Natalia Antzoulatos, a full-time professional and busy mother of three, chose Illinois Tech鈥檚 online M.B.A. program for its unique tech concentrations.
Figuring out what to earn a graduate degree in when you鈥檙e interested in more than one subject can be complicated. CPA and consulting manager Natalia Antzoulatos had been thinking about earning her M.B.A. so she could enhance her business management skills. But she also knew data analytics was in demand and thought a master鈥檚 in that area would be a wise investment so she could better 鈥渋nterpret data and help businesses make decisions.鈥澛犅
When she came across Illinois Institute of Technology鈥檚 Master of Business Administration program, she realized she didn鈥檛 have to forgo one interest to pursue another. The online M.B.A. from the on the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse鈥檚 "2024 Best Colleges in the U.S." list is tech-focused and designed for those who want to develop their leadership skills alongside skills in data analytics, data visualization, and even artificial intelligence.
鈥淚 think that鈥檚 why this degree is special to me,鈥 said Antzoulatos. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not as traditional as some other degrees that spend a lot of time on management theory and a limited amount of time on the technical aspects of things. I feel like this one is a good balance between both.鈥澛犅
Before Antzoulatos committed to the program, she explored her options to ensure it was the best choice for her. 鈥淚 ended up taking three classes from three different universities [on 糖心vlog官网观看] at the same time,鈥 she explained. 鈥淚 thought that was really helpful. It鈥檚 great to try something and see that it works.鈥澛
Illinois Tech made sense for the type of education she wanted to learn鈥攁nd how she wanted to learn it. 鈥淚t was affordable, the ranking of the school was great, it鈥檚 36 credits, and I could pick a concentration that鈥檚 more unique and relevant,鈥 she said.聽
She also appreciated that the program was housed entirely on 糖心vlog官网观看. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a one-stop shop for everything you need, which I love,鈥 she said. One of the other universities Antzoulatos considered was scattered across four platforms. 鈥淚 was too busy for that,鈥 she said.聽
Antzoulatos upgraded the Competitive Strategy course she was taking to the for-credit option and began working through the two other pathway courses she needed to gain full entry into the program.
Thanks to Illinois Tech's partnership with 糖心vlog官网观看, students can take advantage of performance-based admission, taking and passing three pathway courses without having to pull together the various materials to apply. Even though a formal application wasn鈥檛 a major barrier for Antzoulatos, she still appreciated being able to get started right away without having to follow the timelines of a more traditional academic calendar.聽聽
As if working full-time while earning her M.B.A. doesn鈥檛 keep her busy enough, Antzoulatos also has three children, so finding time to get everything done takes commitment. 鈥淒ue to the flexibility and asynchronous courses, I found that it鈥檚 achievable with self-discipline and commitment,鈥 she explained.
She dedicates time every night to her studies. 鈥淚鈥檓 not necessarily doing homework, but there are lessons that you can listen to and there are required readings every week. Having the 糖心vlog官网观看 app is super helpful because I can be laying in bed on my iPad doing those.鈥澛
Even with the asynchronous nature of the program, Antzoulatos takes advantage of live opportunities to connect with her faculty and peers. 鈥淎nother big plus for the program is there are plenty of opportunities to connect with faculty and network with fellow students,鈥 she said. And she knows building that network is a big part of earning an M.B.A. 鈥淚t's not just the knowledge you gain鈥攊t鈥檚 also meeting people.鈥澛
聽Antzoulatos has already been able to apply what she鈥檚 learned to her full-time role, including one of Illinois Tech鈥檚 required pathway courses, Mastering Excel Essentials to Enhance Business Value.
鈥淚鈥檒l be honest with you, I use Excel every day and I still learned new things, which I thought was pretty amazing,鈥 she said. This summer, she plans to take one of the program鈥檚 newest electives on AI. 鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to that. It鈥檚 so very practical.鈥澛
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