JULIA LEE ELLIOT

Information Technology

Director, Enterprise Solutions at Elance-oDesk

“I chose MBA@UNC because of its flexibility.”

I chose MBA@UNC because of its flexibility. I was living in China when I applied for the program. I was looking for something where I could be anywhere at any time and still get a grade-A, high-caliber MBA experience, and that’s what MBA@UNC was for me.

“I can keep working full time and apply what I learn directly to my job.”

Another factor is this idea that I can keep working full time and apply what I learn directly to my job, and I’m doing that constantly. When I’m in Operations class I’m thinking about efficiency, and then I go to my job and consider how I can apply those ideas to increase through-put. It sounds really nerdy, but I love it!

If I were in a full-time program that required me to leave my career for two years, digest all this information and then begin applying it to my job — I don’t know how I would do that. The immediate application model works best for me.

“I think that it is what you make of it.”

Some critics might say that with an online program, you can’t possibly get to meet your classmates. Or it can’t offer you the opportunities that a full-time, lock-step program could. I disagree. I think that it is what you make of it.

I think that the immersions we attend give us an opportunity to feel a real connection to our peers, even though we’re not always together on campus. And that’s been very rewarding.

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