When Sarah Otto realized she wanted to expand her professional capabilities by pursuing an MBA program, she made the important decision to step away from full-time work. This allowed her to focus her time on the fully online, accelerated MBA program at the University of Northern Colorado. She began the online MBA program in January of 2021 and graduated the following year in May of 2022. “The University of Northern Colorado stood out to me because it was 100% online, and I really liked the courses offered in the concentrations,” she said. “Affordability and the ability to complete the program online made it the right fit for me.” While the program can be completed on a standard timeline with full-time work, earning her degree quicker was an exciting prospect for Sarah.
Upon graduating from the program, Sarah started a new role as an accounts receivable manager at WellPower, which she viewed as a meaningful step in her career. “I leveraged so many of the skills I learned throughout my MBA program,” she said. “Especially Lean Six Sigma and Strategic Management to clean up the accounts receivable claims process.” She also applied other strategies she learned in the program, such as the 80–20 rule and PDCA cycle to make immediate, strategic improvements in her department.
Sarah’s success eventually led to a promotion to Director of Revenue Cycle Management in 2024, where she now oversees claims, EHR configuration and credentialing. She credits the online MBA program as the step she needed to take to reach her current career heights. “The cost of the degree was absolutely worth it. I’m making double what I was before, and my leadership skills have grown tremendously,” she said. The money, however, isn’t the main perk for Sarah. “Working for the largest nonprofit mental health center in Colorado means I impact my community daily.”
Sarah often reflects on her time as a student at Northern Colorado University. “The faculty at UNC were great. I felt engaged and supported throughout the entire program,” she said. “My emails were always responded to, and that made all the difference.” Along with the faculty, she also felt a deep connection with her classmates. “Collaborating online was easy through Engage. Weekly discussion posts helped us get to know each other.”
These days, Sarah still finds herself involved at the University of Northern Colorado. As president of the MBA Alumni Council, she contributes directly to program improvements that support future students. Her firsthand experience makes giving advice to prospective students easy. “You’ll learn so much and increase your professional abilities to climb the ladder,” she said. “The professors are amazing, the program is worth the investment, and you’ll come out a completely different leader.”
Earn Your MBA Online
The University of Northern Colorado’s online Master of Business Administration program is designed to build key leadership skills and open the doors to exciting new career opportunities. With an asynchronous structure, the program provides the freedom and flexibility to earn an MBA on your own time, regardless of your busy schedule. Concentration options include accounting analytics, finance, healthcare administration, human resource management, marketing, and project management.
The experienced faculty at the University of Northern Colorado will be there every step of the way to help you succeed and prepare for your future career.
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Your new career is just around the corner with the University of Northern Colorado’s online Master of Business Administration program. Learn more and apply today!
