Pairing an MBA with a Graduate Certificate

Sara Greer '21 MBA has been enrolled in the Online MBA program for the past two years while working primarily in the health care industry. "Pursuing an MBA at Opus College has been one of the most positive experiences of my life," she says. 

Her Opus experience has been bolstered by the connections she's developed during her time as a student. Sara credits the St. Thomas staff, faculty, and fellow students for consistently creating an environment of collaborative and mutually supportive learning. "The professors, the team of advisors, the program administrators, and students are all here in the spirit of doing great things," she says.

Sara is also completing a graduate certificate in Transformational Change and Organization Development. Course offerings in project management and organizational development have given her the tools and competencies to make real-time and substantial contributions in her current role.

"I've been able to apply so much of the certificate course material to large-scale change initiatives essentially in real-time," says Sara. She's taking this certificate as part of her MBA.

Pursuing the graduate certificate has established a strong foundation for continued growth in my career.

The hands-on, educational experience has been a highlight of Sara's journey. She's sharpened her creative solution-based skills through application projects in class, where students are tasked to identify an opportunity, explore the data, and apply critical and creative thinking to find solutions or next steps.

"When I first started the MBA program, I had a job that wasn't fulfilling," she says. "I had a sneaking feeling there was more for me, waiting somewhere, and I just had to uncover it." Through relationship-building, the learning process, and a lot of hard work, she's uncovered exciting new career opportunities.

Since starting her graduate student internship at UnitedHealthcare last summer, Sara has moved into a strategic project-based position at the company. "The MBA program has really put my career into overdrive."

She has this advice for anyone interested in pursuing an MBA at Opus College: “Like all things in life, stay open to opportunities. Soak up whatever you can from the program.”