Master of Science in Management

Description of the video:

I chose IUS because the program is really catered to people who work full-time. Because I had been working for quite some time before I began the program, it was important to me to continue to have income while I was going to school. And the second thing that really struck me as important at IUS is that the cost for this program was significantly less than the other programs that I looked at of the same caliber.

I always knew that I wanted to get my master’s, but it was important to me that I got some real-world experience before I did that. When I had several years of experience in PR and marketing, I figured now's the best time to move forward and try and get my MBA, and so I started researching. I looked at several different colleges in the areas that offered MBA programs. When I was looking at other schools in the area, I realized that they were asking me to take courses on the weekends that they were going to require me to be in a cohort. In hindsight I think one of the biggest strengths that IUS's MBA program offers is its flexibility. Each semester I had the option of selecting which classes I could take based on what my schedule at that time would allow.

I think flexibility is key I live downtown the university was right there. There are many days that I just walked from work to the graduate center. I biked from the graduate center. It was that much easier to get here and kind of balance that. I achieved my educational goals because I was so close to it. I had less excuses to not, you know, make it to class.

So, I graduated from IU Southeast in 2016 with my undergraduate degree. I knew I wanted to come back and pursue a master's here because I love this place so much. But life just kept getting in the way. I was working a full-time job. I had personal events come up, and I just kept pushing it off. I just realized there was just no good time to pursue your master's, so I took my first class in the summer of 2020. And I had it with a management professor, and I loved how he structured the class. I loved his enthusiasm of the class, and he is the ultimate reason why I switched from the MIS to the MSM program. The application process for the MSM program was seamless. It was a quick transition, and it just seemed like I applied and then two weeks later I was enrolled in a class. It was great.

I started working on a master's in business administration. I just had a great experience, but I stopped that program because it wasn't really for me. When this program came out, the Master of Science in Management, it actually was geared for someone like me. The courses were all things that I could use in my work at the university. Not only was I gaining knowledge in my work and how I can work with all of my employees, I was able to learn courses in negotiation, which I use in my job and working with guest artists and booking talent.

One thing I also really appreciated during my experience here at IUS was the fact that our faculty members were continually trying to bring in real-world experiences into our learnings in the classroom. They were continually monitoring trends looking at headlines in the news and challenging us to think about how we would approach these same problems if they were happening in our workplaces. Back when I started the MBA program, in work, I was actually working to help launch our brand-new children's book imprint. As a result, I was able to, in real time, take what I was learning in the classroom and apply that into my job.

I got my master's in computer science from USC. Subsequently, I landed a job in Humana, and I found myself in designing financial systems. I realized I was working with a lot of CPAs and science that I didn't have deep knowledge in. If I'm designing financial systems, I thought it was important for me to know what the financial science was all about. It was not a job-hunting exercise for me, but it was more about making my solutions and my trade a lot better to meet my customer needs.

My degree from Indiana University Southeast is far more valuable to me than what I paid for it. Not only did I get valuable information that will help me throughout my career, I met a network of working professionals in the area who've really helped me to grow. So, when I graduated from IUS, I saw a job posted online for Churchill Downs. And what struck me as interesting is that while I was in the program, one of the individuals I met worked at Churchill Downs. So, what I did is I called him up, and I was like, “hey, so I saw this opportunity posted at Churchill Downs and I was really interested in it. Would you mind being a recommendation for me?” And since I worked so closely with him in the program, he was like “sure, no problem I’ll be your recommendation.” And so, after he gave me the recommendation, I actually ended up getting the job at Churchill Downs, which honestly the increase in pay paid for my entire degree at IUS.

Each semester, in each class for that matter, I have the opportunity to meet people from all different types of industries, organizations. There was a constant exchanging of ideas. It was so refreshing to be around, and I can't say enough positive things about my time here at IUS.

IUS did something that's really important for me, and that's increased my confidence as a business professional.