For business professionals—including entrepreneurs, emerging leaders and people exploring new opportunities—flexibility is the name of the game, especially if you’re considering going back to school. For many, the value of an MBA is clear for attaining the skills and strategies to level up careers and earning potential. But often the time commitment required is at odds with the responsibilities of daily life.

“Working professionals—especially entrepreneurs—are busy people who cannot hit pause on their careers. You have to maintain that momentum,” says Dr. Oluchi Oti, dean of business at Yorkville University. At the same time, they can’t afford to ignore the constant changes affecting their careers. From evolving technology to constant policy and geopolitical shifts, success increasingly requires learning adaptive skills and approaches to jump on opportunities and to be prepared to tackle future challenges.

Yorkville University’s “Flexibility Redefined” approach means it doesn’t have to be a case of either/or. Here’s how a Yorkville University MBA can fit into a busy professional’s life—and why pursuing an MBA on your terms is particularly beneficial in the business world.

1. Tailored to your busy life

Life is busy, and it may feel like you couldn’t possibly have the time to commit to a personal investment like getting an MBA. However, Yorkville University’s MBA program was designed specifically to work within a fulfilling lifestyle. 

“‘Flexibility Redefined’ means the program is designed to fit your life, not the other way around,” says Dr. Oti. “Our fully online learning approach allows students to tailor their pace and engage with course material and colleagues from anywhere. For example, on a semester-by-semester basis, students can choose to go at the standard pace, or faster or slower, depending on the time commitment they are comfortable making. For those who prefer face-to-face learning, we also offer a hybrid on-campus experience.”

2. Building flexible mindsets

Scheduling flexibility is just one type of agility professionals need these days. “Our program is also designed to meet the needs of today’s dynamic business landscape, which is highly competitive, technology-driven, and often ambiguous,” says Oti. 

Yorkville University’s programming is focused on building flexible skillsets that allow business leaders to confidently tackle the challenges they face today—and the unknowns of tomorrow. 

“Yorkville University’s Signature Learning Outcomes (SLOs) are embedded in every course,” Oti explains. “These are core competencies that are essential regardless of area of business interest—human skills like self-awareness and critical thinking or being digitally capable and socially responsible. We’ve designed discussions and exercises that require students to reflect on and evaluate alternatives, and to fully explore stakeholder implications, in order to develop the capabilities that leaders need.”

3. Hands-on, real-world perspectives

Wearing two hats doesn’t mean leaving one at the door. A program built for motivated professionals means you bring your successes and challenges to class with you, as will your classmates; real-world experiences and perspectives are integrated into every discussion, enriching the learning environment.

“First, our diverse faculty bring their professional experience to the table, which enriches the learning. Also, the fact that our MBA program attracts working professionals means they come to class with business experience and are able to share that perspective with their peers. That creates immediate relevance and accelerates growth because students can apply their learnings directly to what they are seeing in the workplace,” Oti says. “Our students come from across industries, and that creates opportunities to discuss common trends.”

4. Built for leaders, by leaders

Yorkville University’s business program is shaped by experts in business and business education. 

In addition to Dr. Oti’s expertise, the MBA program has benefited from the leadership of president and vice-chancellor Dr. Julia Christensen Hughes, a lifelong educator who previously served as the founding dean of the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph. A recent recipient of the Christopher Knapper Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, Christensen Hughes’ work focuses on the development of socially relevant organizational visions, engaging cultures and aligned systems—commitments that led to her addressing the UN General Assembly on the critical role business schools must play in developing ethical and effective leaders. 

5. Interactive, not isolated

Whether it’s a fresh perspective or an introduction, business professionals reap dividends from cultivating a strong network. The good news is learning online doesn’t mean forgoing those critical connections. Yorkville University provides opportunities for networking through orientation, live sessions and industry engagements. “We are very purposeful in our approach to building community,” says Oti. 

To learn more about how you can enrich your career and maintain balance at the same time, visit https://www.yorkvilleu.ca/master-of-business-administration/.