Ramen Tieu

Ramen Tieu, Online MBA '22

Finding a True Community Online

Ramen Tieu didn't apply to the inaugural class of the Michigan Ross Online MBA because he had extra time on his hands. As a new father, a husband, and a manager of twenty-five employees at a smart home technology company, Ramen's plate was already full. Yet, as he considered his career path, which included work for the Department of Defense and eBay, he knew he wanted to continue growing as a leader — and that an MBA would help get him there.

When evaluating MBA programs, Ramen says the Michigan Ross Online MBA program stood out to him for its leadership development offerings. Ramen wanted to make a bigger impact in his career by ascending to director-level roles and beyond, and knew that developing his leadership skills would be essential for doing so. As a resident of Pennsylvania, the online MBA format would give him the opportunity to gain the caliber of a Ross MBA without relocating or leaving his job. 

Though he knew taking courses online would offer flexibility, Ramen wasn't exactly sure what to expect once he became a student. He worried taking classes remotely could hinder his ability to form a true community with his classmates and faculty. Now that he's in the program, he says his experience has been the opposite. In addition to the live class sessions that make him feel as though he was in a regular classroom, Ramen was able to come to campus during one of the program's three residencies, during which he met his classmates and faculty in-person. 

Making in-person connections with classmates felt extremely natural after having seen each other in the ‘classroom’ for the past couple months. Everyone was friendly and genuinely excited to finally get to meet each other. It was great to see that there are many others in class also balancing full-time work, the MBA program, and having children.

Additionally, Ramen said that his favorite aspect of regular live class sessions was the way that the professors taught the content. He said that though he always came to class prepared, he was constantly blown away by how the professors showed students how to utilize the content in different ways that he never considered. 

“The quality of the content and the faculty’s and staff’s commitment to continuously improve the program based off of our feedback has surprised me the most so far. After visiting the campus and meeting the faculty and staff, we can truly see how hard everyone is working to make this a great experience for us and are continuing to adapt as we provide feedback,” said Ramen.

Ramen’s advice for those interested in the Online MBA program? Don't be concerned about not being able to build relationships with other students: “The school is constantly working on ways to build the community and you will realize that they have succeeded once you reach your first residency. This program provides you with quality content from a prestigious top 10 school, ultimate flexibility in terms of time to complete the degree and ability to balance personal, work and academic life, and attracts many accomplished individuals. You truly get all the benefits of a top MBA with the flexibility and balance that many lack.”