Undergraduate Applied Economics & Management careers

At the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, career discovery and preparation are woven into your academic experience. You’ll find incredible support from the Dyson Career Services team, your faculty mentors, community partners, career-focused clubs and a highly engaged alumni network.

What can I do with a degree in applied economics and management?

The breadth of Dyson’s applied economics and management curriculum — coupled with the depth you’ll get from your concentration area(s) — will prepare you for AEM careers in consulting, finance, technology, consumer packaged goods, agribusiness and other industries.

Finance

From major investment firms to community credit unions, Dyson graduates are interested in finance careers in an array of organizations with positions such as senior analyst, investor relations director, junior trader and managing director.

Consulting

Many Dyson graduates who enter the exciting world of consulting hold job titles like management consultant, strategy consultant and senior consultant. Still, it takes more than on-the-ground, client-facing consultants to run a successful firm. You’ll also find Dyson graduates in a variety of consulting-related positions, such as VP of operations, client solutions associate and chief financial officer.

Technology

Tech-savvy AEM graduates can find an array of business, management, marketing, analytics and client relations positions in technology companies of all kinds, from FinTech and EduTech to e-commerce and software. These include positions like Senior VP of product management, VP of global procurement and Chief revenue officer.

Consumer packaged goods

Encompassing the items we need for everyday life to the ones we splurge on, the expansive field of consumer packaged goods offers a range of career options in all levels and divisions, including director of inventory strategy, assistant regional director and commercial development associate.

Agribusiness

Fields and finance. Crops and commerce. With our close ties to the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), many Dyson students grow an interest in agribusiness. They can land in positions such as executive director of precision agriculture technology company, editor of agricultural business trade publication, and director of raw supply for a natural and organic food supplier.

Applied economics is everywhere

After Dyson, jobs, and opportunities for applied economics and management majors go well beyond our core areas of industry expertise. A degree in applied economics and management prepares you for a myriad of career opportunities in industries of all kinds.

Education and professional development

Dyson graduates use their education to further the education of others. They teach or serve in administration roles at all kinds of institutions and academic centers, as well as work in leadership and training roles for a variety of organizations. Example positions include:

Assistant professor of economics at a private, liberal arts school
Assistant dean of academic excellence at a technical university
Executive director of school operations for a major metropolitan public school system

Health and biotechnology

Healthcare has always been a hot career field for management majors, but the field is growing by leaps and bounds. With the explosion of biotechnology, the expansion of many major healthcare systems, and an increase in consumer health products, Dyson graduates have found health and biotech-related AEM careers such as:

Senior manager of finance for a major pharmaceutical company
Director of business analytics and insights for a major pharmaceutical company
Analytics product manager for a healthcare system

Foundations, nonprofits and government

Dyson alumni serve foundations and nonprofits in a variety of capacities including, finance, operations, marketing and strategy. They also put their skills to work in local, state, national and international governments in areas such as research, urban planning and communications.

Managing partner for a healthcare funding organization
Research analyst for an international research and policy institute
VP of corporate strategy for an international trade association

Hospitality and real estate

Hotels, restaurants, travel companies and real estate companies all provide career opportunities for Dyson graduates. Our students have the advantage of taking courses across the college or even minoring in real estate. A few examples of hospitality and real estate jobs our graduates have accepted:

Directors of:
- retail services; real estate investments; reservations; transactions, asset management, and upscale development
Agricultural technology analyst
Hotels and hospitality investment sales

Entrepreneurship and other opportunities

Many graduates go into business for themselves as founders of companies offering products and services ranging from virtual reality and recycling to comfy shoes and distilled spirits. Others take on important roles in industry, from streaming entertainment to e-commerce. Here are just a few examples that demonstrate the breadth of AEM careers.

Directors of:
- corporate buying for a major grocery chain; integrated marketing, events, and production for a major television network; strategic initiatives for an audiobook publisher
Chief merchandising officer for an international home decor company
Channel marketing manager for a major yogurt brand

Career outcomes

Earning a degree from Dyson is more than an elite education in applied economics and management — it’s your ticket to a professionally rewarding, personally fulfilling career.

Explore career outcomes

93% received offers

Within four months of graduation

$100,000

Median base salary (Class of 2025)

$10,000

Median combined bonus (Class of 2025)

Dyson placement

Dyson AEM graduates start and grow their careers with some of the most recognizable names in financial services, banking, consulting, technology and agribusiness. It’s not uncommon for stellar Dyson students to get recruited before they even graduate.

Amazon

Bank of America

BCG

Citi

Deloitte

EY

Goldman Sachs

J.P. Morgan

Morgan Stanley

Dyson career services

Exterior photo of the front of Warren Hall, the home of the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York

It’s never too early to think about potential AEM careers or even your Dyson internship. As part of the larger Office of Student Services and Advising, the Dyson Career Services team is ready to help you with your professional development starting on day one.

Academic advising goes hand-in-hand with career development. As you discover your chosen career path, the student services team and even your faculty mentors can help you choose the right AEM classes, elective courses and experiential learning opportunities, like the Dyson summer internship program. The Grand Challenges program, a Dyson requirement, also helps prepare you for the collaboration and fast-paced working environment waiting for you post-graduation.

While professional development happens all over campus, the heartbeat of career education at Dyson is found in Warren Hall. Our career center offers services to first-year students, graduating seniors and all Dyson Cornellians in between.

Schedule an appointment or drop into the center to:

Meet with a career coach to explore academic and employment options related to your interests and abilities
Build a personal career search plan with the help of our coaching team
Practice your interviewing skills
Research employers and organizations
Find an alumni advisor
Get assistance writing your resume or cover letter
… and much more.

Our alumni

The Big Red network spans the globe and is more than 300,000 strong — and Dyson alumni are a big part of it! Here’s a look at how they’re making a difference in organizations and communities around the world.

“The analytic rigor of the Dyson program allowed me to differentiate myself when I launched my career in fashion retail post-graduation, quickly identifying product trends and opportunities. Today, as an entrepreneur, I find myself utilizing a lot of the things I picked up and learned from the core business courses, from accounting to marketing.”

Stephanie Evans ’10

Founder & Creative Director of Pamoja, Sr. Digital Product Manager at Tapestry

“The Dyson program prepared me for the real-world business challenges ahead. In addition to the rich classroom experience, the campus life, programming and extracurriculars allowed me to build soft skills for tough situations.”

Kate Nadolny ’06

Chief Strategy Officer at AMG Companies

“Dyson provided me with a broad and practical foundation for my career, which began in investment banking and has since taken me into the (crazy) world of startups and venture capital. As I’ve progressed through my career, my connections to Dyson classmates have become even more important as I’ve sought to build new networks, break into new industries and explore new ideas.”

Marc Silberman ’12

Partner at Comcast Ventures

Continued career services for Dyson alumni

Dyson career services don’t end when you graduate. Whether you’re looking for a new opportunity a year or two down the road, are experiencing a mid-career transition, or are relocating and would like to develop a professional network in your new locale, we’re here to help.

If you graduated in the past five years…

Dyson graduates from the past five years can continue to use all of the tools, resources and services available to current undergraduate and graduate students, such as:

Dyson and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) alumni job postings
Resume and cover letter assistance
Career workshops, on-campus or online
Networking tips
One-on-one career coaching

If you graduated more than five years ago…

SC Johnson College offers a suite of services for alumni of its three schools: the Dyson School, the Nolan School and the Johnson School, including:

One-on-one strategic career coaching
Exclusive research tools through the Johnson Management Library
Exclusive access to alumni-affiliated executive search firms
Career action groups
Access to additional career search databases and communities

Connect with career management

Warren Hall, home to Dyson Career Services, is where you’ll access SC Johnson College resources. Dyson students, especially those with varied interests, also benefit from the expertise of professional development and career management professionals from across the college of business, CALS and Cornell University.

Dyson Career Services

Warren Hall rooms B60, B61, and B63
Phone: 607-255-7048
Email: careers@business.cornell.edu

Cornell Career Services

103 Barnes Hall Ithaca, NY 14853
Phone: 607.255.5296
Email: career@cornell.edu

Join the Dyson community and prepare for in-demand AEM careers

If you’re ready to take on society’s most pressing issues, to innovate the next big thing, to lead a diverse team of colleagues or to provide strategic direction to organizations in need—we encourage you to apply to Dyson today.

Apply now