Perhaps you’ve been working for someone else for a while and realize it’s time to pursue your own business idea. A Master of Business Administration (MBA) can give you a competitive edge in management performance and enable you to specialize in your area of interest — but you need a flexible program with classes to fit education into your already busy life. Pursuing an online MBA through National University (NU) may be the answer, as it was for Victor Ramayrat (‘07).
Be Inspired to Pursue Your Dreams
After four years in the U.S. Air Force, Victor got a bachelor’s in business administration with a focus on information systems and decision sciences. He built on his engineering and marketing experience while starting a family and after a few years knew he wanted to be his own boss.
Living in Fresno, California at the time, Victor says, “I was searching for an MBA program that was nearby so I could attend in person and develop some tangible connections with my peers. National University stuck out by being a nonprofit and having a local campus.” After looking at NU’s curriculum and course options the decision was easy.
Victor says, “The timing of courses and flexibility offered through National University – particularly the way they offered the courses – was very accommodating to my schedule. And with my proximity to a campus, I was able to take a combination of virtual and in-person courses. Interpersonal interaction was important to me.”
Small Class Sizes at National University
National’s small class sizes contributed to the personal level of engagement that Victor was looking for. “Having fewer than twenty people in a class made it quite interactive,” he says.
Even though he could attend on-campus courses, the ability to easily transition to online courses enabled Victor to keep up the momentum and finish his MBA without having to take a break. “The program, whether on campus or online, is accelerated, which was also a reason I was attracted to it,” he says.
Victor built relationships with classmates throughout his MBA program and still maintains the friendships and professional connections through LinkedIn. “Everyone moves around, so being connected through LinkedIn makes sense.”
Pursuing New Interests With an MBA
The Master of Business Administration from National University gave Victor the expertise and edge he sought. His focus was a combination of marketing and health care.
“There were instances where my MBA really played a role in my journey toward building my own health care business and with my professional career development ever since. It contributed to my success by enhancing how I think about things and my perspective toward business management.”
Victor has since sold his health care company, which provided comprehensive care services for the dependent and intellectually disabled adults, including housing, medical, and assistance with the activities of daily living.
He adds, “I also started and built a digital marketing agency for nonprofits and social enterprises a couple years after, which then got me interested fully into the digital marketing space, where I am focused now.”
Recently, he was head of marketing and growth startup that developed a platform that bridged the gap between workplace messaging services and email. That company was acquired by Facebook in 2018.
Recommending the MBA Program at National University
Victor achieved his self-employment goals and credits the flexibility of National University’s online master’s of business administration. He says, “NU had the right framework for how they delivered the program.” He felt the value he got from being able to combine online MBA and in-person courses during the program was well balanced.
He adds, “Also, NU is a nonprofit organization; the chancellor, president, and board of trustees are putting a lot of resources behind the way the education platform is being delivered online and on campus. I’ve seen the growth over the past ten years, and it’s pretty amazing how much they’ve added.”
Are You Ready to Pursue Your Business Management Dream?
National University offers year-round enrollment with new four-week courses starting at the beginning of every month. Financial aid and scholarship opportunities are also available. And if you’re active or retired military, there are military tuition discounts and scholarship opportunities for you and your dependents.
For more information, or to speak with a faculty member about enrolling in the online MBA or on-campus program, please visit the National University Master of Business Administration program page.