Thanh Bin Tran

What lead you to the program?

I was looking for a business program that would help me launch my career, which led me to Business Administration. I learned about the DEC-BAC option from a teacher in my first semester. I was intrigued by the possibility of completing two degrees in 4 years instead of 6, and liked that it would give me bilingual experience.

Why Marketing?

I chose Marketing because I felt it fit with my interest in consulting. There tends to be a misconception that Marketing is the “easier” option compared to Accounting. In reality, both are equally challenging and an excellent preparation for any business career. Once you get to UQAM, you can choose another specialization, further tailoring your studies. I chose International Management, since consulting can take me anywhere, but there is a range of options in marketing, finance and management.

Course load and difficulty

My piece of advice is to hone your time management skills. The program is rigorous and makes for a busy 4 years with the intersession and summer classes. Be sure to plan your progression (with an advisor, if needed), because you don't want scheduling slowing you down. While challenging at times, with discipline, it is definitely doable. I even managed to maintain a part-time job and a healthy social life throughout my studies at Vanier.

Internships and real-world experience

In addition to the internship I did at Vanier, I’m now building my experience through the Bureau de conseil consulting club at UQAM. We work on case studies and occasionally with real clients. These experiences have allowed me to further develop my CV and peer network.