The Master of Business Administration (iMBA) from Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) is a great option for learners like Molly Johnson who want to explore continuing their education by first completing stackable courses on Coursera. With these courses, learners can build their skills into a master’s degree. The iMBA is also an excellent choice for those who are looking for powerful networking opportunities, because students in the program get to enhance their abilities alongside ambitious peers while learning from industry-connected experts. Plus, with Gies receiving recognitions such as the “#1 Biggest B-School Innovation of the Decade” from Poets&Quants, learners like Molly can pursue the iMBA with plenty of confidence.
Molly originally went to school for psychology to become a school counselor, but she eventually found her way into the corporate world instead. Rising through the ranks of the flooring industry—from sales assistant to a senior director of sales enablement—she grew to like the business while separately realizing she could use her psychology background for volunteer work. As she was assuming more roles and projects in her career, Molly decided to advance in a particular area. She says, “I thought digital marketing would be a real skill to gain, and I wanted to add something to my toolkit.”
After searching online for digital marketing courses, Molly discovered the Digital Marketing Specialization from Gies on Coursera. She was familiar with the strong reputation of the university because both her sister and brother-in-law had attended it. The ability to make progress toward the iMBA through the Specialization, before committing to the full degree program, instantly caught her eye as well. By learning about digital marketing this way, Molly could acquire specific skills with immediate value for her career while knowing her coursework could ultimately be applied to an impressive degree. Loving the flexible learning that could fit her schedule, and the tuition costs that she could afford, Molly soon completed the Specialization and applied to the iMBA.
Throughout her journey with the Gies iMBA, Molly says she has significantly enjoyed her quantitative and finance courses. She especially cites learning how to read financial statements as one of the several new talents she’s developed. As part of her degree program, Molly even visited Brazil for over a week to obtain international experience with identifying solutions to business problems. But one of the most important outcomes for Molly has been the professional connections she’s made all along the way. “My biggest concern was the networking opportunities. I didn’t know if I would be getting as much of that, but I was impressed.”
Because of the online nature of her iMBA program, Molly was able to work as a consultant while earning her degree. Since her graduation, she’s landed a new job as the Associate Manager of Strategic Initiatives for a global manufacturing company. Molly is now working on high-profile projects that are driving meaningful business results for her company, and she says she’s doing exactly what she wants to do at a higher compensation level than she would’ve had before earning her iMBA.
If your story sounds similar to Molly’s, you too can start with a Specialization on Coursera to get a feel for the learning before jumping into the full degree program. Experience reputable, flexible, and affordable learning for yourself.
Learn more about Gies College of Business iMBA program.