If you’ve just completed your undergrad degree and are looking to continue your education, career advancement or a career shift, Cal State Fullerton’s MBA programs offer versatile options for graduate-level students at any stage in their lives.
Taught by world-renowned research and teaching faculty and including a diverse network of students and alumni, graduate students at the College of Business and Economics are sure to come away enriched by their experience here.
We recently talked to Gail Henkhaus ’22 (MBA – business analytics), who is a principal at a Torrance engineering firm, a role she began during her MBA program as a result of her studies. Through engagement in all aspects of the grad programs, taking advantage of mentoring resources in the Executive in Residence program, and on-campus employment, Henkhaus maximized her CSUF graduate experience.
Read more about her insights:
You are currently a principal at Davenport Engineering Inc. What are some of the main responsibilities of this role?
Davenport Engineering Inc. is an environmental services firm, and I work directly with our founder and principal engineer. My main responsibilities include managing the company’s financials and operations, developing client relationships, and leading our management team and growth strategies.
What skills or knowledge did you gain from your MBA studies that inform this role?
During my three years in the part-time MBA program, I gained a holistic group of tangible and intangible skills and knowledge. There were valuable lessons in each class that contributed to my professional development. Below are just a few examples.
Communication. Many of my MBA courses required collaborating in groups, debating case studies and presenting to the class. The MBA program brought together students of different ages, industries, positions and communication styles. This led to diverse perspectives and enriched our discussions. Through this training, I’ve gained interpersonal awareness and learned to reframe and actively listen to be a better communicator.
Organizational effectiveness. MGMT 524 – Seminar in Organizational Behavior led me to appreciate and focus attention on the contributions of human capital to an organization’s effectiveness and success. As a professional services firm, we are in the people business, and our staff members – engineers, scientists, analysts and admin support – are our most valuable resource and our competitive advantage.
Resource optimization. In MGMT 516 – Operations Management, we dissected numerous case studies and performed group exercises to uncover and quantify the effects of operational bottlenecks and constraints. The lessons from this coursework apply directly to our business’s project-based services where we are constantly balancing workload with capabilities and availabilities. Resource work planning is critical to our operational efficiency.
Financial analysis. The trifecta of ACCT 510 – Financial Accounting, FIN 517 – Managerial Finance and ECON 521 – Macroeconomic Perspectives for Managers augmented my ability to evaluate our financials, identify leading KPIs that affect our profit and loss, and apply forecasting models.
You earned your MBA in business analytics. Why would you recommend the CSUF MBA programs to others? How do you feel this degree best positions you for success in this chapter of your life?
Data is everywhere and crosses all disciplines. A foundation in business analytics allows me to extract business insights from data to find opportunities, discover potential problems, measure performance or tell a story.
I benefited immensely from the program. I approached the courses with excitement because I saw their application in the workplace. Overall, this degree gave me a broader perspective and the ability to take on any business challenge.
If I could speak to future students directly, I would encourage them to focus on engagement and learning during their journey. They will receive a magnified return on the time and effort they invest in their MBA experience.
As a mentee in the Executive in Residence program, you worked with CSUF First Lady Julie Virjee. What was the high point of this experience?
Julie Virjee inspired me to be more imaginative. My undergraduate degree is in chemistry, and by nature, I am very analytical and pragmatic. Julie is fun, insightful and brilliantly creative. While advising me on my next chapter, she encouraged me to value all of my life experiences – family, work, community – and to be open to possibilities. It was liberating. I am thankful to have been a mentee in the EIR program and would highly recommend it to other students.
For More Information
CSUF Business Graduate Programs looks forward to you being its next student success story!
From economics to accounting to MBA programs designed for traditional students and working professionals, there is an avenue for every career trajectory or goal.
For more information, reach out to an advisor or counselor.
