Few business schools present the wealth of degree options to prospective students than the Michael G. Foster School of Business at the University of Washington. With six MBA options, plus several exceptional specialized master’s programs, Foster’s expansive education can be described as nothing short of flexible. And yet, the school’s most flexible MBA offering overall—the Hybrid MBA—still manages to stand out.
We recently spoke with Jodey Farwell, the school’s new Hybrid MBA Program Director, about how the offering has managed to expand while many of the most prominent MBA programs in the U.S. saw declining admissions figures for several years in a row.
“The UW Foster Hybrid MBA program is a niche model—it’s not online and it’s not in person. It is something different, something better,” she tells MetroMBA. “Fostering a belief that we are ‘Better Together, Better Tomorrow.’”
“The Hybrid MBA was designed with today’s current student in mind, Farwell continues. “Want to feel connected to your classmates, professors, and university? We have quarterly immersions. Want to be challenged by world-class faculty without having to physically sit in class each week? We have dynamic synchronous ‘live’ sessions each week. Our classes are delivered with intentionality. Our curriculum design team works with faculty to break down their content in order to deliver different concepts in compelling ways from high quality, professional videos to live sessions to activities in the online course environment. Our cohort team-based program creates a tight-knit network of students located all over the U.S.”
“Our Seattle location is also attractive. Seattle has established itself as an iconic, global leader in business and innovation. For students wanting to get their foot in the door with Seattle-based companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, Expedia, and Starbucks, Foster can provide access through its expansive alumni network and rich Seattle business connections.”
Among the 137 students currently enrolled in the UW Foster Hybrid MBA, the average amount of work experience was just over eight years per student, which means there is a wealth of diverse personalities joining the growing program. In our latest addition to the Real Humans series, we dig deeper into that complex class, including interviews with a a chemical engineer from Mumbai, an established veterinarian, and a former Product Manager at Uber, among others. Read on to see their stories and what the future may hold for life after an MBA.
Sumitra Sukumaran, UW Foster Hybrid MBA
Age: 36
Hometown: Mumbai, India
Undergraduate Institution & Major: University of Mumbai, major in Chemical Engineering, Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Pre-MBA Work Experience: I worked for eight years in product technology development, followed by one year (present role) in business operations and strategy at Intel.
Why business school? Why now? I was at a turning point where I realized I wanted to expand the scope and breadth of my learning and my career journey. I had a technical background and extensive engineering experience, but I was missing insight into how a business is run. Going to business school and switching career paths gave me the opportunity to grow.
Why the UW Foster Hybrid MBA program? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend? Foster’s academic rigor, student body diversity, strong presence in the North West, excellent faculty and staff and ROI drew me to the school. The Hybrid MBA program delivered all these advantages, combined with the flexibility of a distance program that made sense for me as a busy professional in a demanding career with a family.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to your MBA class? Going into the program, I had no experience in business administration. The perspective I brought to class was that of an engineer in a highly technical role, and I was surprised to see how my background helped me comprehend and contribute in our classes. I was constantly drawing on and applying my previous experience, which goes to show how a strong desire to learn and a solid work ethic are the main requirements of business school.
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application? I speak four languages and spend all my free time chasing after my four year old.
Post-MBA career interests? I am interested in general management and strategy. What motivates me is maximizing organizational efficiency and solving complex, strategic issues. Ultimately, I want to be championing a stronger intersection of technology and business operations.
Advice to Prospective MBA Applicants:
One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process? I would apply! It was a huge leap of faith to switch career paths and go back to school, and it was definitely worth it. I would also invest time in researching schools and programs: I could have missed the hybrid program if I had not extensively researched all school offerings.
One thing you would change or do differently? I would have made the switch earlier in my career: looking back, I was always interested in business but put off making the decision to go to business school.
Greatest highlight so far at UW Foster? The amazing student body: I am so fortunate to be part of a strong, diverse community full of some of the best and brightest minds. We have forged deep, life long connections in our cohort.
One thing about the UW Foster that you didn’t expect before arriving? The sheer size of the university and the focus on entrepreneurial incubation.
Thing you were most anxious about in your first year? The thing I was most anxious about was how I would do it all: motherhood, career, and a demanding degree. Everything is working out with a lot of encouragement and support from my family, workplace, and fellow students: it truly takes a village!
Thing you were most excited about in your first year? The opportunity to become a student again! Investing time in learning new concepts and subjects and getting to go back to school to immerse in a different field was amazing.
James Han, UW Foster Hybrid MBA
Age: 31
Hometown: Vancouver, WA
Undergraduate Institution & Major: United States Military Academy – Systems Engineering and Mandarin-Chinese language major.
Pre-MBA Work Experience: Before I started my new civilian job, I served as a US Army Special Forces Detachment Commander.
Why business school? Why now? When I made the decision to leave the military, I wanted to round out my knowledgebase and also make myself more marketable. Civilians may not know to interpret my military experience, so I wanted to bridge that gap and decrease the odds of being pigeonholed in a career that would underutilize my strengths.
Why the UW Foster Hybrid MBA program? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend? UW Foster is a well-respected institution and has extensive connections with Seattle area companies. The Hybrid Program allows me to work as a full time professional, be a single parent, and pursue my MBA. Those factors made it an easy decision.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to your MBA class? Dank memes.
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application? I am not exceptionally talented, just happen to be too stubborn to quit.
Post-MBA career interests? I recently landed a job as a Technical Industry Specialist with Amazon Web Services. I am working to be a Technical Program Manager within the organization and looking forward to keep growing in cloud computing.
Advice to Prospective MBA Applicants:
One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process? Apply! But sooner.
One thing you would change or do differently? I wish I knew about the program earlier. I found out about it by accident near the deadline to apply, while I was in Afghanistan.
Part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it? I don’t remember any portion of it being needless. Shoutout to Erin Aselas who accommodated calling me via WhatsApp while I was overseas and went above and beyond to ensure if the program was a good fit with my work schedule.
Greatest highlight so far at UW Foster? Becoming friends with my classmates and networking with them.
One thing about the UW Foster that you didn’t expect before arriving? The caliber of my entire cohort. I am regularly astonished and humbled by the brilliance of my peers.
Thing you were most anxious about in your first year? Whether or not I had the bandwidth to do all my schoolwork or if the Army would drop surprises on me that would pull me away from the quarterly immersions and place me in areas without reliable internet.
Thing you were most excited about in your first year? Exploring what regular civilian universities are like.
Emily D. Purvis, DVM, UW Foster Hybrid MBA
Age: 40
Hometown: Gig Harbor, WA
Undergraduate Institution & Major: Western Washington University (Bachelor’s in Cellular and Molecular Biology), Washington State University (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine)
Pre-MBA Work Experience: Post-DVM, I worked in a rural small animal private practice as an associate and then started my own company providing relief veterinary work. Since 2013, I’ve focused my efforts in animal welfare as Medical Director for a non-profit animal shelter.
Why business school? Why now? I had been kicking the idea around for a few years and read The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt for a fellowship program. I was struck by the similarities in supply chain management and animal sheltering. I realized if we could make our process more efficient, we could save more lives and do it for less money. There’s a big void between what a pet needs from a medical perspective and how your CEO accounts for that on an excel spreadsheet. I often hear veterinarians voicing their frustration over conflicting requests; budget cuts and treat more animals. I wanted to bridge that gap and set both parties up for increased success which translates to more lives saved.
Why the UW Foster Hybrid MBA program? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend? Foster’s Hybrid program is truly unique, and the in-class time is so valuable for relationship building both with classmates and instructors. The pre-application and orientation sessions were so exceptionally helpful, personable and welcoming. They were also very organized. These are things that really drew me in.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to your MBA class? I am a veterinarian! It was like being a celebrity for about the first five minutes of immersion. The novelty wore off quickly though! ☺
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application? I can spay a cat in six minutes—not exactly a MBA core skillset!
Post-MBA career interests? I am pretty open. I anticipate staying in industry and look forward to sharing my new perspective with other sheltering organizations in a continued effort to elevate animal welfare.
Advice to Prospective MBA Applicants:
One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process? I attended all the pre-application orientation workshops. They were both informative and it’s an opportunity to informally interview the admin a little too.
One thing you would change or do differently? The process was pretty smooth. The application instructions were clear. By the interview, I was already familiar with several people in administrative roles, just via Zoom, so there was a nice familiarity. So, I can’t really say I would change anything.
Part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it? I hate writing about myself. Just hate it! I enlisted the help of some close friends to review some of the personal aspects and be my gauge to make sure I didn’t’ undersell myself.
Greatest highlight so far at UW Foster? The people! From my teammates to classmates and instructors, everyone is so incredibly intelligent, diverse and caring.
One thing about the UW Foster that you didn’t expect before arriving? I really didn’t expect the instructors to be so personable. It’s really clear they are here to help and invested in your learning experience.
Thing you were most anxious about in your first year? I had been out of school for 11 years! I mean, do I need a trapper keeper, or what!?!?
Thing you were most excited about in your first year? I just love learning and really didn’t know what I was getting into. That was pretty exciting. I also could not wait for Operations Management so I could figure out how to further dial in my manufacturing plant of dogs and cats (the animal shelter).
Jouni Welander, UW Foster Hybrid MBA
Age: Somewhere between “Young at heart” and “An elephant’s memory”
Hometown: Issaquah, WA
Undergraduate Institution & Major: Computer Science (Haaga-Helia in Finland)
Pre-MBA Work Experience: I started out my career as an engineer and then moved into various sales and business development leadership roles in technology companies—both small and large (Edgeware, Nokia Networks, Siemens)
Why business school? Why now?
- Deepening my business knowledge I had learned in practice by strengthening the “street experience” with academic fundamentals, and also expanding my network of like-minded professionals.
- MBA has been my long-time goal and UW Foster School of Business provided an ideal opportunity to pursue the degree.
- Also, I’ve always been curious to expand out of my current “bubble” and an MBA program seemed like a natural way to expand my career path.
Why the UW Foster Hybrid MBA program? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
- One of the key factors for me was being able to accommodate academic studies with my busy travel schedule at work.
- The reputation of UW Foster School of Business was also a key factor for me.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to your MBA class? I enjoy the diversity within my class and especially in my study team where I feel that I can provide my perspective when analyzing business problems together. Similarly, I get to enjoy other classmates’ viewpoints which enhances the understanding of topics discussed.
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application? As soon as I graduated (with my CS degree) I convinced a buddy of mine to buy a small business together in Florida. So, I became an entrepreneur without any real experience with much of anything in the corporate world. The best success out of that journey was probably that we sold the business a couple of years later by recovering our original investment. And surely earned the first strides of my street-MBA along the way. Going back to the old wisdom of … had I known back then what I know now ;-).
Post-MBA career interests? I’m interested in furthering my sales and leadership role in a global business environment, and also looking deeper into the real world implications of mergers and acquisitions. I’d also like to define my success in terms of helping people around me and in my organization to become successful.
Advice to Prospective MBA Applicants:
One thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process? Reach out the admissions office and ask questions. The team there is absolutely amazing.
One thing you would change or do differently? Reach out to the previous class cohort students early on for guidance.
Part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it? I don’t think I would’ve skipped anything. Well if possible, maybe just “slow time” a bit to be able to absorb and do even more.
Greatest highlight so far at UW Foster? So many highlights that it is almost impossible to pick—I could go anywhere from having extremely engaging professors to creative immersion classes (like Improv for business).
One thing about the UW Foster that you didn’t expect before arriving? The wealth of resources available through UW Foster.
Thing you were most anxious about in your first year? Time management (and how you will find the time as well as learn to leverage the on-line tools like video class recordings very efficiently).
Thing you were most excited about in your first year? Learning extremely useful topics that I can apply at my work. Also, the exposure and insight to different industries and network of professionals otherwise outside of my normal scope. The well-organized treks (company visits) were spectacular.
Meg Quintero, UW Foster Hybrid MBA
Age: 27
Hometown: I moved around a lot so I don’t have a true hometown.
Undergraduate Institution & Major: Harvard College, Computer Science
Pre-MBA Work Experience: Prior to the program, I was a Product Manager at Uber working on fleet management. I also spent several years at Microsoft, also in a product role. Since joining the program, I have joined FLEXE, the creator of On-Demand Warehousing and Fulfillment, as a Senior Product Manager. In this role, I am currently working on Network Optimization and Order Management.
Why business school? Why now? When first considering business school, I first needed to determine if the content and curriculum would help me grow my skills as a product manager and as a leader. To answer this question, I completed an online MBA program, Smartly. While the content of Smartly was only touching the surface, I still found value in learning the basics of fields I never had the chance to explore in college. After I completed this program, I was left wanting more. In terms of timing, there is no better time than the present! Part of my DNA is to always be looking towards the next set of challenges. I ultimately wanted to invest in myself and in my future in a way that doesn’t require me to step away from the tech workforce.
Why the UW Foster Hybrid MBA program? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?In my early research, I stumbled across the newly formed Hybrid MBA program. Not only was the program incredibly flexible, but it also had an in-person component that would allow me to form meaningful relationships with my cohort. What ultimately sold me on the program was my interview experience. Through this conversation, it became clear that the administrators and instructors really go the extra mile to ensure that students are able to capture the best parts and feeling of a full-time program, with the convenience of a part-time program.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to your MBA class? In my career, I have been lucky to have worked on a range of products from internet browsers to order management systems. I am able to bring my industry, technical, and product chops to classroom discussions and projects.
Fun fact that didn’t get included on your application? When I was in high school, one of my part-time summer jobs was driving an ice cream truck.
Advice to Prospective MBA Applicants:
Greatest highlight so far at UW Foster? The absolute most rewarding part of this experience has been the wonderful relationships I have formed with classmates. I have an excellent cohort and I have learned so much from them!
Thing you were most anxious about in your first year? Finance has always been a very daunting field. As a computer science major, I have always been in love with math, however, adding a dollar sign makes number incredibly intimidating. Diving deep into accounting, economics and finance was one of the core reasons I decided to pursue my MBA, however, this challenge was a bit anxiety-inducing.
Thing you were most excited about in your first year? Tackling my fear of “money math”! More seriously, I was excited to build up a new toolset that I bring to my role as a product manager.