Category: Bachelors

Dr. Dohyeong Kim, Professor of Public Policy, Geospatial Information Sciences, and Social Data Analytics worked alongside a multidisciplinary team including physicians, environmental scientists, engineers, and artificial intelligence technicians to develop an algorithm with the potential to offer early medical alerts for onset asthma attacks or other respiratory issues. Kim’s team integrated AI into continuous monitoring […]

G.R.O.W. 24.1: International Career Coaching Webinar Get ready to ignite your career journey because G.R.O.W. series is here again! Calling all graduate students, both seasoned scholars and eager newcomers, to dive headfirst into GROW (Graduate Readiness Orientation & Workshop). Learn about various career avenues and gain invaluable insights from industry professionals. This week we are […]

Campus engagement has been a large part of my UTD experience, and it’s significantly more fun alongside a consistently engaged group of peers.

I have always been fascinated by the sociology and psychology behind why people commit crimes. I originally wanted to be a defense attorney that defended the rights of individuals in the court of law, but decided I was more interested in helping individuals heal from things that may be caused by victimization.

I was interested with economics for the first time my senior year of high school. That was the first time I ever got to interact with this subject. It intrigued me to learn about the importance of economics in all aspects of the world. It was quite fascinating to me.

I chose International Political Economy as my major because of the way it combined several things I was passionate about. The entire major promotes interdisciplinary study while still allowing for the flexibility to do things like study abroad. In addition, I have found IPE faculty and students to be some of the most involved and supportive on campus.

Political Science senior Jasmine Kaur and Public Affairs student Tyler Burkhardt were among 10 Archer Fellows from UT Dallas who took classes and completed internships in the nation’s capital last year. The Archer Center has offered a comprehensive academic and professional experience since 2001 to help prepare students from across the UT System for public service leadership roles. Read […]

Use your time at UTD to experience as many different things as you can. EPPS degrees are also very flexible, so don’t feel limited in your career choices.

I’ve enjoyed the flexibility the Economics major gives me, I was able to take upper level econ classes in my freshman year and get involved with more challenging topics early on which was exciting.

I chose to study IPE with a minor in Ethnic studies because of my interest in and connection to global affairs and social justice. As someone who comes from a diverse cultural background, I am drawn to the intricate relationships between politics and ethnic and cultural diversity.

I have always been interested in what constitutes good governance and the reasons why people vote the way they do.

I am still in touch with a number of classmates from my time at UTD.  Most of them were fellow teammates on law-related competition teams (mock trial or mediation), and when we’re all in town, we try to catch up over lunch or dinner.  We made so many great memories during our time together which has helped us maintain that bond even after graduating.   

My EPPS education sets the foundation for how I facilitate my own classes. When I build my courses and think about content and assignments, the first thing I do is put myself in the shoes of my
students.

Throughout my graduate student career, I have routinely sought out opportunities to improve my teaching skills. For example, I have participated in various workshops, training programs, and initiatives that offered me new insights regarding cutting-edge pedagogical skills and strategies. These skills and strategies are those that I now implement daily in the classroom.

It’s incredibly unique that UTD even offers an IPE degree at the undergraduate level, and as someone interested in the intersection of science, technology, and public policy, I’m so thankful that I’ve been able to take courses focused on those intersections.

Never stop pursuing your goals with passion. If everyone else can do it, so can you!

I allowed myself to explore. It took calculus, psychology, sociology, economics, history, language, music, literature, and finally coding classes to finally have a full idea of what I wanted to do with my life, and I’m more certain now than ever.

I’ve always had an interest in politics and law throughout my life growing up. I enjoy reading articles on current events centering around those categories as well as on an international level, it helps having a much open-minded perspective of the world and what is going on.

The key to success in EPPS is to be enthusiastic about learning and building a rapport with our amazing professors!

I was interested in eventually working in policy, and economics seemed to me to be the foundation from which all effective policy was based. I felt that having a strong understanding of economics as well as the way economic policy could affect individuals would be invaluable in any policy area I would want to eventually work in.

My interest in environmental policy led me to Geospatial Information Sciences. Although I originally entered as a Political Science major, I was interested in the hands-on research applications of GIS.

The key to my success has been making sure to maintain a balance in my life. Everyone at this school is very focused and driven but being able to know when to stop studying and enjoy myself has helped me maintain my physical and mental health while still allowing me to achieve my academic goals.

I think one of the biggest reasons I’ve been successful in the GIS program is because I’ve taken the opportunities that have been offered to me, even though they were out of my comfort zone: from classes I’ve never heard of to research in Guyana and GIS internships.

I came into UTD as an Economics major, and while I really enjoy all of econ classes I wanted to learn a wider variety of topics in college. I switched to International Political Economy at the end of my first semester, and now I am able to take classes that really interest me like Human Rights or Latin American History and have it count towards my major.

For me, studying public policy and/or political science means understanding the intersectionality of policy issues I am interested in. This includes the environment, economy, and equity.

Currently, I am the campaign manager for Dowd for Texas, which is a Democratic campaign for Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 2022. Since we just launched recently, a lot of my job currently involves organizing the internal structure of the campaign, setting up contracts with vendors & contractors, and setting our overarching strategy & tone of the campaign. Additionally, from my time at the Texas Capitol and previous campaigns, I’m reaching out to other elected officials around Texas to discuss meetings and possible support of our Campaign. My primary concern, daily, is to ensure that we are executing the appropriate actions so that we meet our goals and deadline. (I can expand on this, but I don’t want to get too partisan here).

Aditi Mutatkar is a former international Badminton player and has represented India in all major events including Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and World Championships. She is a Commonwealth Games silver medalist and was ranked 27 in the world in the year 2008 in women’s singles.

I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to study abroad in the Middle East and focus on language and area studies while also learning a lot about U.S. politics through EPPS, which absolutely helped me succeed later during graduate study at Harvard and now in Washington. 

I started my business because women kept coming to me for support in professional negotiations and career decision-making. Now, as a speaker, writer, and coach, I have the absolute pleasure of working with women who want to increase their impact and have a more profitable and fulfilling career.

EPPS helped me develop a strong foundation that has helped me learn a great deal while working on the Hill. I owe the Bill Archer Fellowship Program and the Fred Hill Endowed Scholarship for the opportunity to intern for the House Budget Committee. Without the chance to take time to intern unpaid on the Hill, I would not be where I am in my career today.

Plan for what you want to do after EPPS while you are there — take advantage of your resources, including your colleagues and support staff. Take a statistics course, even if you don’t want to initially!

While enrolled in EPPS for undergrad, I had the opportunity to intern at a law firm in downtown Dallas. The experience of the internship while taking coursework really taught me about the intersection of the private and public sector. Having had extensive nonprofit professional experience, some of the principals discussed during my coursework days definitely resurfaced.

I credit my EPPS education for allowing me to better understand the behaviors and social interactions of different groups and organizations as well honing my skills around analysis and understanding data. I feel that I am better equipped to handle situations in the workplace, deal with the “politics” that exist, and strengthen the relationships I build with the different areas of the business.

As a financial analyst with Mercer Capital, I work on the valuation of public and private companies, financial institutions, employee stock ownership plans, estate and gift tax planning, and other corporate entities. My favorite thing is the exposure to a variety of industries. 

Mary Elbanna BA ‘16, MPP ‘16, chief of staff for Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, discusses the value of her experiences at UT Dallas and her internships as a student. Elbanna’s first internship, which she discovered through UT Dallas, led to her jobs as campaign manager and chief of staff for Johnson.

Take advantage of the knowledge and connections of your professors. One of my summer internships and my involvement with a local political campaign were both experiences directly related to my classes. Connections like these can lead to great opportunities in the future, especially in the work place and with graduate programs.

Have goals and network. Networking is always one of the most important things you can do while in college, but networking with specific goals in mind will be the key to your success.

Working for Justice Murphy helped me with the basics like seeing the inside workings of a courtroom and how to approach the bench correctly.

As you go through life, almost everything can be taken from you, including your home, family, and friends. One thing that cannot be taken from you is your education. Once your degree is earned, it’s yours for life. Treasure and value your education.

Gain practical experience through internships, fellowships, join organizations and travel.

My job requires frequent cross-cultural communication, strategic thinking, and analytical skills. EPPS helped me get started with those skills many years ago, and taught me to be a clear, confident communicator in writing and in person.

I would suggest learning at least some math and/or statistics. This will give you a quantifiable boost in the job market, and will allow you to seek jobs outside of politics as well.

Work hard, learn the material (do not just memorize to pass the tests!), pay attention to details, be proactive about networking, do what you say you are going to do, do the right thing, and you will succeed in whatever it is you choose to do.

Plan your work and work your plan. Keep your eyes on the prize!

This University is unique and so much fun. We don’t have a football team, we have an esports team and an awesome chess team. There are so many resources available. I hope that current students take advantage of everything that’s out there. 

UT Dallas is the best thing that ever happened to me. It has a small-family feel but big-school resources. I loved being surrounded by smart people who constantly push you to be better, with professors who give so much attention to the individual success of each student.