For Patrick Surrett, pursuing an MBA wasn’t almost about including a credential to his resume—it was once about lifelong finding out, enlargement, and discovering a network. His adventure to the College of Illinois Gies Faculty of Industry iMBA was once the rest however conventional. Having to begin with enrolled in a special on-line MBA program, Patrick came upon the Gies iMBA via MOOCs on Coursera and made the jump, discovering a program that higher aligned along with his skilled aspirations and finding out personal tastes. Lately, he’s no longer only a pupil; he’s an iMBA ambassador, an energetic player within the Gies network, and a passionate recommend for this system.
MOOC Exploration and Discovering the Proper Have compatibility
Patrick, a seasoned skilled based totally in Washington, D.C., has been operating in consulting for over 15 years. As a full-time worker, balancing paintings and college was once to begin with tougher than anticipated. Then again, with a structured regimen and the well-designed flexibility of the iMBA program, his 2nd semester and ahead outlook were a long way smoother.
His resolution to pursue an MBA came to visit his forty eighth birthday when he learned that steady finding out was once a core worth he sought after to uphold. After making use of to 5 MBA methods (none of them being the Gies iMBA) and receiving acceptance letters from all, he selected a nine-month, on-line program. To arrange, he took MOOCs in Accounting and Statistics from the College of Illinois on Coursera and that is when he came upon extra in regards to the iMBA.
The extra he researched, observing YouTube movies and attending webinars, the extra he learned that Gies had a lot more to supply than this system he was once enrolled in. The iMBA’s two-year construction, complete curriculum, and skill to switch MOOC parts satisfied him to change. With handiest weeks to spare ahead of beginning his preliminary program, he withdrew his acceptance and as a substitute enrolled at Gies in August 2024.
An Enticing and Hooked up Enjoy
One in every of Patrick’s greatest issues about an internet program was once engagement. His on-line undergraduate revel in at Western Governors College, whilst precious, lacked the prime degree of interplay he desired. The iMBA, on the other hand, instantly proved other.
Within the Fall of 2024, Patrick attended iConverge, the place he were given to satisfy fellow scholars or even the Dean of Gies. He was once struck via this system’s dedication to engagement, range, and innovation. “The Dean is among the maximum cutting edge and pushed folks I’ve ever met,” he says. “You’ll simply inform she in reality cares in regards to the scholars and the way forward for this program.”
Now a pupil in this system, Patrick commented on how he briefly felt a part of one thing greater than simply an internet level program. Thru weekly are living periods, breakout rooms, and workforce tasks, each and every magnificence features a collaborative part. Even the professors—lots of whom he had already encountered in MOOCs—stay devoted to making a continuing transition from unbiased finding out to structured coursework.
“This system is in reality ‘on-line via design,’ they usually imply it,” Patrick says. “They’ve carried out an awesome process crafting an interactive, community-driven revel in.”
The versatility of this system has additionally been a key merit. With are living periods introduced at other instances to deal with quite a lot of time zones, scholars can make a choice the lectures that are compatible their schedules, or decide to look at the recordings, async. Moreover, place of job hours are abundant, with professors and Direction Assistants (CAs) providing a couple of periods every week.
Making use of New Talents Right away
Patrick’s position as a program supervisor for federal govt tasks has already benefited from his coursework. Management and strategic control classes have reshaped his way to staff engagement, shopper interactions, and making plans. His value accounting magnificence has given him the technical language to speak about monetary issues extra successfully at paintings, and trade writing classes have delicate his communique abilities.
“The talents I’m finding out aren’t simply theoretical—they’re instantly acceptable,” he explains. “I’ve been in trade for some time, however this program forces me to be extra concise and strategic in my writing and decision-making.”
Turning into an Ambassador and Creating Lasting Friendships
Past lecturers, Patrick has discovered a real sense of belonging. He now serves on two committees and is an envoy for the Gies iMBA, serving to potential scholars navigate the enrollment procedure. Thru LinkedIn inquiries, webinars, and place of job hours, he stocks his stories, hoping to encourage others the best way he was once impressed.
“I’ve totally purchased in—I’ve ‘drank the Kool-Help,’” he jokes. “However it’s as a result of I actually consider on this program and the alternatives it supplies.”
Thru meetups, workforce tasks, and networking occasions, Patrick has constructed friendships with friends from world wide. Whether or not it’s informal glad hours within the D.C.-Baltimore space or soccer sport meetups, the connections made conceivable via Gies pass a long way past the digital lecture room.
“I’m surrounded via 400-500 of my best possible buddies,” he says of the Gies network. “The worldwide networking alternatives are extra special.”
Taking a look Forward: Immersions and Capstones
In March, Patrick will take part in an immersion alternative in Miami, operating with an organization to resolve a real-world trade problem. This revel in, along this system’s capstone classes, will additional refine his abilities and enlarge his skilled community. With 3 capstones in overall—two distinctiveness and one program-wide—he’s excited to take on new demanding situations and proceed rising.
A Adventure Price Taking
Patrick’s tale is a testomony to the ability of discovering the appropriate tutorial are compatible. “I get up excited on a daily basis,” he says “Even simply speaking about this program reignites my interest for finding out.”
In the course of the Gies iMBA, he has came upon a program that no longer handiest supplies educational excellence but additionally fosters a robust, engaged network. From his profession development and networking alternatives to the friendships he’s constructed, the verdict to change to Gies has been not anything in need of transformative.
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