My journey towards my MBA began while I was already in grad school completing my Master’s in E-commerce. I knew I wanted to continue my education with an MBA, but I wasn’t quite sure which program was for me. I remember asking my school at the time if I could take any of my courses online. As I was working full-time, having to physically attend school ate up so much of time and was very taxing on my personal life. Moreover, I realized that I became more dependent on online resources to supplement the material learned in the classroom, and even more so with group work. The internet became such a powerful resource to improve my efficiency, productivity, and knowledge as a student. Learning in just the traditional classroom seemed so antiquated to me, the more my professors and classmates embraced technology in the classroom, the better my educational experience was. With that revelation, I felt that pursuing my MBA online made perfect sense, so I went in search of the best program, and all roads lead to Kelley–sort of. (more…)
How Getting an Online MBA from Kelley Paid Off Sooner Than I Expected
During the last seven years as an ERP consultant, I have been traveling and relocating for work – sometimes to multiple locations in a single year. In this time span, I have lived in four countries (India, Malaysia, Singapore and USA), four states within the U.S. and two different states in India. I was based in California about two years ago when I decided to get an MBA, a degree that would help me progress in my field, but was immediately faced with a dilemma. I didn’t know if I should give up my thriving career for two years to pursue a full-time MBA.
Fortunately, I learned about Kelley’s online MBA while I was still weighing the facts, and it seemed to be the most appropriate option for me. The first thing that caught my attention when I was researching Kelley was that the online program’s faculty was the same faculty who teach in the full-time program. The next thing was the class profile. The average GMAT score was comparable to many of the top ranking MBA programs and higher than all but one local option. This was important to me because I knew much of my learning would come from peers, and they would be a large part of my future network. (more…)
U.S. Air Force Officer Launches Veterans Association to Unite Service Members Pursuing Online MBA
First-year online MBA student and U.S. Air Force Officer Brian Misuraca recently founded the Kelley Direct Veterans Association for online MBA and MS students in our program. His motivation was his own experience when exploring MBA programs and his desire for more peer support. He hopes to provide that support for veterans who are considering military friendly graduate schools and those who are already in Kelley Direct (KD) with this new association.
More from Brian:
Can you tell me about the Veterans’ Association and your plans for it?
Founding the Veterans Association goes back to when I was researching Kelley Direct. As a military student, I had concerns on how military life, living overseas, deployments, relocations, and other factors would impact my ability to complete the program.
Advice for Online MBA Students from Student of the Month Joseph Paglinawan
The Kelley Direct Student Leadership Association (KDSLA) is excited to announce our new “Student of the Month” program for 2015 and our first winner, Joseph Paglinawan. Joseph was selected for his contributions to our student community as KDSLA’s VP of IT and Founder & President of the Consulting Club. Under his leadership, the Consulting Club helped the Kelley Direct Program launch the “Consulting Pathway,” a series of courses designed for students who want to transition to a career in consulting after their MBA. Joseph also returned to Bloomington several times to help with on-campus events such as Kelley Connect Week and Experience Kelley Weekend. Read on to learn more about his IT management career path and his advice for those who are considering our online MBA program.
Tell me a bit about yourself, including your career and academic background.
I was born-n-raised on the island of O’ahu, HI. I left my island home for San Diego, CA where I currently reside. I received my BS in Business Administration with an emphasis in Information Systems from San Diego State University. I’m a recent MBA graduate and I’m currently pursuing my MS in Strategic Management (MSSM) at the Kelley School of Business. I will graduate with my MSSM in May 2015. In parallel, I’m working full time as a Sr. IT Service Manager at AT&T, where I have over 11 years of IT Service Management and Telecommunications industry experience. I recently accepted an offer from Ernst & Young (EY) to work out of their LA office as a Sr. Consultant. I’m set to start my new career in July 2015.