A Part-time MBA can Inspire Breakthrough Change

For working professionals, earning an MBA at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School’s Calabasas campus can inspire breakthrough change.

As more individuals expect organizations to make a public commitment to social responsibility, including good citizenship, accountability, and transparency, a growing number of companies have started to focus on the overall well-being of their people and the global community. Beyond a paycheck, more working professionals want to do meaningful work at a company with a strong sense of purpose. In the words of Benjamin Franklin, they aim to “do well by doing good.”

At the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, collaborative, values-centered learning is fundamental to helping students achieve their goals to do well and do good. Pepperdine Graziadio also knows, for many people, that engaging in this type of learning may seem out of reach because of existing work and family obligations. However, for many working professionals, earning an MBA part-time is the best path to changing the world while honing business skills and growing both professionally and personally. For seasoned professionals who are further along in their careers, earning a graduate business degree part-time can be the way to gain senior management skills and credentials while working full time.  

Achieving Breakthrough Change

Pepperdine Graziadio is intent on helping working professionals gain the skills and experiences they need to create breakthrough change. Pepperdine Graziadio helps professionals grow their career with a current employer, change jobs or industries, or learn new skills. When professionals choose to earn an MBA at Pepperdine Graziadio they are making an important investment that pays off over a lifetime.

First, Pepperdine Graziadio helps students grow their careers and earning potential while achieving the change they want to see in themselves. Students at the Calabasas campus (and three other Southern California locations) build skills in traditional areas such as operations and finance. They are also exposed to analytical skills, planning and strategic thinking, leadership and organizational development that will help both the student and their organization succeed. Pepperdine Graziadio’s industry-experienced faculty and advisors are accessible and bring the real world of business into sharper focus for students who love to learn.

Second, Pepperdine Graziadio helps students learn leadership skills that encourage teamwork, cultivate creativity, and maintain focus on what is right (not who is right). In an in-person setting, students establish lifelong relationships that often result in decades of collaboration, support, and career-accelerating opportunities. For many students, it might even be a ticket to starting a small business with one or more classmates!

Third, Pepperdine Graziadio also helps students achieve the change they want to see in the world. By interacting with faculty and students from diverse backgrounds, students gain a more expansive worldview. Students are drawn to Pepperdine Graziadio programs and approaches because of the school’s global, values-centered focus. For more than 50 years, Pepperdine Graziadio has emphasized learning through as broad a lens as possible in order to achieve positive worldwide impact. As global forces shift business in new directions, Pepperdine Graziadio aims to drive change, not react to it.

Best for the World Leaders

Many believe the world has reached a tipping point on issues such as racial justice, inequality, and the environment. Increasingly, professionals are seeking to direct their talent toward meaningful action—increasing political involvement, aligning spending and career choices with personal values, and driving change on societal issues that matter most to them. In turn, they expect institutions like businesses and governments to do more to help make their vision of a better future a reality. Pepperdine Graziadio is THE school for those who desire to understand and implement this type of Best for the World Leader mentality. 

Rising with the Local Economy

Now may be a good time for professionals to consider earning a graduate business degree at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. Many large, growing companies are based in the area and the employment picture for professionals is positive. Countless alumni, faculty, and students participate as advisors and mentors and are tied to many well-known, local companies in real estate, tourism, entertainment, financial services, and food services. Pepperdine Graziadio, located in Calabasas a short drive from the San Fernando Valley, is well-positioned for students to conveniently attend classes. At Pepperdine Graziadio, multiple part­-time and executive graduate business program options are available for busy professionals.

For Experienced Professionals Seeking a Challenge

Recently ranked #28 by U.S. News & World Report, Pepperdine Graziadio’s EMBA challenges students to stretch beyond their already acquired business knowledge to impact the world. Pepperdine Graziadio also offers a one-of-a-kind Presidents and Key Executives (PKE) MBA for senior executive leaders, a top-ranked Master of Science in Organization Development for human enterprise specialists, and an Executive Doctorate in Business Administration for executives who want to explore and create new business knowledge. Pepperdine Graziadio’s Part-Time Hybrid MBA program is also an option for those seeking flexibility by blending in-person class sessions with online, live learning sessions.

Connections to a Community

No matter what the degree, being part of the Pepperdine Graziadio community offers a critical source of social connection and a sense of belonging. For part-time MBA student Natalie Da Silveria, attending Pepperdine Graziadio was an introduction to a thriving MBA community. “When looking at top MBA schools, I had my eye on Pepperdine Graziadio’s program. I knew it was the right place for me because the Calabasas campus was so convenient and easy to get to! I wanted a program where I could interact with my peers during class and network within the wonderful Wave community,” said Da Silveria. “The Pepperdine Graziadio Calabasas campus offered exactly that! I am so grateful to be a part of an incredible community and have already formed relationships which I know will last a lifetime!”

The Pepperdine Graziadio Business School knows the decision to earn a part-time MBA is a big one. Pepperdine Graziadio’s advisors support students through the process and help them make the right decision for their individual circumstances. (More than 47,000 alumni have gone through the same decision-making process!) Now may be the time for more professionals to take the first step to do good by doing well.

For more information visit, https://bschool.pepperdine.edu/