Online Business Degrees from UA Help Workers Thrive in Tough Times

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — It’s a classic catch-22 for many people in the workforce who hold associate degrees or never completed college: Without further education, it’s increasingly hard for careers to gain traction. Given the economy, however, many workers aren’t in a position to leave their jobs or request time off in order to attend classes.

And with the job field narrowing more and more, attaining those higher-level skills is crucial.

Fortunately, The University of Alabama provides an innovative solution: To make educational opportunities as widely available as possible for prospective students who also work for a living, UA offers a series of online programs that give them the chance to earn a bachelor’s or master’s business degree through the College of Continuing Studies.

Dr. Michael Hardin, associate dean for research at UA’s Culverhouse College of Commerce, says it’s more vital than ever to equip students with the business skills they need to succeed in the marketplace.

“We’re moving into a knowledge economy — work that involves more advanced training,” he says. “We need to be preparing people. It’s good for them, their communities and the state.”

Dr. Carolyn Dahl, dean of the College of Continuing Studies, agrees.

“In the tight job climate, the more skills and exposure and credentials you have, the more competitive you’re going to be for jobs, and the more valuable you’re going to be to an employer,” she says.

That’s where the potential of the online business degree programs comes in. Ideal for working students with limited schedules, they offer a flexible approach to coursework — those enrolled might attend classes during a lunch break, in a hotel room while they’re traveling for business, or at home after hours.

The University also has worked actively with Alabama’s community colleges to ensure a smooth transition from associate to bachelor’s degree programs, including formal articulation agreements that promote these partnerships.

Randall Lucas, a logistics manager with a packaging company in southern Georgia, can vouch for the benefits of the online business program. When he grew ready to make the next leap in his career, he knew that his lack of a bachelor’s degree could hamper his goal. Yet between his work schedule and a busy family life, he couldn’t fathom squeezing in classroom time on top of it all.

“I felt like I was getting behind the curve,” Lucas says. “I had a two-year degree that wasn’t doing me any good. I thought that after all these years, it was time to go back and pick up some of the new skills out there.”

Lucas now is working toward his general business degree, and the experience has been so productive that he’s thinking of going on to earn his MBA online in order to increase his career options further.

“My company rewards that kind of initiative,” he says.

For Eddie Phillips, a former UA student who played for the Crimson Tide basketball team and, subsequently, in the NBA and overseas leagues, the online degree program also has opened opportunities that once seemed out of reach.

Due to his sports career, he had never finished his undergraduate degree. Yet by the time he was ready, “I was married and was raising a family, and didn’t see myself having the time to come sit in the classroom,” says Phillips, who now lives in Birmingham. Like Lucas, he enjoys the freedom to complete his coursework at the convenience of his own schedule, and he looks forward to the possibilities that lie ahead.

“This is probably one of the most enjoyable innovations to ever come around, especially for former students like me [who] sometimes fell through the cracks and didn’t see a way to reach a level of higher education,” Phillips says. On track to graduate in 2010, he hopes to start a coaching business and also to act as an advocate for continuing education. “It’s never too late,” he says.

Hardin echoes that sentiment. “The way the world is now, we have to be lifelong learners,” Hardin says. “If we don’t inspire that attitude, we’ve missed the boat.”