Alumnus Valued Flexibility, Time Management Skills from Online MBA Program

Michael Ciampa graduated from the NC State Poole College of Management’s Jenkins Professional Online MBA program in December 2017.

While enrolled in the online program, Ciampa worked full time at Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh as the general manager. One of the key reasons Ciampa selected the Professional Online MBA from Poole was because of the various delivery platforms the college provided.

“The flexibility and freedom of the class variances enabled me to be fluid,” Ciampa said, which was important to help him balance his career with school. Ciampa said it was a challenge to juggle everything, but the key was setting a schedule and sticking to it.

“In order to complete the MBA in 18 months, time management is vital. This has been very beneficial to me in my professional life as well,” explained Ciampa. “Being able to earn a degree from NC State on an extremely flexible schedule makes the experience more enjoyable,” he added.

In addition to flexibility, Ciampa appreciated being able to network and connect with other individuals within the industry.

“It [the program] exposes you to classmates who live in other areas but share the same motivation towards furthering their education. This brings other perspectives into the courses which provides a broader knowledge base available to students to learn from,” Ciampa explained. The program also gives students opportunities to network in person, which can prove to be extremely beneficial to students in the long run.

Ciampa said the online program also provides immersive environments, specifically within MBA 576: Technology Evaluation and Commercialization Concepts, MBA 555: Product Design and Development and MBA 590: Decision Analytics Practicum.

“Students are given real-life scenarios and asked to develop product ideas and a business plan using the ideologies from the classroom,” Ciampa said.

These immersive and engaging experiences helped the NC State Jenkins Professional Online MBA program move up in this year’s U.S. News & World Report online program rankings. Other factors like peer reputation and technology, which Ciampa discussed, were also contributing factors.

An added perk of the program for Ciampa — getting the chance to travel to other parts of the world.

“Being able to travel to Nice, France, was a bonus for MBA 590,” Ciampa said.

Students interested in NC State’s Poole College of Management’s Jenkins Professional Online MBA program can apply now. The college is currently accepting applications for the Fall 2018  semester.