For Patrick Surrett, pursuing an MBA wasn’t with regards to 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 School of Trade iMBA was once the rest however conventional. Having to begin with enrolled in a unique on-line MBA program, Patrick came upon the Gies iMBA thru MOOCs on Coursera and made the soar, discovering a program that higher aligned together with his skilled aspirations and finding out personal tastes. Lately, he’s now not only a pupil; he’s an iMBA ambassador, an lively player within the Gies network, and a passionate recommend for this system.
MOOC Exploration and Discovering the Proper Are compatible
Patrick, a seasoned skilled primarily based in Washington, D.C., has been running 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 2d semester and ahead outlook had been a long way smoother.
His resolution to pursue an MBA came visiting 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 organize, 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, looking at 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 modify. With most effective weeks to spare ahead of beginning his preliminary program, he withdrew his acceptance and as an alternative enrolled at Gies in August 2024.
An Enticing and Attached Revel in
Certainly one of Patrick’s largest considerations about a web-based 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, alternatively, straight away proved other.
Within the Fall of 2024, Patrick attended iConverge, the place he were given to fulfill fellow scholars or even the Dean of Gies. He was once struck via this system’s dedication to engagement, variety, and innovation. “The Dean is among the maximum cutting edge and pushed people I’ve ever met,” he says. “You’ll be able to simply inform she in point of fact cares in regards to the scholars and the way forward for this program.”
Now a pupil in this system, Patrick commented on how he temporarily felt a part of one thing greater than simply a web-based stage program. Via weekly reside periods, breakout rooms, and crew tasks, each magnificence features a collaborative element. Even the professors—lots of whom he had already encountered in MOOCs—stay devoted to making a unbroken transition from impartial finding out to structured coursework.
“This system is in point of fact ‘on-line via design,’ and so they imply it,” Patrick says. “They’ve performed a fantastic process crafting an interactive, community-driven revel in.”
The versatility of this system has additionally been a key merit. With reside periods presented at other occasions to house more than a few time zones, scholars can make a selection the lectures that have compatibility their schedules, or decide to look at the recordings, async. Moreover, administrative center hours are abundant, with professors and Path Assistants (CAs) providing a couple of periods every week.
Making use of New Talents Straight away
Patrick’s function as a program supervisor for federal govt tasks has already benefited from his coursework. Management and strategic control classes have reshaped his strategy to staff engagement, consumer interactions, and making plans. His value accounting magnificence has given him the technical language to speak about monetary issues extra successfully at paintings, and industry writing classes have delicate his verbal exchange talents.
“The abilities I’m finding out aren’t simply theoretical—they’re straight away appropriate,” he explains. “I’ve been in industry for some time, however this program forces me to be extra concise and strategic in my writing and decision-making.”
Changing into an Ambassador and Growing Lasting Friendships
Past teachers, 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. Via LinkedIn inquiries, webinars, and administrative center hours, he stocks his reports, hoping to encourage others the way in which he was once impressed.
“I’ve utterly purchased in—I’ve ‘drank the Kool-Support,’” he jokes. “However it’s as a result of I in truth imagine on this program and the alternatives it supplies.”
Via meetups, crew 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 recreation meetups, the connections made imaginable via Gies cross a long way past the digital study room.
“I’m surrounded via 400-500 of my perfect buddies,” he says of the Gies network. “The worldwide networking alternatives are out of the ordinary.”
Taking a look Forward: Immersions and Capstones
In March, Patrick will take part in an immersion opportunity in Miami, running with an organization to resolve a real-world industry problem. This revel in, along this system’s capstone classes, will additional refine his talents and amplify his skilled community. With 3 capstones in general—two area of expertise and one program-wide—he’s excited to take on new demanding situations and proceed rising.
A Adventure Value Taking
Patrick’s tale is a testomony to the ability of discovering the appropriate instructional have compatibility. “I get up excited on a daily basis,” he says “Even simply speaking about this program reignites my interest for finding out.”
During the Gies iMBA, he has came upon a program that now not most effective supplies educational excellence but additionally fosters a powerful, engaged network. From his occupation development and networking alternatives to the friendships he’s constructed, the verdict to modify to Gies has been not anything wanting transformative.
