MBA student Ryan Scott transforms knowledge into skills while learning from diverse perspectives
Ryan Scott P.Eng, CD, currently serves in the military as an engineer officer. As part of his role, he is responsible for managing several specialist groups that include finance, procurement, material management, information technology, and an intake of newly recruited soldiers and aviators.
For his own professional development, Ryan decided to pursue an MBA at UFred, believing it would be highly relevant to his career in the Canadian Armed Forces. Aiming to expand his understanding of leadership practices and business management, he was drawn to the Global Leadership specialty stream. This specialty stream would be most applicable to his role and is aligned with goals shared by the Canadian Armed Forces.
Ryan recognized that going back to school was not a decision to be taken lightly. But as he witnessed friends and mentors take similar graduate-level programs — with positive experiences — he decided to take the plunge.
Turning theoretical knowledge into real-world applications
After completing a few courses as part of his MBA, Ryan found he was able to immediately implement theoretical concepts he learned into his work. A course he found particularly useful was the Leadership Theory and Practice course, with practical portions focusing on emotional intelligence. When speaking about the course he shares, “I was able to apply [this] into my day-to-day management of teams instantly”.
“What I found excellent was the homework and assignments that had students apply these theoretical lessons to their current roles. What a great way to learn and adopt better leadership skills!”
The UFred experience
Ryan feels his educational journey has been worthwhile, despite the time management required to juggle a busy job and young family, with his studies. Fortunately, UFred’s online model has enough flexibility to make this possible.
However, even with flexibility, there are still deadlines to meet and virtual classes to attend. For Ryan, this is a perk of the program. As someone that once leaned on reading books in his personal time for professional development, having a structured learning environment to keep him on track has been beneficial.
Another advantage of UFred’s program is the network Ryan is able to build. He speaks highly of the diverse backgrounds amongst his peers, stating, “As a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, I've had little exposure working with anyone outside of the defence environment, and it has been great to work with everyone. It has really helped me challenge my own views while fostering a great learning environment”.
Looking towards the future
Ryan hopes to complete the UFred MBA program, so he can apply the lessons he’s learned towards a Military Professional Development program. He says, “I firmly believe that the studies through UFred will help me become a better leader of soldiers as I continue my military career into the future.”
He speculates that the MBA program at UFred has applicable concepts that could benefit others in their own leadership and management practices as well.
