In this article 

• See why Kelley Direct student Michelle Braun, PhD, chose to pursue an online MBA while juggling a successful career as a neuropsychologist, author, entrepreneur, and mom.
• Learn about Braun’s top considerations when she was comparing MBA programs and why she chose the Kelley Direct Online MBA.  
• Find out what surprised Braun most about the program when her coursework began.  

As a national leader in the field of brain health and cognitive functioning, Michelle Braun, PhD, ABPP-CN, sees a tremendous opportunity to create products and services that maximize brain health and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease—and that’s ultimately what drove her to pursue the Kelley Direct Online MBA. 

After the success of her recent book, High-Octane Brain: 5 Science-Based Steps to Sharpen Your Memory and Reduce Your Risk of Alzheimer’s, Braun chose to embark on the next chapter of her journey and earn an MBA while continuing to practice neuropsychology at Ascension Health Care in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

Braun sat down to share her Kelley Direct experience, including her advice for balancing studies with other responsibilities and her top considerations for pursuing an online MBA.  

What motivated you to pursue an online MBA? 

I work in neuropsychology, the science of the software of the brain. In a neuropsychological assessment, we look at memory, attention, and visual and spatial skills to diagnose cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. I had been thinking about getting an MBA for many years, because, to expand public health services and make an impact on a larger scale, I need to understand the mechanics and the fundamentals of business. 

I chose to apply for an online MBA program because the in-person program I attempted to start was too time-intensive to balance with a full-time job and wanting to have work-life balance. 

I was drawn to an online MBA because I wanted to have that synthesis—that sweet spot of being able to have an active work life and family life but also to level up my education with an MBA. 

My goal in the program is to become an entrepreneur—to bridge science with business knowledge, to serve the global community in novel ways, and to get products and services in brain health out to the public. We are at a time in history when the older adult population will double in the coming decades, and, in tandem, the incidence of Alzheimer’s will triple. What is being called the “Silver Tsunami” will equate to a staggering 150 million cases of Alzheimer’s worldwide. 

Being able to merge scientific knowledge with business knowledge is instrumental in trying to move the needle and provide information that will serve the global community with tools for prevention and intervention.  

And I want to be able to move fast. With Kelley Direct, I have an opportunity now, concurrently to my core coursework, to develop those business ideas without waiting until I get to the point where I can take electives.  

The experiences of writing a successful book, having an active blog on brain health in Psychology Today, and being featured in major media, really ignited a sense of motivation to level up how I share information. That was a big part of what led me to pursue the Kelley Direct Online MBA. Without Kelley Direct,I think I would have remained somewhat stagnant in my ability to connect and to influence what I hope will be a movement focused on brain health. 

What factored into your decision-making process in choosing Kelley Direct? 

What drew me in initially was Kelley’s number-one ranking. Not only was Kelley Direct ranked No. 1 the year before I was looking, but it had consecutively been ranked No. 1. To uphold that level of quality in such a dynamic industry is a challenge, but it also speaks to the integrity of the program. 

The program’s longevity in the online space really stood out to me. Since 1999, the program has been refined and honed, and the core curriculum has evolved over time. Even more weighty to me is the fact that Kelley’s expert faculty are the ones creating and delivering the content. That truly is unique among the top-tier online MBA programs—especially with those that also provide that hybrid on-campus connection point with cohorts.  

I depend on integrity in the educational process. I’m a busy professional, and I need to have a high sense of confidence in the content that I’m learning. I feel that Kelley Direct provides that beyond what I was seeing in other programs. 

 There is a great legacy of success from Kelley Direct, including a number of graduates who went on to create their own companies and put the information they learned into action in the real world. 

To me, Kelley Direct really strikes that sweet spot—learning from the best with the best. 

What was the Kelley Direct admissions process like? 

My admissions process to Kelley Direct was actually fun. I submitted an essay application, which was thought-provoking in terms of how I would want to apply the information that I’m learning. 

I had the benefit of doing a really nice phone interview and learning more about the program directly. During that conversation, I requested a number of really specific pieces of information that were sent to me immediately to help me explore. 

I knew right away that I was in contact with experts. That was very clear from the first communication. I had the opposite experience, unfortunately, researching other programs. 

The quality of the information provided by some of the other programs I contacted suggested that it was unlikely that the person responding to my emails actually worked for the university. That was later confirmed.  

The Kelley Direct admissions office is onsite, with staff responding to emails and able to give the information that was crucial for me in making decisions. 

I also was able to get a scholarship and learn more about my cohort ahead of time. Those pieces came together to make the admissions process quick and easy. 

What has surprised you about your Kelley Direct experience? 

The program goes beyond the coursework and content of an MBA to provide a sense of community and faculty support. For example, when I was in Bloomington for Kelley On Campus, I was able to connect with faculty members that I don’t even have classes with and set up meetings with them. They’re helping me develop my business ideas and making me feel like I’m a part of the university.  

The Kelly Direct faculty are experts in their field, and they are not just experts in the specific content area they teach, but also experts in education. Many are award-winning professors and teach in the Kelley Full-Time MBA program. These are not adjunct professors—these are full-time professors. 

Even though the program is online, knowing that Indiana University is a hub that I can depend on and that I feel connected to through the faculty, through my cohort, and through the alumni network is really an amazing surprise to me. I expected it, but not to the degree that I’ve experienced it. 

The support that I’ve received from faculty members that I’m not directly taking classes with has been a huge benefit. If I have a question and I send an email to a Kelley Direct faculty member, they usually get back to me within a day. When I meet on Zoom with a professor, I am directly meeting face to face. And I find that discussion boards are closely attended to by the professors. 

That response time and the level of detail and care, consistently across the faculty and staff, shows me that students are a priority.  

What has it looked like to interact with your cohort? 

Kelley On Campus was a quintessential opportunity to fuel and strengthen connections in my cohort. It was amazing to meet my team members in person and bring those relationships to the next level. Having in-person experiences has been instrumental in creating the sense of support that we can depend on one another. 

There’s something magical about going through a challenge together, understanding that we are all busy and leading these multipart lives, working full time. We have families, we have hobbies, and we have a passion to bring our knowledge to the next level. And we’re all doing it together. That sense of bonding is priceless and a wonderful surprise. 

What is it like to balance an online MBA with your other priorities?  

When I was deciding whether I wanted to pursue an online MBA, I wondered how I would manage my work-life balance. On a day-to-day basis, I juggle full-time clinical practice; my roles as a mom, a wife, a daughter, and a sister; my professional pursuits like editing a book and maintaining an active blog; my involvement in my community and neighborhood; and my exercise schedule, which pays dividends from a cognitive perspective. 

I realized that there is never a perfect time. Pursuing an MBA requires great commitment, but it also provides great reward. 

I knew I would have to come in with a plan for balancing my responsibilities. But I also knew I would be surrounded by others who were in a similar situation to me, who also were working full time, balancing family, and wanting to better themselves. That community, and the support that I’ve received, has exceeded my expectations. 

When I was embarking on my studies, I wondered how I was going to carve out more time in my schedule, because I already felt like I was at capacity. After starting Kelley Direct, my mindset has certainly shifted to one of greater efficiency. It is important for me to be mindful of how I’m spending my time. I find myself analyzing that more than before and connecting with others who are in similar situations to get more ideas about how to balance. 

I also think about the things that fuel my energy and pay dividends like exercising, but also how to harness the social network in my household. My husband and my family have taken on more responsibilities, understanding that this is something they can do to help support my educational process. I have also declined some external projects, so I can focus on school.  

I often bring my Kelley Direct homework along to what we’re doing as a family. When my daughter sees me studying, I want her to understand that education is truly a lifelong pursuit. 

How have you applied what you’ve learned to your clinical practice? 

The Kelley Direct Online MBA has made me think differently about the healthcare services I provide in a larger framework. For example, I’m thinking for the first time about the operational management of those services, how to streamline them, and how to make them more value-focused for the patient. 

What I’ve learned in the program has also had an immediate impact on my understanding of business processes at a macro level beyond the individual services I provide. The integration of that knowledge into my clinical practice has given me a lot of new entrepreneurial ideas that I hadn’t envisioned initially. 

What advice would you give to prospective students?  

If you’re considering leveling up your skills and education, it is doable to manage a full-time job and a sense of work-life balance as well as the incredible learning opportunities you get in Kelley Direct.  

I’d recommend the Kelley Direct Online MBA program to other professionals because it allows you to move to the next level of your career in a greater, more efficient, more exciting way than anything else I can imagine. It pays off immediately in your daily work, and frankly, in how you look at the world, including your ability to conceptualize information and to provide added value in the workplace. 

As a tool for self-enrichment, Kelley Direct can’t be beat. I would encourage anyone who’s thinking about the program to reach out to students directly, myself included. 

Learn more about the return on investment of the Kelley Direct Online MBA or schedule a one-on-one with an admissions staff member. 

In this article  

• Learn about the differences between an online and in-person MBA, including the pros and cons of synchronous vs. asynchronous programming.  
• Get considerations for choosing an online MBA program, including the caliber of the faculty, the availability of career coaching, the opportunities for networking, and the options for in-person experiences.  
• Find out about the advantages of an MBA degree and how much time and financial investment an online MBA can take.   

Pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) can offer invaluable experiences to further your career or make a pivot in a new direction. But if you love where you live, have family and friends nearby, or have an already-demanding job, uprooting to start an MBA can feel out of reach.

That’s where an online MBA program can be invaluable. Doing most of the coursework online makes it possible for professionals with busy schedules to further their education without relocating to a new city or leaving their current job.

In 1999, the Kelley School of Business became the first top 20 business school to launch an online MBA. Today, Kelley Direct has been ranked as the #1 Online MBA by U.S. News & World Report, Poets&Quants, Princeton Review, and Fortune.

Because we pioneered the online MBA, we know the ins and outs of what works best for professionals in terms of an online MBA curriculum and experience.

In this article, we’ll answer some of the most frequently asked questions from professionals considering an online MBA—so you can know exactly what to expect and decide if pursuing an MBA online is right for you.

Understanding the structure of an online MBA: Is an online MBA as good as a residential program? 

Comparing online and in-person programs involves a few considerations. First, there are two MBA categories: programs that are synchronous, and programs that are asynchronous. Synchronous programs have scheduled, real-time classes that take place every week, usually over an online meeting platform. Asynchronous programs happen on a student’s own time, and don’t require them to attend scheduled classes throughout the week.

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