Devangi Nishar’s passion for retail brought her to Wharton, where she earned her MBA in Marketing and Operations. Although she wanted to specialize in retail studies, she chose not to waive core courses in order to get to know her cohort better. She still had enough flexibility to get the courses she wanted when she needed them.
“I really wanted to take retailing and retail merchandising in my first and second semesters at school,” said Devangi, who is based in Mumbai, India. “I had the flexibility to take finance in my second semester instead of my first so that I could take the elective when it was offered. Having the option to take classes you’re interested in earlier was helpful, especially if they help you prepare for interviews.”
In the flex core, she opted for a full semester for Finance (FNCE 611) and Macroeconomics (FNCE 615). “Those were development areas for me,” she explained. “I also selected the Emerging Enterprise focus for Management (MGMT 612) since I’m interested in how young companies manage growth. To satisfy my career interest in retail, I left room for one or two electives each semester, and took Retail Merchandising (MKTG 898), Retailing (MKTG 793), and Product Design Development (OPIM 654).”
She supplemented her coursework with related extracurriculars, serving as fashion co-director for the Wharton Charity Fashion Show. “We had more than 12 designers, 600 attendees, and student models walking the runway,” she said. “I learned so much from the people I worked with; everyone was equally passionate regardless of their background. I learned a lot about the retail space and built a strong network with the students and designers.”
Wharton’s depth in the industry helped. “People leveraged their own networks or their friends’ networks to get designers,” she says. “The reach of their networks outside Wharton impressed me.”
Posted: January 7, 2016
