Graduate programs transform students into critical thinkers, strategic leaders

Rutgers Business School’s graduate programs are designed to transform students into critical thinkers, problem solvers and strategic leaders who strive to make a positive impact at their companies and in their communities.

Whether students are working professionals pursuing ambitions of advancing to higher roles of decision-making and leadership or they are seeking to prepare themselves for work in new and changing industries, Rutgers Business School ensures their knowledge and skills are relevant for the next phase of their careers.

“The strength of our programs is measured by the success our alumni are able to achieve in their careers,” said Rutgers Business School Dean Lei Lei. “The knowledge and skills they gain from our professors and specialized curriculum prepares them for the challenges of the digital era.”

The success of our students is our track record – and their stories could be your inspiration.

Check out some success stories below, and then take the first step toward earning a master’s degree of your own. The next Graduate Admissions Open Houses will be held Saturday, Oct. 26, in Newark and Sunday, Nov. 10, in New Brunswick.

Soaring at Boeing

Rutgers Business School alumna Julie Mitchell worked as a manager in a dental office for a decade before she took a business operations job at The Boeing Company. When a vendor experienced a crisis and an inventory shortage ensued, she got her first taste of supply chain management. To gain more knowledge and a credential, Mitchell decided to earn a Master of Science in Supply Chain Management from Rutgers. She completed the program in two years, juggling marriage, motherhood and a full-time job.

The result: The master’s degree catapulted her into a senior procurement agent position. When Boeing is configuring 737 interiors for a new airline, Mitchell works with the clients, engineers and suppliers to coordinate technical data and to procure and arrange delivery of every piece of equipment necessary to furnish the galleys. “A 737 has 400,000 parts, including nuts and bolts. It can be like working on a puzzle,” she said. “The most rewarding thing is delivering something to a customer that they’re happy with.”

Suited for success

When he began the Master of Science in Business of Fashion program, Jeff Coto was ready for another opportunity within the fashion industry. “I chose the Rutgers program to help advance my career,” he said.

Not long after he completed the program, Coto was offered a job as director of logistics for RoC Skincare, which had recently been acquired by a private equity firm. He said the Business of Fashion curriculum, which includes classes in business areas like finance and marketing and project management, prepared him for the role.

“I’ll definitely make use of the entrepreneurial mindset that I developed in the program,” Coto said. “RoC is an established business, but we’ll be working to recreate it and grow it. Understanding the different facets of business makes me feel more comfortable that I will be able to help.”

Putting leadership skills to the test

On campus, Nana Kyemereh Kokoankra II was known as Seth or King Seth as he advanced through the Rutgers Part Time MBA program.

After working 16 years in human relations and supply chain, Kokoankra decided an MBA could help him advance his career. He started out studying supply chain management as a way of enhancing his knowledge, but during his studies, he was installed as the divisional chief in his town of Ghana, West Africa. That led him to switch his concentration of study to strategy and leadership.

“The reason why I did that, being a leader, I thought that these courses would help me influence and guide the people in a positive way and gain good results,” he said.

Preparing for health care’s future

When Lisa Leung completed the Master of Science in Health Care Services Management, she said her new skills and knowledge made her better at her job as a regional laboratory manager at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and more qualified to pursue opportunities in administration.

“I wanted to understand analytics and be able to forecast,” she said. “This program gave me a lot of ideas about how to forecast and plan more efficiently.”

Leung said the program also provided her with more knowledge about processes like Lean Six Sigma and industry trends such as telemedicine. “I gained much more of an understanding about the future of health care,” she said.

Find out more about the Rutgers MBA and other masters programs available at Rutgers Business School.