Tara Stone of Celina is not only a student in the 5th MBA cohort group at the Lake Campus of Wright State University, she is also a graduate assistant to the MBA program and its advisor.
Says Stone, who will finish her coursework and graduate this August, “Not only do I get a tuition waiver as I work as an assistant to Dr. Thomas Knapke in the administrative duties of the MBA program but I am also gaining valuable experience to add to my resume. The position allows me to continue working part-time so I don’t lose out on those years of working experience, and I can at the same time focus on my degree and my academic performance.” Stone has been working as a graduate assistant at the campus since January 2002.
Stone notes that the MBA coursework is very helpful. “Of course, experience is the best teacher, but the classroom experience has introduced me to a broader knowledge of organizational activities. I will be able to bring a lot of the material learned through the coursework to any position,” Stone says.
Also helpful to Stone has been meeting and working with all the individuals in her class. Since almost every course in the MBA program involves a team project, Stone says these projects have allowed her to learn other points of view and how to observe other people and recognize their motivating factors, abilities, and strengths - “a very important management skill,” she says.
Noting that a special workload necessarily accompanies the MBA program coursework, Stone says this has taught her to prioritize and set time limits. “I thought I was a very organized person before joining the program, but taking on this level and amount of work given has greatly enhanced my abilities.”
When Stone completed her undergraduate degree, her goal was to enroll in graduate school, though she thought she’d work a couple years before working toward a master’s degree. Being accepted as a graduate assistant has allowed her to not only complete her initial plan without delaying her master’s work but at the same time get experience that is “a resume builder, and, of course, a salary booster as well,” Stone exults. Before enrolling in the campus’ MBA program, Stone sold advertising for a national publishing company and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
Stone says there is an “excellent mix of material throughout the MBA program. All aspects of organizational activities are introduced. The core classes offer a wide spectrum of material, touching on the key concepts and focusing on real-world activities.”
A graduate assistant is a student who, while attending graduate school, also assists in the graduate program of his or her choice. Assistantships are awarded through individual departments of instruction and require students to spend a specified amount of time assisting either in instruction, research, or academic support. Graduate assistants are required by the graduate school to register for a minimum of eight hours of graduate credit per quarter. While working as a graduate assistant, students receive full tuition reimbursement plus a stipend.
The Master’s of Business Administration program at Wright State University is accredited by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), assuring both students and prospective employers that the program’s quality and commitment to continuing improvement are verified by periodic peer review and rigorous self-assessment and have satisfied the standards of the management education community.
The Raj Soin College of Business at Wright State University offers this innovative curriculum that incorporates a number of unique elements, reflecting both new business realities and conceptual developments. In addition to thorough coverage of functional and analytical skills, the MBA curriculum introduces strong student preparation in teamwork, offers challenging cross-functional system solution seeking, teaches assessment of the competitive forces in global markets, and promotes the development of effective communication skills.
The MBA program is offered on weekends only, five times per quarter. A bachelor’s degree is required for admission into this program, as well as a GMAT score. Persons interested in more information should contact Dr. Thomas A. Knapke, MBA advisor for the Lake Campus, at (419) 586-0389 or 1-800-237-1477, extension 8389 or Tara Stone, MBA graduate Assistant at (419) 586-0378. Knapke and Stone can also be reached at their email addresses - thomas.knapke@wright.edu or stone.24@wright.edu.
