Quality, flexibility, and affordability in one highly engaging iMBA program
Discover Manuel’s Experience in the iMBA program by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Gies College of Business, providing online education excellence for decades.
Manuel is a student in the Master of Business Administration (iMBA) program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Gies College of Business. Urbana-Champaign is part of the University of Illinois System, which has been a leader in online learning for decades. Manuel’s program on Coursera continues a legacy of online learning that began with the very first fully online course offered by the University of Illinois back in 1995.
Because Manuel’s professors use the Coursera platform and its many features to create his student experience, he’s able to pursue his career development in his learning style and on his personal timeline. Manuel knows he wants additional responsibility at work. He has set his heart on becoming a more well-rounded employee. He possesses a technical background and hopes to gain new business skills.
Manuel recalls doing extensive research on different courses and programs, as well as talking to representatives from many universities. He was originally looking for a program he could attend in person, but as he was exploring courses on Coursera, he discovered the iMBA from Gies. Manuel claims everything kept pointing him to the iMBA.
While trying to decide whether to study a few topics through individual courses or cover many more in a full degree program, Manuel realized the iMBA is the best offering for the subject areas where he wants to focus. He feels that with the iMBA, he can have quality, flexibility, and affordability all at once. Manuel also mentions he couldn’t pass up a top institution like Illinois. He thinks it’s awesome that the university collaborates with a platform as big as Coursera.
As he discusses unique aspects of the program, Manuel observes the whole thing is thought out well. He remarks on how diversity and inclusion are prioritized, and how the people who support you in the program show they care by being very responsive. He notes that communications are thoughtful and processes are streamlined. Gies and Coursera are very coordinated from his perspective. Speaking about the work-life balance he is enjoying during his time in the program, Manuel says some of the coursework is self-paced and he can plan around his schedule.
Manuel’s favorite part of the program is the engagement with instructors and other students. He previously believed an online experience would be less collaborative, but he’s actually found it to be more so. Manuel specifically cites the breakout sessions as a great way to get to know everyone. With students from widespread backgrounds and regions, Manuel has broader networking opportunities than he would have had on campus. He also brings up the real-world experience he’s gaining through group projects. He’s able to translate that experience immediately into the workplace with his current job.
Using Manuel’s story as inspiration, perhaps you can start to see yourself succeeding with an MBA degree from Gies. University of Illinois alumni have been hired by 85 of the Fortune 100 companies. Over half of iMBA graduates have started a new job upon completing the program, and graduates also report receiving an average raise of 26 percent during or immediately after their time in the program. For innovative learning here and now, as well as in-demand job skills and a career credential for your future, check out the iMBA today.
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