Our Graduates Are Out in Front

News! Wisconsin Evening MBA Program Ranked #21 by US News & World Report

US News & World Report ranked the Wisconsin Evening MBA program #21 out of 326 part time MBA programs for 2012. part-time-rankings

Everyone follows their own unique career path upon graduation from the Evening MBA program, but one thing is universal - they emerge with a way of thinking that can adapt to the inevitable challenges the business world will throw their way, and a confidence that gives them an edge.

Meet two recent graduates:

Director, Voice of Customer
CUNA Mutual Group

Stephen Arnold decided to pursue an MBA to combine more formal business training with his on-the-job experience to become a more well-rounded manager and leader. The Wisconsin Evening MBA was the best fit for him, because it allowed him to continue working while fulfilling his goal of becoming a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

He joined CUNA Mutual while in the Evening MBA program, and has gone on to receive multiple promotions, which he attributes to a combination of good fortune, strong mentoring from his leaders and peers, and the advantage of his Wisconsin education. In his current position, he leads a team whose mission is to listen and learn from customer feedback and then take action on that feedback to drive decision making with the customer’s requirements in mind.

“I expected a high level of experience, professionalism, passion, and drive with this program, and my expectations were absolutely met. I was surprised by the diversity of backgrounds and perspectives, both from the faculty and the students. This diversity led to a rich educational experience.

“The formal business management and leadership training I received in the program has been an invaluable complement to my on-the-job challenges and opportunities. One of the great benefits of the Evening MBA program is the immediate ability to put classroom learning into action. The experience and education also enables me to take a broader, more strategic view of work and leadership.

“In the program we learned what it means to be stretched—mentally with the coursework, physically with the time constraints, and emotionally with the burden we put on our families and friends as they picked up our slack at home. But ultimately, the degree has provided tremendous value for me personally and professionally.”

 

Associate Director, Regenerative Biology
Morgridge Institute for Research, UW-Madison

Jessica Antosiewicz-Bourget received her degree in molecular biology from UW-Madison and began working in the lab of famed stem-cell researcher James Thomson. Over time, she came to realize that she needed an advanced business degree to pursue the career she desired in the biotechnology industry. But, working in the fast-developing area of stem-cell research, she felt she couldn’t leave the field for two years to attend school full time. So for her, the Evening MBA format proved ideal. Applying the skills she learned in the classroom the next day at work was invaluable and helped her gain quick recognition for her contributions.

“The program has paid off immeasurably for me. I could never have guessed I would have such a quick return on investment. There is the obvious economic benefit. Since graduating, I’ve had several offers in the biotechnology industry and recently took a position as associate director of regenerative biology at the Morgridge Institute for Research. I am responsible for all aspects of lab operations and the technical staff has doubled. I would not have been competitive for this position if I did not have an MBA. Before applying to any graduate programs, I asked people within the biotechnology industry what would make me stand out—what would bring my resume to the top of the pile. Across the board, everyone said an MBA would be the right choice, and the return has been much more than I expected.

“My classmates were from a variety of different backgrounds, which was really amazing. I find that since I have been promoted post-business school and been in different situations, when I think back to class, I continue to gain insight from our class discussions. We had people from finance, accounting, engineering, sales, marketing, banking, IT, and I really enjoyed everyone’s input and all the different perspectives on situations. There were people who had been managing teams of people for years, and there were people who had no management experience, so being able to work through issues in a group environment
was really valuable to me.

“It’s fantastic how much has stuck with me since I graduated. Now that I am moving forward in my career in even more of a leadership role and doing marketing in a consulting role, it’s really starting to pay off. I have such a great knowledge base to understand the implications of why decisions are being made. I’ve had additional opportunities because I have an MBA, where others might not be progressing quite as quickly. People notice that you went out and got an MBA while continuing to work full-time and it shows you have initiative and drive to push your career to the next level.”