Flexible part-time MBA program leads couple to success

Prioritization and sacrifice are principles that guided Faye and Ernie Timmons during the past two years. They were both students in UNI's part-time MBA program, they both work full time at John Deere in Waterloo and they're parents to three boys under age 5.

"We had to prioritize almost everything in our lives and sacrifice some of the things that didn't top the list," said Faye. "Our yard looked bad and the house was a bit of a mess, but all of those things are being put back into place now that we've completed the program!" The Timmons earned their MBAs in June.

UNI's part-time MBA courses are offered in the evening, with an occasional weekend class, which made the degree program especially appealing to this busy couple.

Earlier this year, U.S. News & World Report acknowledged UNI as having one of the best part-time MBA programs in the country, a distinction Ernie says is well deserved.

"The faculty did a great job introducing concepts to us. The Capstone project tied everything together and we were able to apply a lot of the concepts we learned."

UNI's program-ending Capstone experience allows student-consulting teams to undertake strategic management projects for organizations across northeast Iowa. Each student brings his or her expertise in various business functions, business cultures and analytical methods to develop collaborative business solutions. Teams work with a mentor from the UNIBusiness graduate faculty who has expertise in the project's topic.

The team worked with the owner of That Iowa Girl to develop a strategic growth strategy to help smaller Midwestern food producers get their products on store shelves. "It was great to be able to apply what we learned in the program to actual problems that a real small business faces," said Ernie.

Learn more about UNI's part-time MBA program.

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