Another useful finding from the Alum survey concerned the question: is the knowledge gained from the program useful? The first was around how has the program influenced your thinking? The survey was conducted by student (and now alum) Fatema Tuz Zohra as part of her Master’s Project for the Foresight program. She was able to reach 90 of the 305 alums and 46 of them responded to the survey.
One of the objectives of an educational program is to impart knowledge to its students that enables them to apply that knowledge for their professional growth and the growth of the discipline. Individuals pursue a graduate program to enable them to progress further in their profession. One of the important factors to measure how effective a program is, is by understanding how much of the skills developed through the program is being used in professional activities. According to the survey results, 59% of UH foresight alumni reported that they use the knowledge gained from the program at work.
A foresight program graduate working as VP engineering claimed that:
“I believe my career took off after attaining the foresight degree. The thinking ability that one develops in the program benefits you in the industry. It’s actually the qualification that can be as valuable as an MBA.”
Also, another alumni who learned about the program through a family member said,
“While working in the HR, I use what I learned in the program every single day.” She further supports her experience in the foresight program as she stated, “Going through the program broadens your way of thinking.”
However, there is a mix of students in the program which includes some who seek to be a full time futurists, some attend to gain more knowledge about the discipline, and some take it as an elective or in coordination with other major. This mix of students shows another perspective stated by an alumni who currently is a freelancer:
“The program was too job focused. With the new perspectives we learned, we should create more jobs for ourselves instead of doing the traditional consultancy and move towards being entrepreneurs. I believe fitting into traditional roles is a disservice to the discipline.”
Even though the skills developed through the foresight program is applicable across industries most of  the alumni believe that it is better to have a background education and experience that will be further enhanced with the foresight degree.
Next, we’ll explore responses around the job market.  Andy Hines