For Patrick Surrett, pursuing an MBA wasn’t nearly including a credential to his resume—it was about lifelong studying, progress, and discovering a neighborhood. His journey to the College of Illinois Gies School of Enterprise iMBA was something however conventional. Having initially enrolled in a distinct on-line MBA program, Patrick found the Gies iMBA by means of MOOCs on Coursera and made the leap, discovering a program that higher aligned along with his skilled aspirations and studying preferences. At this time, he’s not only a pupil; he’s an iMBA ambassador, an energetic participant within the Gies neighborhood, and a passionate advocate for this system.
MOOC Exploration and Discovering the Proper Match
Patrick, a seasoned skilled based mostly in Washington, D.C., has been working in consulting for over 15 years. As a full-time worker, balancing work and college was initially more difficult than anticipated. Nevertheless, with a structured routine and the well-designed flexibility of the iMBA program, his second semester and ahead outlook have been far smoother.
His choice to pursue an MBA got here round his forty eighth birthday when he realized that steady studying was a core worth he needed to uphold. After making use of to 5 MBA applications (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 found extra concerning the iMBA.
The extra he researched, watching YouTube movies and attending webinars, the extra he realized that Gies had far more to supply than this system he was enrolled in. The iMBA’s two-year construction, complete curriculum, and skill to switch MOOC parts satisfied him to change. With solely weeks to spare earlier than beginning his preliminary program, he withdrew his acceptance and as a substitute enrolled at Gies in August 2024.
An Participating and Related Expertise
Certainly one of Patrick’s largest issues about an internet program was engagement. His on-line undergraduate expertise at Western Governors College, whereas helpful, lacked the excessive stage of interplay he desired. The iMBA, nevertheless, instantly proved totally different.
Within the Fall of 2024, Patrick attended iConverge, the place he bought to fulfill fellow college students and even the Dean of Gies. He was struck by this system’s dedication to engagement, variety, and innovation. “The Dean is among the most revolutionary and pushed people I’ve ever met,” he says. “You possibly can simply inform she actually cares concerning the college students and the way forward for this program.”
Now a pupil in this system, Patrick commented on how he rapidly felt a part of one thing bigger than simply an internet diploma program. Via weekly stay classes, breakout rooms, and group initiatives, each class features a collaborative element. Even the professors—lots of whom he had already encountered in MOOCs—stay devoted to making a seamless transition from impartial studying to structured coursework.
“This system is actually ‘on-line by design,’ and so they imply it,” Patrick says. “They’ve executed an incredible job crafting an interactive, community-driven expertise.”
The pliability of this system has additionally been a key benefit. With stay classes supplied at totally different instances to accommodate numerous time zones, college students can select the lectures that match their schedules, or choose to look at the recordings, async. Moreover, workplace hours are plentiful, with professors and Course Assistants (CAs) providing a number of classes every week.
Making use of New Abilities Instantly
Patrick’s function as a program supervisor for federal authorities initiatives has already benefited from his coursework. Management and strategic administration programs have reshaped his method to workforce engagement, shopper interactions, and planning. His price accounting class has given him the technical language to debate monetary issues extra successfully at work, and enterprise writing programs have refined his communication expertise.
“The talents I’m studying aren’t simply theoretical—they’re instantly relevant,” he explains. “I’ve been in enterprise 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 Creating 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 college students navigate the enrollment course of. Via LinkedIn inquiries, webinars, and workplace hours, he shares his experiences, hoping to encourage others the way in which he was impressed.
“I’ve utterly purchased in—I’ve ‘drank the Kool-Assist,’” he jokes. “But it surely’s as a result of I genuinely consider on this program and the alternatives it gives.”
Via meetups, group initiatives, and networking occasions, Patrick has constructed friendships with friends from world wide. Whether or not it’s informal blissful hours within the D.C.-Baltimore space or soccer sport meetups, the connections made potential by Gies go far past the digital classroom.
“I’m surrounded by 400-500 of my finest associates,” he says of the Gies neighborhood. “The worldwide networking alternatives are phenomenal.”
Trying Forward: Immersions and Capstones
In March, Patrick will take part in an immersion alternative in Miami, working with an organization to resolve a real-world enterprise problem. This expertise, alongside this system’s capstone programs, will additional refine his expertise and broaden his skilled community. With three capstones in complete—two specialty and one program-wide—he’s excited to deal with new challenges and proceed rising.
A Journey Value Taking
Patrick’s story is a testomony to the ability of discovering the appropriate instructional match. “I get up excited day by day,” he says “Even simply speaking about this program reignites my ardour for studying.”
Via the Gies iMBA, he has found a program that not solely gives tutorial excellence but in addition fosters a powerful, engaged neighborhood. From his profession development and networking alternatives to the friendships he’s constructed, the choice to change to Gies has been nothing wanting transformative.
