Rebeca Rozenbaum is pursuing a master’s in a different field than her bachelor’s degree. She told MASTERGRADSCHOOLS why she wanted to switch fields and how Fordham University helped her navigate this career switch and land a job in accounting post-graduation.
Rebeca obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and English from Wagner College. After graduating, she did four internships – all in different areas of political science and English. By the time senior year came along, Rebeca realized she didn’t want to pursue a career in political science or English. Working in political science was a “hard environment” and getting your foot in the door to the publishing world is extremely hard.
“I figured that if I knew at this point that I didn’t want to pursue a career in what I majored in college, that it was a good time to switch,” she tells us. “Why wait and keep working in an industry that I wasn’t really interested in?” (01:12)
For Rebeca, it felt like the perfect time to go back to school and pursue a degree that she actually wanted.
Figuring out what you want to study can feel like a hefty decision, especially if you want to switch fields. For Rebeca, it was much easier to identify what she didn’t want to do. “It took a lot of thinking and a lot of meeting with people and asking my friends, ‘Where do you see me? What do you see me doing?’” Rebeca explains. (03:10)
Then, Rebeca remembered, she took an accounting class in high school – and she loved it. “It was like my happy place,” she reveals. “It’s something that I experienced briefly, but that I enjoyed.” (03:28)
She decided to pursue accounting in grad school – but she didn’t have any experience. Fortunately, “Fordham [University] was very open-minded about it. That was definitely one of my concerns going into accounting,” Rebeca says. “When I met with a recruiter from Fordham, they told me that it’s not a problem as long as you show that you’re a hard-working person [and] that you care about this…and it won’t be a problem for you to be successful.” (04:44)
The MS in Professional Accounting program at Fordham University opened Rebeca’s eyes to a new field, one that gave her renewed energy and direction. Starting the program with basic accounting, programming, and business classes, helped ease Rebeca into the subject. “It was a perfect introduction to the subject and I’ve been building upon the difficulty of the classes as the semesters go by,” she explains. “But it’s absolutely doable switching careers, and Fordham has been incredibly accommodating about it.” (06:08)
When choosing a master’s in a different field than her bachelor’s degree, Rebeca was attracted to Fordham University’s values.
As stated on its website, Fordham University is “committed to the discovery of wisdom and the transmission of learning.” According to Rebeca, the school truly walks the talk when it comes to living its values.
“I really identified with the values that Fordham believes in – the most important being caring about others and helping others,” Rebeca tells us. “It’s something that I’ve experienced firsthand. You can tell that people really care about you [and]…they want to help you succeed and be the best person you can be, both professionally and personally. That was something that really attracted me to Fordham.” (06:32)
“The program is great, but there are plenty of schools with good programs,” Rebeca adds. What differentiated Fordham was its commitment to its values. “The people really care and it’s contagious,” Rebeca states. “Everyone believes in it. You are surrounded [by] this environment and it pushes you in a way to also try to be there for others and help others in every way you can.” (07:15)
Going into a master’s in a different field than your bachelor’s can be daunting. Luckily, Rebeca’s experience has turned out better than she expected.
“I’ve learned that I am good at math,” Rebeca laughs. “I never thought I was.” (08:03)
In a recent take-home midterm, Rebeca was nervous. But, once she sat down and started doing the test, she realized she’s capable of a lot more than she thinks. “It’s also changed the way I see a lot of things,” she says. “I used to never think about taxes or accounting – and now I do. I feel like it’s opened my mind to a lot of different things.” (09:54)
Rebeca has even landed a job post-graduation! “I do have to say a big part of it is Fordham. It’s the people I’ve met, it’s the opportunities I’ve been given, and the knowledge that I’ve acquired,” she explains. “For my first interview, the recruiter was working directly with Fordham, and they made it possible for me to get [the] first interview.” (11:34)
At the beginning of her master’s journey, Rebeca was unsure about going into a different field. With Fordham’s help, as well as the support of her friends and family, she’s happily found a new career path. If you’re thinking about doing a master’s in a different field than your bachelor’s, have no fear! The right school will accommodate your needs to foster your growth and future success.
