Name: Joergen Aaboe
General MBA, California Lutheran University University previously attended: San Diego State University
Degree obtained: BSc
Country of origin: Norway
Age: 28
Career history Joergen Aaboe's career history is brief but includes Director of Business Development for BizCrafter Corporation, a small software company in nearby Westlake Village. (Job duties can be summarized as a combination of sales, marketing, partner relationship management, project management and product development.) He is currently working in the early stages of another technology start-up.
I have already been in contact with several potential employers who have expressed a very high regard for the Cal Lutheran MBA programme. When I was first deciding that I wanted to pursue an MBA degree, I knew that I was looking for a combination of qualities, and the most important ones for me were great faculty, reasonable cost, effect on future career opportunities and location. With California Lutheran University I found that combination.
The programme The Cal Lutheran MBA programme actually includes all the qualities that I find most important, making it the ideal package for me. First of all, the faculty of the Cal Lutheran School of Business is outstanding; the value they provide both inside and outside of the classroom is amazing. After being a working professional for a few years, I realised that continuing my training in an MBA programme would open new career doors for me, but the faculty at Cal Lutheran have done so much more than just provide an opportunity for me to increase my knowledge and understanding of business. They have seen my success as their success and helped me make connections and contacts I would never have been able to make otherwise.
The cost of the programme is definitely reasonable, especially considering all the other qualities the programme has to offer. There are numerous examples of graduates who have been presented with dramatically improved career opportunities upon completion of the programme. And you can't beat the location! Thousand Oaks is home to a wide variety of companies across several industries. It's a great place to live, study and work.
Faculty and students At Cal Lutheran, the faculty members have impacted my experience significantly. One of the things I enjoy the most is their commitment to providing excellent education both in and out of the classroom. The faculty members are genuinely interested in the success of the students and, combined with their willingness to be a resource that we can tap into, that is one of the main reasons why I am extremely satisfied with the direction of my education here at Cal Lutheran. In addition to the helpful and impressive faculty members, the student body in the MBA programme is incredibly interesting and diverse.
The Cal Lutheran MBA programme attracts students from all over the world, and mixing their experiences and international perspectives with those of American working professionals provides additional value to the programme in the form of interesting discussions, teamwork and international networking opportunities.
Class size
Cal Lutheran is known for its small class sizes. This facilitates the small-group work so vital in the MBA curriculum and actually makes it possible to learn more since I can also interact with the working professionals, not just the professor, in my courses. Smaller classes make learning easier, and the class sizes at Cal Lutheran play a significant role in the quality of my education. It's easy for me to connect with my instructors and it certainly facilitates networking with classmates.
My future
When I finish the MBA programme at Cal Lutheran, I am confident in the fact that my
MBA will make me more attractive in the job market. I have already been in contact with several potential employers who have expressed a very high regard for the Cal Lutheran MBA programme. Additionally, the Career Services Center at Cal Lutheran does an amazing job with assisting students and graduates in identifying attractive positions, career preparation workshops and placement.
Your future
If I could offer a piece of advice to a working professional thinking about pursuing an MBA while working full time, I would say just do it. I know that it can be tough to find enough time and energy to go through an MBA programme while working full time, but the rewards--learning from great instructors and connecting with other professionals in the same position as you while at the same time improving your future career opportunities--outweigh everything else in my opinion. The MBA programme at California Lutheran University is recognised as providing exceptional value in US graduate business education, and that becomes very clear as soon as you enrol on the programme.
