S2E7 - Bringing the Energy: Discussing Tepper Study Tracks w/ Erik Steeb
Release Date: 10/11/2021
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info_outlineWelcome to another episode of Humans of Tepper with your hosts, Ben and Kara. Joining us today is Erik Steeb, a full-time, second-year MBA student and classmate. Erik grew up just outside Minneapolis, MN, and studied at UCLA. He joined the Marine Corps right out of college and worked in supply chain and financial management in North Carolina.
He also gained an Energy Policy degree part-time before deciding to break into the energy industry. Erik focused on schools that offer strong energy and electricity programs, and Tepper has an energy business track as well as a close integration with the CMU Scott Institute. He describes a track as a group of classes within a specific core curriculum and allows you to structure your degree around a specific interest area.
At Tepper, there are five different tracks: Business Analytics, Energy Business; Entrepreneurship; Technology Management and Strategy; and Management, Innovation, and Project Development. Each allows students to take classes and connect with professors in those specific areas. In addition, the amount of collaboration and cross-listed courses means you're able to meet students from outside the business school in some classes. For example, Erik has worked with students studying subjects like Electrical Engineering in classes designated as part of his Energy Business Track.
His favorite part about studying a track is that you're able to take classes that might otherwise be outside of your degree and make connections with Ph.D. students as well as peers from other programs. Erik encourages prospective students to do considerable research into the schools they're considering and not focus solely on the rankings or job numbers. Meet and talk to current students and professors to get an idea of the environment and curriculum. You can go anywhere from any school, so the best place for you is the place you'll fit in best.
What You Will Learn:
- Background on Erik and what brought him to