Brian Balloid

I graduated from Western Michigan University with a bachelor’s degree in Engineering Technology. I embarked on my new and future career in the Automotive sector right away. I worked as a Design Engineer and then Project Engineer for over 15 years before considering going back to school to pursue an advanced degree.

For over a year, I researched which programs would be the best fit for then current job role as well as potential future roles that I wanted to be able to pursue. I considered hundreds of schools and dozens of programs. I started down the path of a Master’s in Engineering, then Engineering Management, then Industrial/Systems Engineering. None of those programs really inspired me, either because they were too disconnected being online programs, or the choice of electives and core courses didn’t exactly fit how I wanted to tailor my degree.

Once I found out about the MSOM program at Arkansas, with its online delivery, live weekly interactions, projects with globally dispersed teammates, and extensive set of elective options, it was an easy choice. In the Fall of 2020, I enrolled in the first course toward the degree. Throughout my journey, the Professors and MSOM staff were very helpful, encouraging, and always available. I met a lot of very intelligent and hard-working people along the way, and the courses were always challenging me to think of creative ways to solve problems and draw conclusions. Being classmates with so many people of various ages, industries, and global regions, really helps you to understand a lot of different perspectives and enriches your experience.

The MSOM program allows you to tailor your degree to be focused or very comprehensive and cover several subject areas. I think that the analytical nature of the courses was what really challenged and inspired me the most. It is that analytical way of thinking that in my opinion is the true value of this program and how it can have a meaningful impact in almost any industry, at any level.