Hampden-Sydney College Economics major Nick Beaudoin wanted to work in business and was on the hunt for a graduate program that would position him on his career path. As he evaluated his next steps, UVA’s McIntire School of Commerce emerged as familiar territory.
“There’s always been a pretty constant feed of [Hampden-Sydney grads] going through,” he says. “I talked to a lot of people who had done this program, and it felt like a good complement to what I had in undergrad.”
While he explored other options, including programs in Washington, DC, McIntire stood out quickly. “UVA had a lot more resources,” Beaudoin says. “The career support was very evident. The network was also a contributing factor.”
He also wanted an in-person, one-year, accelerated program that was clearly structured. “I didn’t want to do an online program,” he says. McIntire checked the boxes.
Building on an Economics Foundation in the UVA M.S. in Commerce Program
Once enrolled in the M.S. in Commerce Program, Beaudoin saw how the curriculum built directly on his Hampden-Sydney background in economics.
“Having a diverse undergraduate experience helped to tie everything together,” Beaudoin explains, noting that his training in his original undergrad major of life sciences and economics (what he ultimately decided to pursue a degree in) shaped how he approaches problems. “There are different methods to organizing your thoughts and tackling a project.”
When it came time to choose a specialization, Beaudoin selected the Business Analytics Track. While he notes that his biology background could have aligned with the Biotech Track, he wanted broader business exposure. “The emphasis the program places on AI and where the future is going made it an easy choice,” he says. “It’s something you need to have as a skill in your tool belt.”
The Advantages of a Close Learning Community
The relationships Beaudoin was able to build among the faculty members also felt familiar. Coming from a small liberal arts college, he initially expected a sharper divide between the students and the faculty since UVA is so large. But that wasn’t the case.
“In undergrad, the professors put a big emphasis on knowing everyone by name. Coming to UVA, It’s quite the same from what I am used to,” he says. “The professors are all very personable and want to know your story, what brought you here, and where you are looking to go.”
Gaining a Global Perspective to Thrive in Any Environment
The program’s global immersion component served as another defining feature of his McIntire experience. Assigned to Latin America, Beaudoin is looking forward to seeing the different ways that businesses run outside of the U.S.
“We operate under a very specific set of norms here,” he says. “I’m excited to see how other countries approach their industries and decision-making. And to be with my peers, continuing my education in a new environment.”
Looking toward the future and his career, Beaudoin is focused on learning more about roles that offer variety and problem-solving across industries. His internship experience—spanning commercial banking, marketing, and business strategy—has reinforced that preference.
“I’m not someone who is happy doing one thing,” he says. “Ideally, I will be in a management consulting or a general consulting position where I can bring my different backgrounds together to operate in different environments.”
