This fall, Ottawa University added a Master’s degree in Business Administration to its program on all campuses.
Its main focus for students is to incorporate personal vales and professional ethics and is said to be both flexible and accommodating to students.
President Kevin Eichner, who received an MBA from Harvard, is personally invested and involved in this MBA program.
“I think the masters in business administration has been a significant element of my life and what it has enabled me to do, ” he said. “It’s something that we’re offering to existing students and also to the surrounding community.”
Annie Noll, social media specialist, is enrolled in this program at the Kansas City campus. She agrees that an MBA is an important tool to have.
“I feel like I’m going to need an MBA to advance my career,” she said. “I’m currently in my first class and right now and am learning a lot.”
Sophomore Megan Reed has taken notice of this program and feels like it would also be a great step in furthering her career.
“I would definitely consider this program,”she said. “Since I would have my Bachelor’s degree here, I might as well continue.”
Eichner has also emphasized that this program is great for students that may already be in the professional world, as well as for those who have other daily commitments.
“We have a quality program with quality instruction,” he said. “It’s important to be flexible program as well as concentrate in a specific area. This program is modeled after our adult campuses and has 8 week programs.”
Noll is taking her classes at night and agrees that it’s very accommodating to her career here at the university as well as her family and other activities she’s involved in.
“I work all day, so after my day is over, I go back home and start working on my papers,” she said. “I have a decent amount of homework and reading each week.”
Noll’s specific concentration is in marketing. Other concentrations include finance, health care management, human resources and leadership management.
“I’m only in class for one night a week, so that’s nice. It’s obvious that my teacher understands we’re all working adults,” she said. “I have a family as well so it’s also important to balance that.”
Eichner believes that this program is important no matter what a student received their bachelor’s degree in.
“I’ve had many people come up to me and why we didn’t have this program sooner,” Eichner said. “It’s a personal and a fabulous program for students who want to go in the for profit and non for profit sector.”
A small program, Eichner believes that this gives current and prospective students a great hands on experience.
“It’s a small program to start,” Eichner said. “As it grows, it will be a good for us and will bring a pathway for current students. I’m excited about it and I will personally talk to students if they have any questions.”
Eichner also believes that receiving his MBA was an important part of his life and wants to share that same personal experience with students involved in the program at OU.
“Having an MBA is extraordinarily powerful,” Eichner said. “I will be teaching a leadership class for the program in the spring. While teaching, I will be bringing a lot of different topics together. I love being with our students.”
As a student, Reed thinks that this is a step into building the program.
“”It shows that he cares about the program and wants to lend a hand in making it an ideal one for students,” Reed said.
Noll also sees this as a positive thing for the program.
“I think it’s great that he wants to be so involved in the program,” she said. “He has a very impressive resume and he will be a great person to learn from.”
But before Moll enrolls in classes this spring, she is adjusting to taking classes again.
“I feel like it’s hard getting back into the routine of classes,” she said. “I love this program, though. The topics we learn about are relevant to what’s going on in the world today.”