When I decided to pursue my MBA the two main criteria I had were the quality of the program and a program that would be the least amount of disruption to my life. I am a married father of three with a full time job, I knew fitting an MBA program into my life would be difficult. When I found that the University of Maryland, College Park Smith School of Business offered a part-time MBA program at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) I quickly realized that this was the best opportunity for me.
The University of Maryland Smith School of Business has a national reputation. When I relocated to Maryland and decided to pursue my MBA the Smith School was at the top of my list. I applied to three other highly rated MBA programs but what tipped the balance towards the Smith School was that the program was offered at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG). The convenience of the location as well as a genuine campus experience were central to my decision.
I came to USG with no expectations and I have been blown away by the campus and all of the services offered to students; from the counseling services, academic coaching, career advising and leadership training, to events like Graduate Student Appreciation Week and dinners with Dr. Edelstein, the Executive Director. I am involved with the Graduate Student Advisory Committee and am happy to be contributing to the USG community.
My MBA will help advance my career in Human Resources and I have already had opportunities to apply what I am learning. Currently, I am a Human Resources Associate at the International Partnership for Microbicides in Silver Spring. We are a small international non-profit developing technologies to prevent HIV transmission. The location of USG, in the heart of biotech in Maryland, provides many opportunities to network and build contacts. USG has a great reputation and I will use it to open doors in the I-270 Technology Corridor for myself and my organization.