Business certificate proves perfect new start for master's degree-seeking working adult
What's My Why
“Getting a master’s is something that’s very important to me. I believe in being independent, I believe in self-empowerment, and in order for me to reach my goals, I have to have a master’s to keep going forward. I want to be a leader, I want to be an executive, I want a seat at the table so that I can offer my integrity and my honesty in any workplace.”
Erin Wilson doesn’t shy away from a challenging situation.
As a child, she endured multiple moves that would have her enrolled in 11 different grade schools. Later, she would again face life-changing events that nearly derailed her goals to finish her undergraduate degree.
Every time, she persevered.
“You have to find it within yourself to pursue an education. It takes a lot, it’s a sacrifice,” Wilson said. “Sometimes we don’t believe in ourselves the way we should, because of things that we went through.”
Wilson decided to take on another challenge—earning an MBA from The University of Baltimore. She affirms the mindset that "life is simply about growth."
While she’s currently moving through her first semester in the program, even this journey had an unexpected delay. Her personal life interruptions that affected her undergraduate GPA barred her initial admission. Rather than quit, she pivoted.
UBalt offered her admission into the Business Fundamentals graduate certificate program, which gives career-changers, adult learners and passionate students a foundation for a business career and, if they want, a gateway to a master’s degree.
Wilson willingly accepted and her experience was better than she anticipated.
“Going into it, I thought, it’s going to be so hard trying to balance life and work and everything. It wasn’t a breeze, it was challenging, … but I was still able to do it,” she said. “It was the flexibility, and they are constantly in communication with you.”
She took advantage of program and University resources including office hours, supplemental learning tools and online class options.
Wilson graduated with the certificate in December 2023 and started the MBA program in spring 2024. She plans to specialize in finance.
Even through the certificate program, Wilson was learning skills she could apply to her work as a divisional budget officer. A final project for her management class, for example, involved creating a process map meant to identify areas for improvement for a hypothetical company.
“My mind works like that all the time,” she said. “If I need to explain something to executive leadership, I’m always ready to say this is how it is now, and this is how it could be. And if I need to put it in a visual, I can easily do that, and feel good about it.”
She also benefitted from learning about the aspects of a business that can intersect with her work. Marketing doesn’t directly relate to her current position, but her course work had her mind spinning with possibilities for collaboration.
Wilson is looking on having an even stronger understanding of business functions and how they interrelate after she finishes the MBA program. She knows it’ll serve her well in the future if she can become a chief financial officer or even a chief executive officer, her dream job.
“I just wanted to broaden my opportunities and I feel like I would do that with the MBA.”