Accelerating towards a Great, New Career

As an undergraduate, Lucia Yu focused on anthropology and economics, completing internships with United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) and the International Legal Foundation, and developing a fascination with technology and how it could be employed to make an impact in a wide variety of arenas. Then, like many students approaching graduation, Yu wondered how best to leverage her NYU bachelor’s degree and just what her next steps might entail. When she heard about a new online program, A Bridge to NYU Tandon, which promised to prepare students with limited to no prior experience in computer science for technology-focused graduate degrees and careers, she was intrigued.

In summer 2016 Yu embarked upon the intensive full-time 17-week course, with some trepidation about the exceptional amount of time and effort it would take to complete successfully.

That trepidation, while natural, proved to be unfounded: Yu excelled. With NYU Tandon considering any qualifying student completing the course with at least a B+ average for admittance to its graduate programs in computer science, cybersecurity, computer engineering, or bioinformatics, she now had another momentous decision to make.

With the encouragement of the program’s founder, Professor of Computer Science and Engineering Nasir Memon, Yu took the plunge and began working towards a master’s degree in computer science. “I survived the Bridge Program, so I knew graduate school couldn’t be any worse,” she quipped. That joke had more than a grain of truth to it: Yu, who earned her master’s degree in 2018 — among the first Bridge alumni to do so — found her coursework much less daunting because of the solid foundation she had built during her Bridge experience. She had also gained a tight network of fellow Bridge alumni, who lent mutual support as they took on their new challenges. “When I first walked into a computer-science graduate class in 2016, I was worried about being among a sea of students who had been immersed in the topic for years,” she said. “But it helped to know other people felt the same way and to be reminded that we had the aptitude needed to be there.”

Memon’s belief in her and his practical advice were also invaluable. “He made sure I chose my classes well, arranged for tutoring when I needed it, introduced me to the computer-science community at Tandon, and gave other important guidance,” she recalled. “I would not be in the position I am today without him.”

That position, much to her satisfaction, is at the iconic financial-services firm JP Morgan Chase. Yu, who spent the summer of 2017 as a technology analyst intern there, was hired to join the company’s new machine-learning division upon earning her master’s in 2018. “There are few entry-level jobs available specifically focused on machine learning, so I was being offered a rare opportunity,” she said.” Even rarer is the fact that although women are still largely underrepresented in the STEM fields, most of the members of my team are female.”

It seems fitting that a stellar opportunity arose for Yu — a stellar student who was willing to take on a whole new endeavor and who succeeded thanks to a stellar program and mentor.  

A Bridge to NYU Tandon Program Benefits

• Convenient online format so you can take part from anywhere

• Accelerated format, with full-time (17 weeks) or part-time (24 weeks) options

• Live and recorded classes with interactive modules provide a flexible education tailored to your schedule

• Only $1,500 for the entire program (the equivalent of three traditional courses)

Diverse Backgrounds

Bridge participants hail from a wide variety of disciplines and majors. One recent cohort included students from: