Courtney Russell started her Masters of Business Administration (MBA) program at the Farmer School of Business after taking on a role in University Communication and Marketing at Miami University, a little less than a decade after graduating from college.

“When I saw the MBA at the Farmer School of Business and that it had a mix of both marketing and finance, that's what piqued my interest, but so did the hands-on-learning experience. I think being able to grow with a cohort of people is really important, because collaboration is key and a large part of what we do,” she said.

Selena Gillespie began her online MBA just a few years after graduating from Miami.

“After earning my first promotion at EY, I realized my ambition to step into a leadership role within my firm or beyond. I had honed essential skills, from design thinking and graphic design to client relationship management and facilitation. However, I felt that advancing my business acumen and leadership capacity would allow me to make a more significant impact. Pursuing an MBA was the next logical step to deepen my understanding of business strategy and decision-making, equipping me to guide teams and drive meaningful change,” she said.

John Vu, on the other hand, had nearly 20 years of experience in business and was director of logistics at Beldan when he joined the MBA program.

“The MBA program really opened my eyes to how a company operates overall. Going from my lens of how products move from raw materials to finished goods to how marketing, finance, sales, and supply chain impact the overall strategy of the entire company was really eye opening. I had important takeaways from every MBA class that I attended,” he said.

The Farmer School of Business MBA program provides a pathway to a dynamic alumni network that offers invaluable contacts, support, and mentorship. Designed to meet the challenges of today’s diverse and ever-evolving marketplace, the AACSB-accredited curriculum ensures students are prepared to excel in the global business landscape.

To accommodate working professionals’ busy schedules, Miami’s flexible & adaptable program is offered in online, hybrid, and in-person formats at the Miami University Voice of America Learning Center in West Chester.

“I think the timing of when I went into this MBA experience was important. I had a little over 10 years under my belt when I went for my MBA, and I came in with a cohort of people who had been in their professions for a long time. So, we got to learn about each other, about the organizations we worked for, the headwinds we were all facing within our different ecosystems,” Russell said. “The biggest thing that I loved about the experience was operationally learning about how everybody played a part within their organization, and how all those pieces came together.”

“The knowledge that I gained through the MBA program at Miami, helped expand my knowledge and perspective of Belden’s overall business,” Vu said. “I understood the financial levers that drove important business decisions because of what I learned in my Finance and Accounting classes.  I could envision the hockey stick effect of our inventory and our distributors’ inventory.  I understood our previous business strategy going from an OEM manufacturer of mostly commoditized items to a more value-added solutions services model because of my Business Strategy class.”

“Building relationships with classmates and professors has been the highlight of my experience,” Gillespie said. “Whether through group projects or the summer immersion, strengthening those ties has created a powerful network that I know will last beyond the program.”

“There were four of us that used to go out for dinner or drinks after class, where we would just talk about life. I don't think I would have ever hung out with them had it not been for the MBA, and getting those different people and their backgrounds was amazing. Every once in a while, I reach out to just to see how they're doing,” Russell said.

She said that she’s taken what she learned in the MBA program to heart as she’s worked her way up through her career since graduating.

“I think it’s really important to understand how businesses are changing, how the economy is changing, how so many things are changing, and I think leadership has to be modeled in a way that can really inspire but also provide comfort to your team and knowing that you're supporting them through those changes too,” Russell said. “The MBA experience really taught me not to just look at the hard data in leadership, but also to be a really passionate person. I think it's all about caring about your team and those that you are supporting.”