Master of Management Studies: Foundations of Business
Undergraduate Majors
Liberal Arts (33%)
Business/Accounting (24%)
Engineering/Natural Sciences (18%)
Economics (17%)
Other (8%)
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Diviya Dutta Choudhury
“The sheer breadth of opportunities available to us is astonishing. Fuqua isn’t just about case studies and accounting midterms. You can learn yoga, attend workshops, and even paint pumpkins! However, I had no idea how much I would enjoy the classes! Learning sampling with M&M’s candy and interpreting data science from dating website response rates makes it easier to get up for early classes.”
MMS: Foundations of Business
Class of 2022
Industry:
Management Consulting
Prior Education:
Vellore Institute of Technology
Electronics Engineering, 2019
Electronics Engineering, 2019
Hometown:
Mumbai
Nationality:
India
Why I Chose Fuqua
The first time I heard of Duke University was in Dan Ariely's book, “Predictably Irrational," where he described students camping out in the cold for over a month in the hope of winning season tickets to basketball games. The idea of being part of a community that builds each other up and getting to experience the religious sporting fervor was extremely appealing. When I was researching potential management programs, I had the opportunity to attend a “virtual mock class” at Fuqua. Halfway into the mock class on strategy, I knew that I wanted to be here. I fell in love with the carefully curated curriculum and teaching style and I haven’t looked back since.
Before Fuqua
I worked in engineering for a scientific communications firm. I enjoyed reading the latest scientific research but I wanted to combine my quantitative skills with my people skills; Fuqua’s unique STeM program was perfect for harnessing my background and providing an avenue into the world of business.
After Fuqua
Having worked in domains that require both science and communication, I’m excited about the management consulting space because I can combine my quantitative skills with the business skills, experience, and network I’ve gained from my MMS degree.
5 Tips for Maximizing Your Time at Fuqua
- Travel! It may seem expensive and overwhelming, especially if you’re an international student, but exploring the country and meeting new people really helps you discover yourself. You'll develop as a person, learn how to adult, and even figure out where you'd like to work!
- Pause and self-reflect. At our orientation, Dean Jeremy Petranka drew an analogy between the MMS program and a buffet, “There are two ways to do it wrong, sampling only one item or attempting to eat them all!” Review your goals often and prioritize! You are NOT going to be able to do everything, so chalk out your priorities.
- Do things that make you uncomfortable! / Experiment and take risks. Afraid of public speaking? Go to an improv event. Hate working out? Attend a yoga class. Duke offers everything in a safe space and your cost of failure is low.
- Carpe Diem. DON’T try too hard to maximize. As counter intuitive as this sounds, if you spend every moment trying to maximize your 10 months, you can expect multiple existential crises. Live in the moment.
- Say YES! Your experience is so much more than merely an education. Have “YES Days”, where you say yes to every opportunity that comes your way.
What I Love About My Academic Team
I’ve learned second hand about the difficulties of being an Asian immigrant in the United States, heard experiences from my teammate’s time in the Russian army, and even witnessed the intricacies of navigating a marriage while living more than 5000 miles apart. My teammates are accountants, political science majors, designers, and engineers; and come from China, Alabama, Russia, and India. We each bring different strengths to the table, and it’s been challenging yet fulfilling to grow and adapt with them. In the last year, my teammates have taught me that vulnerability is brave, how to communicate better, and even better presentation skills. They’ve supported me through difficult times and pushed me to be better when I could.
Typical Class Demographics
MMS: Foundations of Business
Average Age
23
Average Work Experience
6 months or less
Countries Represented
27
Non-US Citizenship
43%
Women
49%
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