Students share why they chose Flex
The part-time MBA program at Berkeley Haas is ranked #1 by the U.S. News and World Report for a reason. Our students benefit from the academic rigor, renowned faculty, and high achieving community that are part of all Berkeley MBA programs.
In this video, members of the inaugural Flex cohort share the reasons they chose this innovative MBA format that isn't your traditional online MBA: access to a collaborative community, top-tier faculty and network, improved work/life balance, more time flexibility, and location no longer being a barrier.
Transcript
Aidan Steele:
"I'm stationed on Quantico, Virginia."
Sophie Christian:
"Originally from Indonesia."
Lisa Dalgliesh:
"I am currently living in Austin, Texas."
Tapan Shah:
"Originally from India."
Marc Armbruster:
"I live in Westchester County, New York."
Nour Abi Samra:
"I'm from Lebanon."
Tapan:
"I'm a manager of data analytics."
Emily Harmon:
"I work in human resources."
Amanda Sultan:
"I worked in the self driving car industry for eight years or so."
Aidan:
"I am on active duty in the US Marine Corps."
Nour:
"I'm a product solution architect."
Amanda:
"I always felt like Berkeley would be a perfect fit for me, but I was afraid it would be out of reach because it was far."
Emily:
"I was not in a position to be able to physically relocate to California."
Amanda:
"I knew I wanted optionality, flexibility, and a program that I felt like I really connected with."
Aidan:
"I didn't have an option to show up in class every night—it had to be online."
Marc:
"I have a young child, and so, at this time in my life, I don't think I could have handled the the commuting demands of a a traditional part time program."
Amanda:
"Then I learned about Haas' new Flex program where you can do classes online for your core courses and then the electives can be online or in person. The program meets me where I need to be."
Alecia Wall:
"One of the strengths of the Flex format is that it's inclusive really for anyone."
Tapan:
"This option was kind of hybrid, in between, where I could take classes from home, and as well, we have events in person."
Aidan:
"Haas was really the only option for me to get into a top-tier MBA program, because of the Flex cohort."
Sophie:
"It rids me of all the stress of having to be somewhere on time. So I could just log in from my computer and then start classes and do homework."
Lisa:
"I have taken class from work trips. I've taken class from personal trips, and I've had a lot of autonomy in deciding where in the world I might be logging in from class."
Shilpa Chidambaram:
"I have a young kid at home. When I joined Haas, he was just five months old. The Flex format has really helped me to balance my very demanding career, a very demanding baby at home, and also the curriculum itself."
Sophie:
"We meet twice a week for two hours. That's a fixed time. That gives me a lot of flexibility. So the rest of the time, I could decide on when to study and watch the asynchronous videos."
Lisa:
"This program has the same level of rigor and the same expectations, same professors, same curriculum, as all of the other MBA programs at Haas."
Marc:
"Haas has a long tradition of innovation, and I think the Flex program is sort of an extension of that. They're really pushing the envelope in terms of what an educational experience can be."
Emily:
"I didn't have to compromise the quality of my personal life in the pursuit of my MBA."
Aidan:
"My life would be impossible to balance if not for the Flex format."
Nour:
"The Flex program has really allowed me to add on another layer to my life rather than have to compromise in other ways to make my MBA happen."
Emily:
"Flex really does let you have it all. You can have your career. You can have your personal life, be there for your friends and family, watch your kids grow up while also pursuing your educational goals."
Alecia:
"What stood out to me about Haas was I felt that by the end of the program, I wouldn't just be a more well rounded business person, but I would be a more well rounded person. And that was very appealing because Haas puts a huge emphasis on not only what you will do and what you will learn but who you will become."
