Texas Border Business
By Gail Fagan
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – DEC. 3, 2015 – Luisana Lumbreras doesn’t regret the hard work she put into achieving her MBA this year, through an accelerated online master’s degree program offered by The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
“I was already in management (accounting manager) when I started the program, but I knew having the MBA under my belt would take me to that next level,” said Lumbreras, a 2005 accounting graduate from UT Pan American, a UTRGV legacy institution. “This MBA program has honestly opened a lot of doors to me in a very short time after finishing it.”
Lumbreras is just one of the many students graduating in record numbers from the numerous accelerated online graduate programs offered at UTRGV. More than 110 students will graduate from the programs this fall, the biggest class in the history of these programs, said Dr. Dave Jackson, interim dean, UTRGV Graduate College.
“These programs are growing in popularity because of their convenience for students, since they are online, and the amount of time required to complete the programs is reduced,” Jackson said.
For Lumbreras, the online program put her on a faster career track. Within two months of completing the program in August, she landed a promotion to division controller in an Austin location of a leading provider of pawn loans in the United States and Mexico, where she has worked for the past eight years. And soon, the 32-year-old from Palmview will start a new job as controller at an Austin location of a nationwide company dealing in fine jewelry.
“The classes were very challenging but it was convenient, being able to do it on my own time,” said Lumbreras, a mother of a 3-year-old. “Being able to do it online, on my own schedule while I was working, is really seen by employers as a big plus.
“Also, companies are getting really aggressive with the skillsets they want. Sometimes, having just one college degree isn’t cutting it anymore,” she said.
Jackson said students in the online programs have to meet the same admission requirements and study the same curriculum as on-campus students who follow a traditional spring, fall and summer semester format.
Each semester or module of the accelerated programs, which are offered in 29 states and to international students, is seven weeks long. Students can start in any of six modules offered throughout the year, allowing them to complete a master’s degree in as little as one year, if desired, he said.
“These programs make it more convenient to fit a new degree into your lifestyle, and students can achieve their goals quicker,” Jackson said. “Also, students can enhance their marketability, increase their potential for career advancement and gain skills critical for leadership through programs that are fully accredited.”
Currently, UTRGV offers the following accelerated online master’s programs, with different tracks available:
- Master of Business Administration and Master of Business Administration in Health Care Administration.
- Master of Science in Health Sciences, in Health Care Administration or in Clinical Laboratory Sciences.
- Master of Public Affairs.
- Master of Education in Special Education.
“We want to serve our community’s needs, so we are going to offer even more,” Jackson said.
Over the next two years, 10 or more additional accelerated online programs will be launched, he said. Among the new programs approved are an MS in Social Work, an MSN in Nursing Administration, RN to BSN, MSN in Nursing Education and MSN Nurse Practitioner.
To learn more about the accelerated online master’s programs and other graduate programs offered at UTRGV, the public is invited to attend one of two upcoming UTRGV Expos:
- 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015, at the Recreation and Wellness Center, UTRGV Edinburg Campus.
- 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016, at El Gran Salón, UTRGV Brownsville Campus.
