Success for the new SHS-MGT courses in management and finance

Fully booked courses

As soon as the courses were launched, they were met with great success. The four classes offered this first fall semester are all full. At the time of registration, the maximum limit of 80 students per course was very quickly reached. "In five minutes, the course was full. I was lucky that I was fast enough to be able to choose the course I wanted," says Artur Papp, a second-year bachelor student in Computer Science, who is enrolled in the "Introduction to Entrepreneurship" course.

After a few weeks of classes, the overall results are positive. When questioned, some students told us that they particularly appreciated the practical applications of the theory seen in class and the study of concrete cases, but also the variety in the courses given by several different speakers. They expressed satisfaction and enthusiasm to discover the rest of the program. This was the case for Artur Papp: "We had to form groups and present a common project. Everyone seems motivated and involved in the work, which was not the case in another SHS course I was able to attend. I'm curious and looking forward to the next steps".

An asset for a future career

Thanks to the knowledge acquired during these courses, students already imagine their professional future. "I would really like to be able to apply the knowledge acquired during the "Introduction to Entrepreneurship" course and, why not, become an entrepreneur," says Neethu Kizhakkedom, a 2nd year bachelor student in Life Sciences. The course is what I expected and I really appreciated the fact that business leaders attended our pitch. Their feedback and advice were very useful to me. I could use them in the future in my career, particularly for job interviews".

For some, this knowledge in management and finance has already proved to be useful in their daily lives. "I have a lot of ideas and the desire to develop them," says Jérémy Suchet, a second-year bachelor student in Microtechnology, enrolled in the "Introduction to Entrepreneurship" course. For me, this course was an opportunity to take a first step into the world of entrepreneurship. I am currently developing a smartphone application in team with my brother who has a master's degree in marketing. What we see in class is very useful for this personal project".

Beyond a professional interest, these courses provide a general culture that benefits everyone; as Léo Theytaz, a 2nd year bachelor student in Computer Science, enrolled in the "Economic Thinking" course, points out: "When I chose this course, I was curious to know what economics is all about. In this time of a pandemic, we hear people saying: "For the economy, we should do this or that"; I wanted to be able to understand this field which has such an important place in our cultures. Of course, this knowledge will also be useful for my career. If I were to work in a company, it would have been a lack of not knowing how a product is sold, how a company is managed. And we're not exempt from having an idea and trying to start a start-up."

Dr. Shirah Foy, teacher of the « Introduction to Entrepreneurship » course says she is impressed with the students’ engagement in the course – both during the in-person workshops at the beginning of the semester, and then during the fully online sessions. “Launching a venture during a crisis such as the current pandemic has been a recurring topic in the course. We have looked at data on start-up rates in Switzerland – higher in Q1-Q3 2020 than the same period 2019! – and I have seen students gain both skills and confidence during the semester. One of the students’ team has just been selected into the next round of a startup competition”. Despite the circumstances, they are really making the most of this semester, she concludes.

All information about the SHS-MGT courses in management and finance