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Specific Student Groups are listed in their section on this page.
Because we have part-time and full-time students you'll notice that students from the same cohort graduate at different times (eg "Class of 2006). QMSS cohorts become a unique group and thus are categorized here by their entering cohort not final graduation date.
What our current and former students and faculty want to share about their experience with QMSS, the people they met here, what lessons they took away, and where they are right now.
2002 Cohort
Risk Management
K2 Advisors
Eric Chong
Class of 2004
One of the key advantages of the QMSS program is the utilization of
multi-disciplinary approaches when engaging the core material. Building
off a common quantitative approach, candidates have the flexibility to
apply that to their field of choice ranging from economics and finance
to public policy, social sciences and beyond. As a corollary,
candidates will also have the opportunity to encounter fellow students
that hail from very diverse professional backgrounds, which serves to
broaden the scope of discussion and enrich the class debate.
One other fantastic element of the program is its emphasis on real-world
application. Candidates will interact with both academics as well as
field practitioners and become familiar with the practical challenges
that often lurk behind statistical theory. A great program all round!
2003 Cohort
Senior Analyst
Bryan Melmed
I wasn't really focused in college and after I graduated I took a series of jobs that were not very interesting. I knew I needed better quantitative skills if I was going to have the career I wanted. I needed a boost to put my ideas into actions. The training provided to me by QMSS is hard to find and the skills are certainly in high demand. I now have the background to tackle just about anything in social science research. My new position as a Senior Analyst continues to challenge and fascinate me.
Postdoctoral Research fellow
Gerald Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan
Tamara Wilder
Class of 2004
Before entering the QMSS program I knew I wanted to do policy research, but that was about it. The QMSS program brought many
research occupations to my attention and because of the flexibility
of the program I was able to take courses in sociology, public
affairs, political science, and education. In the end, I realized
I was most interested in education policy.
Not only did the QMSS program help me decide upon a policy area,
but it gave me the quantitative skills I needed to further my career in
education
policy. After completing the QMSS program I have continued my graduate
education in a Ph.D. program in Politics and Education at Teachers
College here at Columbia University. I am currently finishing up
my Ph.D. and could not be more thankful to have come into the
program with a solid understanding of quantitative methods for the
social sciences and research methodology.
2004 Cohort
Manager
Management Science and Global Market Analytics Group
Michael Benigno
Class of 2006
Choosing the QMSS program was one of the best educational decisions I have made thus far. The applied statistical training translates into a highly valuable and in-demand skill set. The flexibility of the program allowed me to pursue my own interests while obtaining crucial skills necessary for success in almost any research position. After graduating, QMSS alumni can confidently pursue a wide variety of paths in the private or public sector.
Statistician
Integrated Substance Abuse Programs (ISAP)
NPI-Semel Institute for Neuroscience
University of California, Los Angeles
Jeremy Hunter
Class of 2006
I am grateful for the training that I have received through the QMSS
program.The encouragement and support of ColumbiaÂ's faculty proved to
be an invaluable resource when it came to preparing for the rigors of a
graduate program and adjusting to a huge metropolis such as New York
City. QMSS provides valuable training and insight into various research
methodologies including the identification and resolution of
problematic data and flawed research design. In addition, QMSS students
receive training in both basic and advanced statistical methods –
equipping them with the necessary skills for future endeavors in either
academic or applied research settings.
Because QMSS is an interdisciplinary program, I had the opportunity to
take several elective courses in the areas of Economics, Clinical
Psychology, and Public Health. This diverse background proved
attractive to potential employers in the competitive job market.
Currently, I am employed as a Statistician for the University of
California, Los AngelesÂ' (UCLA), Integrated Substance Abuse Programs
(ISAP) with the primary responsibility of maintaining and analyzing
data on two distinct yet concurrent methamphetamine intervention
research projects. The training that I received through QMSS proved
more than adequate in this challenging research setting.
Manager of Analytics
Iyiola Obayomi
Class of 2006
Prior to the program, I had four years of management consulting at
Accenture, an MBA, and a year as an analyst at The Coca-Cola Company. I
was attracted to Columbia's QMSS program in my quest for a rigorous
training to impart quantitative skills and research methodologies
towards a career in business research and analytics.
The combination of core courses, seminars and the opportunity to take
additional advanced research and quantitative courses in other
departments across Columbia was immensely effective.
As a manager in the analytics group of a global CRM organization, I
consistently draw on the various skill set I acquired in the QMSS
program.
2005 Cohort
Research Analyst
Screen Actors Guild
Drew Allen
The Internship in Social Research course provides an excellent opportunity for any QMSS students who wishes to gain practical experience in quantitative analysis. Unlike some internships, my position in the Polling Unit was very hands-on and academically challenging. No "busy work" here. The computer skills learned on the job are very beneficial to QMSS students, and become great reinforcement to data analysis and statistics courses.
The most beneficial aspect of the internship was simply the daily experience with analyzing data. I was able to polish my SPSS skills; I gained extensive practice with syntax commands and was able to experiment with many types of regression analyses. This became very helpful as I wrote my QMSS masterÂ's thesis.
Also, the opportunity to work with some of the top minds in public opinion research was invaluable. As a result of the internship, I was able to meet people and work on projects that shaped my interests and helped me form a specific idea for my career in quantitative analysis. The skills that I picked up and personal connections that I made were extremely beneficial.
I would especially recommend this internship for anyone who has an interest in survey research and economics. Although many of the polls have basic themes in politics, the weekly Consumer Confidence Reports rely heavily on current economic indicators. The internship would provide great experience for someone with an interest in economic analysis.
The internship is also a jump-start for any student curious about a career in public opinion research. The Polling Unit has strong ties to NYAAPOR, and interns gain valuable experience in almost every stage of survey research.
Director of Poliarquia Consultores
Public Opinion Research
Alejandro Catterburg
Class of 2007
QMSS is a unique program. There are few specific courses required, so
it enables people to select their curriculum according to their
interests within the UniversityÂ's diverse departments. In addition to
academic diversity, the program successfully combines international and
American students as well as students with professional and academic
careers. Almost half of my peers were doing the master as a previous
step for applying to PhD programs. They considered QMSS as a way to
reinforce their methodological background, and /or specialize in their
area of interest, while participating in research projects. The other
half of the students pursued the program as a major step in their
professional careers.
In my experience, working in the public opinion field, the program
allowed me to have the opportunity to learn from, among others, Prof.
Warren Mitofsky, the "father of exit polls", as well as Prof. Shapiro,
one of the most prestigious academics on public opinion worldwide. In
addition to this, Chris, the director of the program, is very
supportive and seeks to allow each student to have his/her own
experience, helping with the selection of the classes, the contact with
professors related to your field of interest and providing spaces for
the discussion among peers.
Irene Charalambous
Class of 2006
Everyone experiences QMSS in a different way. So did I, but before
telling you that story I guess I have to introduce the common ground we
all seem to agree upon: we started out in September as a disparate
crowd of "quantitative" and "social" people, and we reached May having
blended into a uniform group of social analysts, each having acquired
the skills we lacked at first.
My story I guess would follow the "softie" scenario which turned into a
more solid cruncher. The realization of how this program had enhanced
my analytical skills - and got me to start thinking in a more
methodical way - struck me while working on my thesis. Mine was a
Â"before and afterÂ" case, having opted for a topic closely related to
the job I held before joining QMSS. The methods and tools I acquired
helped me get a better perception of the theoretical issues and
framework at hand and reach greater analytical depths when working with
the same data I had worked with in the past. What I believe makes this
masters program so unique and successful, is the fact that courses are
so well integrated, that the exposure to new disciplines comes on
really smoothly, allowing for a pragmatic sense of the large spectrum
to which quantitative methods can be applied. I, as a softie who always
dreaded numbers, learned how to meaningfully juggle data and had fun
doing so.
Finally, my story would fall short if I didn't mention the value added
to the program by the cultural and educational diversity of students.
Although from different backgrounds, with different educational
interests and career goals, the interaction in classes was extremely
interesting and productive. I constantly felt I was among a great group
of people, learning from others at all times and working in creative
and challenging groups. I can only consider myself lucky to have been
part of the QMSS team, having gained valuable new experiences and great
new friendships.
Political Science PhD Program
University of California at San Diego
Rumman Chowdhury
Class of 2007
A Masters in QMSS is a unique degree that addresses the need for
applicable quantitative analysis in the real world. What drew me to the
program was not only its relevance, but the autonomy in choosing a
curriculum. The interdisciplinary nature of the program allows you to
tailor your degree to suit your career goals. QMSS has provided me with
the analytical background to work as an Associate Economist at The
Conference Board, and my research has earned me a PhD acceptance at the
University of California, San Diego. My time at Columbia has shaped an
exceptional career path that would have been impossible elsewhere.
Patricia Diaz
Class of 2006
As a former teacher, I was interested in a program that would strengthen my ability to affect education policy through research. QMSS's flexibility allowed me to take electives that applied the statistics skills learned through the core curriculum, to issues that were important to me. The diversity of program participants, moreover, created an environment where people from different walks of life (business, medicine, economic policy agencies, government polling agencies, and education) learned from one another as much as they taught others of their experiences. QMSS has been the best academically rigorous and rewarding experience to date.
Talin Sesetyan
Class of 2006
The QMSS program for me was a way to obtain the quantitative skills
necessary to advance in my career. Prior to the program, I had
done some public policy consulting and account management and had
dabbled in research but was lacking the technical skills necessary
to work in the research industry. The interdisciplinary structure
of QMSS exposes student to a myriad of research fields, and allows
students to gain a well-rounded comprehensive research base. The
Seminar series in the program was a tremendous asset for me during
the program because we were able to learn about research in
academia and the industry as well as meet the academics and
industry leaders. It was through this invaluable network that I
was able to obtain an internship in a highly reputable company, and
gain hands on experience. The coursework and exposure to a variety
of statistical programs, and having to apply this knowledge to
analyzing our own data for a final thesis was also a great learning
experience and lots of fun for me.
Matthew Williams
Class of 2006
After studying economics in college, I briefly worked for the Bureau of
Economic Analysis in Washington, DC and then spent a year doing
research at a European university as a Fulbright Fellow. Now I'm a
management consultant with ZS Associates.
My previous work experience helped me realize the limitations of my
undergraduate education and that, regardless of whether I would go on
to pursue a Ph.D. or enter the business world, accomplishing my goals
would first require improved quantitative training. QMSS draws heavily
upon the various Ph.D. programs at Columbia. As my research interests
spanned behavioral finance, Social Security, immigration policy and
neuroeconomics, I knew I would need a multidisciplinary and flexible
curriculum to explore these passions, which is exactly what QMSS
provides.
While many QMSS students choose to focus more narrowly, I took elective
classes from the economics, political science, math, and statistics
departments, as well as the Columbia Business School. These courses
built upon each other and the quantitative core sequence. I also found
a work-study job under Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz – yet another
reminder of the intellectual capital at Columbia.
In exploring the job market, I found that a QMSS masterÂ's degree made
me substantially more qualified than a typical bachelorÂ's candidate. I
was able to compete with Ph.D. students for research positions and MBA
students for professional jobs. After accepting a management consulting
offer with ZS Associates in New York, I have found that – whether I am
asked to design optimal sales territories for pharmaceutical companies
or construct surveys for market research projects – the skills
developed through QMSS are directly applicable to my work. QMSS has
molded me into a more conscious and discerning consumer of information.
Research Scientist
Medical Director of Health, Iceland
Helga Zoega
Class of 2006
An alumni from 2005-06 who hails from Iceland, Helga's family joined
her in New York City while she studied with QMSS. She is now working
for the Medical Directorate of Health in Iceland and planning to pursue
a PhD in pharmacoepidemiology.
My QMSS experience was superb and something I will draw upon for years
to come. The QMSS program, ambitious and well organized, gave a solid
theoretical ground in research methods and their application. I gained
valuable training in how to read and evaluate quantitative research
papers critically. For me, the greatest advantage of QMSS was the
flexible framework and interdisciplinary approach that enabled me to
pursue my personal research interest field. Being able to interact with
people and do coursework at various departments helped me Â"find
myselfÂ" in epidemiology and public health. Also. the fact that we were
required to work on our thesis from early on formed a continuity
throughout the program on which I applied acquired skills and insight.
Learning from and working with driven people with diverse interests,
cultural and academic backgrounds was benefical in itself.
My thesis work opened doors to my present placement as project manager
of the national pharmaceutical prescription database and a research
scientist for the Medical Directorate of Health in Iceland. The task of
analyzing and communicating research data, designs and findings is an
ability I carry out daily with confidence, thanks to QMSS. I look
forward to building on this solid foundation during my PhD studies in
pharmacoepidemiology.
2006 Cohort
Analyst
Office of Evaluation & Research, NYC Department of Social Services /
PhD Candidate at State University of New York at Albany
Meghan O'Neil
Class of 2007
The QMSS program at Columbia has opened up many doors for me as an
analyst, allowing me to learn advanced statistical techniques and to
perfect my scholarly writing skills. The myriad of classes we students
are able to enroll in allow for a broad interdisciplinary education,
creating a group of well prepared researchers with our own particular
interests in mind. I took the opportunity to enroll in classes which
would provide me with valuable tools for my future career as an
analyst, from Quantitative Political Research to Data Analysis II for
Policy and Decision Making. My internship experience, at the Manhattan
District AttorneyÂ's Office evaluating program efficacy by means of my
own dataset and codebook, was invaluable for my future career providing
hands on research and analytical experience.
The coursework and internship are not the only strengths of QMSS. The
diverse group of worldwide scholars makes for a remarkable learning
environment. The networks created through group work and
extracurricular outings provide amazing resources in all fields from
marketing to investment banking to criminal justice.
Mimi Stith
Class of 2009
Understanding your discipline quantitatively is always an advantage, whether as a primary or secondary methodology. The QMSS coursework and thesis process aided me in identifying what I believe are the most influential social issues and factors. Then, the network of students and faculty aided me in finding the right opportunities to use my growing expertise.
2008 Cohort
PhD Candidate, Lehigh University Counseling Psychology
Candice Beckner
Class of 2009
I wanted to let you know that I was accepted to a doctoral program!! Yay. I will be doing my phd at Lehigh University beginning in the fall. Sooo it is a relief to know that all of the applying and interviewing all over the place was worth it and everyone I interviewed with found my QMSS degree extremely desirable. I really think it has put me right where I need to be in terms of preparedness and credentialing.
Daniel Enebeli
Class of 2009
For many years I wanted a quantitative degree, but shied from such rigour in an Ivy-League setting. But after only nine months, the QMSS Degree in Columbia University has armed me with the confidence that I can undertake any quantitative task. Not only did it provide me with a veritable platform to confront and conquer my fears for Advanced Statistics, it also renewed my ability to frame arguments and defend my psositions before some of the world's brightest.
Commanding, U.S. Army
Ron Iammartino, CPT, SC
Class of 2009
The QMSS program was one of
the most dynamic, exciting academic experiences of my lifetime!
In so many ways, students are able to leverage the flexibility of the
program design to self-direct growth as a developing leader and manager.
In addition, the foundational program courses and seminar sequence served
to provide the basis for smarter, more informed decision-making and
problem-solving in every area of my professional and personal life;
to this end, students are given the statistical and analytical background
tools to analyze problems in nearly any field.
To their credit, the program director and coordinator were fully engaged and impressively responsive in ensuring that each student had the opportunity to follow a course sequence that fit their interests and professional goals. Through partnership and access to multiple CU schools, students are able to select from a diverse range of social science interest areas. The sky truly is the limit.
In my case, I was able to focus the academic program curriculum on my professional interests as an Army Officer to study international economics and development. My course sequence included analysis of development in Africa, the Middle East, the broader developing world, and global finance. Some course semester-long major study areas included the role of the US Army’s AFRICOM in African Development and Economics, the impact of military intervention on the socio-economic environment of both Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the economic implications of the US Army in Iraq. As a capstone, I worked closely with the QMSS program director in completing my year-long thesis, “US Army Recruiting and the Impact of Changing Economic Conditions.”
Ultimately, I highly recommend the QMSS program to nearly any student with a desire to move their management and leadership skills forward to a higher level. The flexibility of academic curriculum, outstanding program support staff, and strong foundational course sequence all serve to provide a rich, growth-oriented experience that epitomizes the critical role of graduate coursework in professional and personal development.
Strategy Consultant
Booz & Company
Charles Laurence
Class of 2009
I started the QMSS course straight after finishing a BSc in Philosophy
and Economics at the LSE. I was really impressed by how the course
brought together the theoretical and the practical sides of social
scientific research; including aspects I hadn’t even considered like
how to best present papers. I ended up focusing on real estate policy
with the assistance of professors in the Real Estate Development
programme and Chris Weiss.
The MA opened up a lot of opportunities in policy research which is of
particular interest to me. I was also introduced to a number of other
fields throughout the academic and commercial worlds via the broad
range of guest lecturers brought to our seminars.
Research Officer
Leona Li
With all the wonderful choices we may have in a modern world of globalization and prosperity, people easily get confused, at least I did. It is amazing how many great opportunities I got from being a QMSSer, and how different those experiences are from each other. In a short period of time, I was exposed to a variety of industries and types of jobs through seminars, research fellowship, internships, part time openings and full time employment. The interdisciplinary and flexible nature of the program makes everything possible. I certainly grew and learnt quite a lot during my enrollment with QMSS, but what’s more important, is that the QMSS experience eventually helped me find the direction that I truly enjoy. My advice to the new-comers is to have fun, explore & leverage QMSS. I’m sure you will have a great time here!
2009 Cohort
QMSS 2009 Cohort (class of 2010)
Senior Fund Analyst
Otto Miller
Class of TBD
The program provided me with a foundation in Applied Statistics and
Quantitative Research that is applicable across industries. In terms of
bolstering my skill set, I feel as though I have learned a trade and
not just a set of new tools. The expertise that I have developed
through QMSS is highly prized in the Investment Research and Social
Science Research fields alike. From a professional standpoint, the
flexibility that I was allowed in complementing my core curriculum made
it very easy for me to tailor my class selections to my career goals.
The selectivity of the program provided for a group of students with a
range of perspectives that were wonderfully dynamic. There were
representatives from across the spectrum, around the globe and from
varying disciplines (education, psychology, finance, etc...). This fact
coupled with the highly interactive nature of the program made for an
enlightening and stimulating experience. I am confident that the range
of backgrounds that QMSS brings together is difficult to duplicate.
Faculty
Founding Director, Professor
Peter Bearman
Peter Bearman is Director of ISERP and the Lazarsfeld Center for the
Social Sciences, the Cole Professor of Sociology, and Co-Director of
the Health & Society Scholars Program at Columbia University. A
specialist in network analysis, he co-designed the National
Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and has used the data
extensively for research on topics including adolescent sexual
networks, networks of disease transmission, and genetic influences on
same-sex preference. He has also conducted research in historical
sociology, including Relations into Rhetorics: Local Elite Social
Structure in Norfolk, England, 1540-1640 (Rutgers, 1993). He is the
author of Doormen, published in 2005 by the University of Chicago
Press. He is also principal investigator of a project to examine the
social and economic consequences of tobacco control policy, funded by
the American Legacy Foundation.
QMSS is one of the most exciting elements of ISERP. The diversity of
the student body, their mastery over new methods and approaches, and
their engagement with substantive problems of social and political
significance creates exciting opportunities for research collaborations for ISERP faculty and staff.
Assistant Professor
Political Science
Columbia University
Lucy Goodhart
One
of the great pleasures of working at Columbia has been meeting and
working with QMSS students. The student body is directed, focused,
ambitious and well-trained. They've always enlivened the quantitative
classes I teach and they've served as exemplary research assistants. On
questions as diverse as the shadow economy, oil dependence and its
political effects, and corruption, QMSS students have written theses
for me that respond to important issues and integrate advanced methods.
To me, that's a mark of a great interdisciplinary program.
Associate Professor of Applied Statistics
New York University's Steinhard School of Culture, Education and Human Development
Jennifer Hill
I have had a fabulous experience working with QMSS students as
research assistants. We've worked on projects evaluating the efficacy
of school voucher programs, the impact of grade retention on children
and the "value-added" of public schools. It's a win-win. I get
smart, motivated students to help me with my research on education
policy. They get to see how skills they are learning are crucial
in answering important real-world questions.
Professor
Political Science, Columbia University
Robert Shapiro
What I like and find striking about the QMSS Program is that has
been a program that effectively responds to current shortcomings and
weaknesses in higher education in the United States: that universities
are educating and training fewer students than they should in technical
and scientific fields. While in the social sciences, programs in
economics and political science are strong, the QMSS program has
responded to and in its own way has created a demand for technical
education for students whose interests do not need to fit squarely into
a single social science discipline and who seek careers that require
quantitative and communications skills but not specialization in a
specific discipline. There are such a large number of good students who
fit this description, that my impression is that both the quality of
the students and the number of students in the program
have grown at the same time, which goes completely against normal
expectations that the the numbers of students should be inversely
related to the their quality. It is remarkable to have both more and
better students in my classes at the same time, and, especially,
students in my political science classes who do not shy away from but
rather seek out topics that call for applying methods of quantitative
analysis; and to have students who have already acquired or are in the
process of learning the skills in statistics and data analysis that
they need. This is most especially the case in advising students on
their master's papers/theses. Often the normal case for master's degree
students, undergraduates, and even some doctoral students is for
students to become interested in research topics that require skill in
quantitative analysis that the students do not yet have or are only
just starting to learn about. QMSS students provide as refreshing
contrast to this, in that they come to their thesis topics having
already learned or are in a position to learn very quickly the methods
they need to complete their analyses and thesis writing.