Inaugural Graduates - Online MBA and MSBA programs matriculate their first cohorts of students

Among the 729 master’s students to earn Purdue degrees this winter were members of the Krannert School of Management’s inaugural Online MBA and Online MS in Business Analytics program cohorts.

Averaging 33 years of age with nine years of work experience, the 15 new graduates are already making the next giant leap in their careers. “I am now more confident in my abilities and know that I can find the solution to any problem,” says MBA grad Adam English, a financial advisor at Raymond James who earned his bachelor’s degree at Purdue. “The online format was a perfect fit for me.”

Although the program is non-residential, English says working with a diverse cohort of students allowed for plenty of collaboration. “It was a wonderful experience and the two years went very fast. I had great teammates in the program and made a lot of lifetime friends.”

Another winter master’s grad is Purdue undergraduate alumnus Ryan Melvin, who credits his new role as plant manager at Stephen Gould to his Online MBA degree. “Krannert did an excellent job preparing me to reach my career goals,” he says. “Moving to a new position with a new company would not have been possible without the experience that I gained throughout the program.”

Winter graduate Kristin Zalewski, who also earned her undergraduate degree at Purdue, works as risk, compliance, and medical device operations manager at Google. She chose Krannert’s Online MBA program based on the University’s reputation and the ability to complete the degree remotely.

“The Krannert curriculum is fantastic,” Zalewski says. “There is a balance of mathematical and business classes and I even got to specialize in technology innovation, which really allowed me to pursue my interests further and develop in my current industry. The program has helped me increase my business knowledge and will help me continue to move up.”

Peter Ohaver, a member of the Online MS in Business Analytics program’s first cohort, serves as a captain and a warfighter communications operations officer in the United States Air Force. “I was deployed to the Middle East when I started my degree, then returned to my home base in Germany, and moved to the St. Louis area all within the first five months of my studies,” he says. “Only an online program could fit my needs.”

He credits the program’s exceptional faculty for preparing him for continued success. “I learned tools to explore interests I never knew how to explore before and ways that I could continue exploring those interests professionally,” Ohaver says. “I feel like it has redefined my career goals and set me up to succeed and demonstrate my abilities.”

Evan Sattler, another new graduate of the Online MS in Business Analytics program, is a business information analyst with Midcontinent Independent System Operator. He earned his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue and initially planned to pursue a master’s degree in the field before learning about Krannert’s program.

“The quality of the classes was fantastic, especially in subjects like data mining and data engineering,” Sattler says. “We learned how to bridge the gap between technology and business, which translates to skills that can be applied almost immediately. I feel like it’s really kickstarted my future.”

Click here learn more about Krannert’s online MS programs.

Written by Eric Nelson