Online MBA Supports Military Students

Noel Palmer is taking big strides to make the Master of Business Administration program at the University of Nebraska at Kearney more accessible to those in the military. Starting in the spring, the Generalist Track of the MBA program can be completed entirely at a distance—meeting needs for military service members and their families who need to continue toward their degree no matter their location.

Palmer is the MBA program director and associate professor of management at UNK. With a military background himself, he holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the U.S. Military Academy and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College—along with a master’s and doctoral degree in business fields from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

He explains the new online format of the MBA program and his vision for making it more attainable.

Describe your connection to military students and their success.

I’m a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and have spent 23 years in the military. That includes one-year deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. I want to reach out to military audiences because of the affordability and quality of what the MBA offers at UNK. Whether they’re from Nebraska and stationed somewhere else, or they’re looking for a program that’s affordable, there’s something we can do for them. I think it’s important that they know there is someone who represents the MBA program at UNK who is familiar with what it means to be in the military. I can relate to them and have the same experiences.

What is the need behind increased access to an MBA in Nebraska?

UNK is a state institution, and a primary focus is on the constituents of the state. There is a wide range of people, particularly at the master’s level, who are working full time—maybe in North Platte, maybe in Valentine, or maybe in the military—and they want access to education. Part of the reason we’re extending the program to a fully online delivery format with some synchronous meeting times for the Generalist Track is because for many working professionals or those in the military, the drive to Kearney is not practical. So we’re looking to reach more people who are not yet served by the program.

What can students expect from the online MBA program at UNK?

The goal, generally speaking, is to maintain what I think UNK is proud of—that we are interpersonally connected with our students. It’s a smaller setting and classes aren’t really large, so we know them and they get to know the faculty. We want to be present and available to talk to students directly, so they can expect to interact with faculty and other students. The program is now accessible to them wherever they are, and that’s how we’re moving forward.

UNK’s business programs are accredited by AACSB International, the highest standard of achievement awarded to less than 5% of business schools worldwide.

Get started in the online MBA program or contact us at 1.800.865.6388 or ecampus@unk.edu.