among my peers, leading to more visibility and recognition within my organization.”

FROM MSQM TO MBA IN ONE STEP

A key appeal of the Stern MSQM is that students have the option to transfer to the school’s Langone Part-Time MBA program. That’s what Christian Pellegrino did.

Pellegrino graduated with his MBA in 2022 after first starting in the MSQM, where he took advantage of a “foundational business management curriculum layered in with targeted analytics courses, which were key focus areas in my career. The program also afforded me the opportunity of completing my coursework in an accelerated, online manner mixed in with interactive in-person learning sessions,” he adds. Transferring to the Langone program from the MSQM meant Pellegrino “was able to accelerate the completion of my core requirements while balancing a full-time job commitment, which positioned me extremely well to take targeted, specialized courses in the Langone program.

Now senior manager and co-head of digital assets for North America at Alpha Financial Markets Consulting, a consultancy to the asset management, wealth management and insurance industries, Pellegrino says

“Having a master’s degree from Stern has been a differentiator from a career development perspective and an extraordinary networking opportunity on a global scale given NYU Stern’s strong brand reputation and large global reach. I take pride in being able to refer to myself as a NYU Stern alumnus.”

See the next page for a Q&A with Kim Corfman, vice dean of learning innovation and MSQM academic director.