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Masters of Excellence Scholarships awarded to 5 BSE students by Fundació Catalunya-La Pedrera
Photo: Masters of Excellence Scholarship recipients with BSE Director Teresa Garcia-Milà at the award ceremony at La Pedrera last week.
The Foundation awards these selective, merit-based scholarships to students entering master programs with international reputation, a focus on research, and top faculty
Five BSE masters students in the Class of 2015 have received a Masters of Excellence Scholarship from Fundació Catalunya-La Pedrera. They are part of a group of 51 top graduate students who were recognized in a ceremony this week at the foundation's headquarters, Casa Milà ("La Pedrera") in downtown Barcelona.
Scholarship recipients are chosen entirely on the basis of their outstanding academic merit. Master programs are selected by the Foundation for inclusion in the scholarship program if they meet demanding criteria for international reputation, the quality of their faculty, and a focus on research. Only programs taught entirely in English are eligible for consideration.
2014-15 BSE Fundació Catalunya-La Pedrera Scholarship Recipients
 | Teresa Esteban “My main goal after finishing the master at the BSE is to continue my education by enrolling in a PhD program in the United States or Europe. I believe the BSE’s reputation as a competitive graduate program will help me during the application process. Furthermore, the Master in Economics’ rigorous program provides the tools and the experience in a demanding environment that will better prepare me for the PhD.” |
 | Jéssica Leal “I expect the master to help me to develop my career as a data scientist working for a company which will need data to learn how to operate in the markets more efficiently. I also consider this master will give me the right skills if I ever decide to continue my career in the statistical research field.” |
 | Ruth Llovet “I have chosen the ITFD program because I think it is going to bring me a new perspective of the economics field. It allows you to create your own path by specializing in different areas while developing quantitative skills to approach today’s economic issues and become a good professional. My goal is to work an international institution or a government agency.” |
 | Alejandro Martínez “I joined this master because I want to become a researcher in the field I love, Game Theory. My aim is to apply to a doctoral program, and my main choice would be to go to the United States. This program will give me the preparation I need and also the required reputation to get into the most prestigious PhD programs in the world.” |
 | Albert Palomar “I have joined the master in Economics at the BSE because it is one of the strongest master programs in terms of quantitative analysis that I know. I have in my mind to work either in a Central Bank or in a private firm straight after the master, and I believe that it is fundamental to first obtain the theoretical and analytical training that this master provides.” |
Career updates for last year's scholarship recipients
In the previous edition of the Masters of Excellence Scholarships, four BSE students received awards. After graduating, last year's recipients went on to positions at Accenture, Deloitte, and the UPF's Center for Research on Health Economics (CRES). The fourth recipient has entered the PhD program at Columbia University.