March 2, 2021

This paid piece is sponsored by Dakota State University.

Mariah Palmquist always knew she wanted to pursue a master’s degree.

So when she moved back to her hometown of Madison after graduating from Black Hills State University with a bachelor’s in business administration and an emphasis in accounting, she jumped at the chance to obtain her graduate degree close to home.

All thanks to Dakota State University’s Master of Business Administration program.

“It was always in the back of my mind to advance my career and pursue my MBA, so when I moved back home, I thought DSU’s program was the perfect fit,” Palmquist said.

Palmquist, who works in the accounting department at Kibble Equipment in Madison, chose Dakota State’s program because of the flexibility the online program offers, as well as its emphasis areas.

“I wanted to advance my career, extend my knowledge and grow in the business field, so I declared an emphasis in information systems,” she said.

In addition to information systems, the 36-credit hour program also offers emphases in the areas of analytics, health care informatics, nonprofit leadership, sports leadership and supply chain management.

These emphases and the overarching curriculum of the MBA program provide students with opportunities to advance their careers and gain additional perspectives that are related to their current work or work they may want to do in the future.

“Our emphases offer advanced training that allows students to better work with professionals in their respective fields. They become more effective at communicating and understanding issues that they may face in their career,” said Dr. Jack Walters, professor of management and coordinator for the MBA program.

The newest emphases of sports leadership and supply chain management are areas that Walters, along with Dr. Mark Hawkes, dean of graduate studies, note as targets for growth. DSU is working to build enrollment in these two areas so that classes can be the right size and students can gain skills in these important fields.

All areas, however, will give students a chance to learn from expert faculty members and take a deep dive into core curriculum.

Students also will benefit from advanced class discussions, small class sizes, positive relationships with faculty members, possible tuition reimbursement from employers and the flexibility to pursue the MBA program entirely online.

“Dakota State has always been a leader in using computing and network technology to deliver instruction to distance students, so having the MBA program online is a natural fit for our mission, our expertise and our students,” Hawkes said.

Students also will graduate as confident business leaders with analytical skills and have expertise in areas such as management, marketing, finance, economics, operations and much more.

“The wide range in classes has expanded my knowledge to a variety of areas, not just information systems. It’s really opened my eyes to many opportunities and possibilities within the business world that I never knew were there,” Palmquist said.

A degree fit for everyone

A big focus of DSU’s MBA program is the accessibility it offers to students, who are able to access the program anytime, anywhere. In fact, almost 95 percent of MBA students from DSU are full-time employees from all different walks of life.

“Many of our students are professionals currently working in the business industry. We strive to provide them with skills to support the people around them,” Hawkes said.

Another benefit?

The MBA program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, which ensures the program is up to par with evaluation and curriculum standards.

“These types of accreditations ensure quality and consistency of what’s offered and how it’s offered,” Walters said. “It also brings a sharp focus on student learning outcomes, so we continuously work with our accreditors to design our program in a way that most benefits students.”

For information on graduate studies at Dakota State, please click here.