In the highly competitive world of business, an MBA is the gold standard for educational excellence. I decided to pursue my MBA because I was looking for a new challenge, and wanted to expand my network and ensure that I had the skill set necessary for success in my future endeavors.

The UB Professional MBA program is much more than a part-time MBA program — it’s designed from the ground up for working professionals. I chose this program because I wanted exposure to peers in other industries and to learn from world-class faculty who truly understand the demands of full-time employment. Having completed the Professional MBA program, I cannot imagine attending any other school.

Deciding whether to pursue an MBA is never an easy decision. As a working professional with limited free time, I was concerned about making time for work, school, family and friends. After shadowing a few classes and discussing time management with current students and alumni, I decided to make the commitment. While I can’t say that I had much free time during the program, I can absolutely say that it was time well spent. Everyone in the program is balancing a busy schedule, so the staff and faculty understand that time is incredibly valuable for PMBA students. For this reason, they focus on ensuring that time is used efficiently and effectively.

If you’re in the process of applying to the PMBA program, I would like to start by congratulating you on deciding to make a personal investment into your future. The program will give you the opportunity to challenge yourself, expand your network and acquire critical business skills that will allow you to advance your career. What you learn in class in the evenings will be directly applicable the next day at work, so I encourage you to start applying the material immediately.

One of the best aspects of the PMBA program is the cohort structure. Most of your classes are with the same group of students so you develop lifelong connections with your classmates. Having this built-in support network was vital to my success in the program. My peers challenged my assumptions, encouraged me to consider different perspectives, and helped me apply the concepts that we learned in class.

Motivating my team is a critical component of my role as a manager. Through the performance management class, I was able to learn about the science of human behavior. This has allowed me to identify and reinforce desirable behaviors and to understand why people do what they do. I leverage the concepts from that class every single day.