Joint MA and MBA with Boston College, 2017
After graduating in 2017 with a dual MA from UEP and an MBA from Boston College, Ryan Bailey landed what is essentially his dream job, as a project developer for Borrego Solar.
“I can see myself doing this for the foreseeable future,” said Bailey, who hopes to continue working in renewable energy.
Bailey, a Massachusetts resident, began his graduate school career at Tufts University’s UEP but was able to also obtain his MBA from Boston College through UEP’s dual-degree program, which allows students to complete both degrees in three years rather than four.
“I had one full-time year at each college” while the other was split between the two, Bailey said.
Navigating the administrative hurdles between the two universities was challenging at first, Bailey said, but he received much support from faculty and staff. Bailey noted that it would be useful for others considering this path to understand what they want from each program before embarking on the process.
“It’s a long time to commit. And it can be expensive (to dedicate) three years,” he said.
For Bailey, the two programs complemented each other well. Bailey initially was frustrated that he could not dive straight into the material and courses he was most interested in at UEP, but added that in hindsight he did not need to worry about that.
UEP “does challenge the way you think: it forces you to think deeply and gives you the room to do it,” Bailey said. In particular, Bailey felt UEP gave him a good foundational understanding of local government, land use, and planning issues, which has broaden how he thinks about energy generation and how these issues relate to the community.
Everything he’s done during his graduate career has led to his current job, Bailey said, but his path doesn’t end here. There are many possibilities pertaining to renewable energy, Bailey said, from ways to create value for non-traditional stakeholders to developments in clean energy, and he is excited to be a part of this industry.