Nikki Kong

When considering pursuing an MBA, Nikki Kong wanted to make sure that the experience wasn’t simply a repeat of what she learned when earning her bachelor’s degree in business administration. She also had concerns about programs that would take her out of the workforce for too long.

The Cal Poly’s MBA program was able to address both concerns, and Kong recently graduated with both her MBA and a certificate in business analytics.

“Through the program, I was able to supplement the more management-centric courses with classes that focused on more quantitative topics. In general, the MBA program provided me with a lot of flexibility to pursue my own interests,” she says.

The one-year program also addressed concerns of too much workforce downtime. “I chose the MBA program at Cal Poly because its accelerated track allowed me to further my education without substantially postponing my career.”

Kong says the MBA program prepared her well for her new role in the business world. A few weeks after graduation, she moved to the Bay Area and started her job as a project management consultant, where she works with different clients and often collaborates with other Cal Poly alums.

But she says her MBA experience was more than simply academics. “Coming to Cal Poly was like finding the holy grail of college experiences: there’s great people, great scenery, and most importantly – great tri-tip sandwiches.”

This profile was published in the Fall of 2017.