T here comes a time in the work life of all business professionals when they

retool and refuel in hopes of propelling their career. After considering their options, many Florida State University alumni are deciding to return to their alma mater to broaden their specialty and managerial skills.

That was certainly the case for Kelly Johnson (B.S. ’93, MBA ’14), who graduated from the FSU College of Business with a major in real estate. Nearly two decades and at least five jobs later, Johnson decided to pursue an FSU Master of Business Administration online.

“I chose FSU again knowing that what I learned in the undergraduate program helped me build a successful career in real estate over the past 20 years,” said Johnson. Based in Orlando, Johnson has owned several mortgage, development and appraisal companies over the years. He now works as the real estate appraisal manager-credit, credit valuation and chief financial officer for Fannie Mae’s Eastern region. “The flexibility and world-class instruction of the online MBA combined with a real estate specialization was the natural

choice when I decided to bring my career to the next level,” Johnson said.

John Hornbuckle (B.A. ’04, M.S. ’10), an FSU English graduate and IT director, returned to FSU to earn a master’s degree in management information systems.

“I immediately knew that it was the degree for me,” Hornbuckle said. “It was available at the school I loved; it gave me the flexibility to work since the classes are online and asynchronous; and it provided the exact blend of technology and management I was seeking.”

For most professionals entrenched in the workplace, FSU’s online and part-time graduate degrees in business administration, management information systems and risk management and insurance are ideal. They are looking to add expertise to their resume without shortchanging their commitment to their current employer or uprooting their family. Most say that Florida State’s quality reputation motivates them to consider FSU for a second degree, then the promised individual attention and flexibility of the online business programs win them over.

“With Florida State’s program, I could pick the times to do online coursework that were best for me. This was key given my substantial work responsibilities,” said Larry Patrick (M.S. ’04), a graduate of the online master’s degree in risk management and insurance, president of Auto Club South Insurance Co. and president and CEO of Auto Club

MASTER YOUR FUTURERetool your career with an FSU graduate business degree

Katelyn Dean (B.S. ’13, MBA ’14), CRM Consultant at Tribridge

ONLINE Business Administration MBA

Business Administration with Real Estate Specialization MBA

Business Administration with a major in Hospitality and Tourism Management MBA-HTM

Management Information Systems MS-MIS

Risk Management and Insurance MS-RMI

ON CAMPUSAccounting MAcc

Business Administration MBA

Finance MSF

Marketing MSM

MASTER’S DEGREES

COLLEGE OF BUSINESSGraduate Programs O�ce

Insurance Company of Florida. “This flexibility carried through to professors, who were very open to fielding questions by email or phone and through online discussions.”

The full-time faculty members teaching her online graduate courses seemed to understand the challenges working professionals face when juggling school, work and home priorities, said Kelly McCarrick (B.S. ’97, MBA ’13), director of finance at ICI Homes in Daytona Beach.

“I’m at a level in my career that demands flexibility,” said McCarrick, who first earned an FSU undergraduate degree in finance. “I would not have been able to go back without it being a fully online program with no campus visits required.”

Joseph Foster (MBA ’11) said he and his company saw immediate benefits from his stint in FSU’s online program.

“I liked the flexibility that it gave me to do my classes while still working full time, advancing my career and continuing to get a paycheck,” he said. “As a result, I was able to blend a lot of my experience into my classwork and directly apply my coursework to my career.”

For those who can take a career break, the College of Business also provides one-year, on-campus programs in accounting, business administration, finance and marketing.

“The FSU MBA is the best thing I have done for my career, and I recommend it to every person I can,” said Adam Earp (B.S. ’02, MBA ’06), who enrolled in the on-campus program three years after earning his bachelor’s degree in finance.

After graduate school, Earp worked as an auditor for the state of Florida before taking a senior auditing post with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in

Atlanta. He recently became a certified fraud examiner, a designation that requires passing an exam and meeting specific professional qualifications.

“The FSU MBA provided the tools necessary to unlock previously closed doors so I could realize my career ambitions,” Earp said.

Foster eventually accepted a project manager post at Panther International, a software and services company based in Tampa that specializes in the transportation industry. Now that he travels more for work, Foster said he’s discovered another great benefit of his MBA — the FSU alumni network.

“Nearly everywhere I travel, I meet someone from FSU or who has ties to the school. It gives me an instant connection with many of my clients and business partners.”

Ranked No. 18 in value by Business Insider, FSU’s College of Business offers a graduate education with a solid return on investment. Our graduate degrees provide internationally acclaimed career development carried out with individual attention, including:• Lectures infused with the latest research findings on best business practices. Our courses are taught by full-time faculty members, many with industry experience.

• Degree delivery options that offer the flexibility to work at your own pace. You can complete your degree two classes at a time while working full time. Or you can choose to jump-start your future earnings potential by completing your master’s degree at an accelerated pace.

• Collaborative classroom environments — on campus or online — that foster entrepreneurial thinking, teamwork and turning challenges into profitable solutions.

• Opportunities to add even more value to your chosen degree with a major, concentration or specialization in an expertise we know companies are demanding.

Bottom line, the college has a program to fit your interests and equip you to succeed in your chosen industry.

Kelly Johnson (B.S. ’93, MBA ’14)CFO, Eastern region, Fannie Mae

“I chose FSU again knowing that what I learned in the undergraduate program helped me build a successful career in real estate over the past 20 years.”

RECENT RANKINGS

No. 6 “Best for Vets: Business Schools” Military Times (2015)

No. 16 “Best Online Graduate Business Programs” for public universities U.S. News & World Report (2015)

Top 10 specialty programs in Real Estate and Insurance U.S. News & World Report (2016)

RECENT RANKINGS

Learn more and request information at graduatebusiness.fsu.edu

MEET OUR GRADUATE PROGRAM DIRECTORSASHLEY BUSH • Master of Science in Management Information Systems (MS-MIS)

WILLIAM CHRISTIANSEN • Master of Business Administration (MBA)

CASSANDRA COLE • Master of Science in Risk Management and Insurance (MS-RMI)

WOODY KIM • MBA with major in Hospitality and Tourism Management (MBA-HTM)

RUBY LEE • Master of Science in Marketing (MSM)

GARY SMITH • Master of Science in Finance (MSF)

Email: abush@business.fsu.eduProgram format: onlineApplication deadlines: - March 1 for summer entry - June 1 for fall entry - Oct. 1 for spring entryInfo: business.fsu.edu/OnlineMIS

Email: ccole@business.fsu.eduProgram format: onlineApplication deadline: - March 1 for summer entryInfo: business.fsu.edu/OnlineRMI

Email: wkim@business.fsu.eduProgram format: onlineApplication deadlines: - March 1 for summer entry - June 1 for fall entry - Oct. 1 for spring entryInfo: business.fsu.edu/MBAHospitality

Email: rlee3@business.fsu.eduProgram format: on campusApplication deadlines: - March 1 for summer entry - June 1 for fall entry - Oct. 1 for spring entryInfo: business.fsu.edu/MSM

Email: gsmith@business.fsu.eduProgram format: on campusApplication deadline: - March 1 for summer entryInfo: business.fsu.edu/MSF

Email: hsudano@business.fsu.eduProgram format: on campusApplication deadlines: - March 1 for summer entry - June 1 for fall entry - Oct. 1 for spring entryInfo: business.fsu.edu/MAcc

HOLLY SUDANO • Master of Accounting (MAcc)

“We focus on how to manage the IT function within a business. Our program builds on your current technical skills by focusing on how IT can bridge the different business tasks within an organization. Our curriculum covers key topics at the intersection of technology and business, such as business analytics, project management, management of technology, knowledge management and business intelligence, electronic business and organizational issues related to information systems.”

“While we continue to build excellence into our many MBA formats — online and on campus — we are also strengthening relationships with our alumni and friends in top corporations around the globe. Our alumni have benefited from the high quality of their MBA degree and expect nothing less of future FSU MBAs. We welcome other go-getters ready to join our collaborative community.”

Email: wchristiansen@business.fsu.eduProgram formats: online and on campus Application deadlines: - March 1 for summer entry (all programs) - June 1 for fall entry (part time, online) - Oct. 1 for spring entry (part time, online)Info: mba.fsu.edu

“Our fully online program is designed to meet the needs of professionals interested in furthering their education while remaining active in the workforce. You don’t necessarily need an industry background to be successful in the program. The goal of the program is to produce the next generation of leaders in an industry that is virtually recession-proof and expected to experience a talent gap in the near future.”

“The hospitality industry has a high demand for graduates with advanced analytical skills in accounting, finance and revenue management. We know emerging managers typically do not have the luxury of taking a career break or setting aside hours in the day or early evening for an on-campus program. That’s why we’ve created this flexible, online program that can be completed on their schedule each week.”

“Our master’s degree will give you a jump-start in any global industry. We also offer a Global Supply Chain Management concentration that will prepare you to excel in a job field that corporate recruiters predict will continue to grow at a rapid pace — more than twice as fast as all other occupations.”

“Our program integrates financial theory with real-world practices and hands-on applications, including the opportunity for students to manage an investment fund in excess of $3 million. In addition to teaching analytical techniques for sound financial decision making, the program fosters the growth of strong team building and interpersonal skills.”

“The MAcc program is a great opportunity for students to obtain a graduate degree, expanding their technical accounting knowledge while satisfying Florida’s educational requirements for CPA licensure. Students also benefit from our program’s partnership with Becker CPA Review.”

It’s not unusual for an MBA graduate from Florida State University’s College

of Business to earn a coveted post in the C-suite of a multimillion-dollar company. But few — like Terin Barbas Cremer (MBA ’10, J.D. ’10) — accomplish that feat at age 30 and just five years after graduation.

Named the new chief human resources officer (CHRO) at Bankers Financial Corporation in July, Cremer now leads HR strategies and operations at one of Tampa Bay’s largest privately owned companies. She credits her FSU MBA with equipping her for the new job’s daily management responsibilities.

Bankers CEO John Strong said he chose Cremer because “she has demonstrated the trust, integrity and other leadership attributes that are essential for success in this critical position.” Bankers is a family-owned enterprise offering insurance, business solutions and surety services, employing 700-plus employees and generating more than $420 million in annual revenue.

Bankers’ executive team first asked Cremer, who was hired in 2012 as associate general counsel, to temporarily lead HR operations after unexpected vacancies in the No. 1 and 2 HR positions

Cremer credits FSU MBA

with equipping her for new

executive rolein July 2014. What began as a short stint turned into months.

“Initially I took the interim approach, but I started to notice some areas for improvement within the HR organization. As an interim, I was working directly with the CEO, and so I started asking him what I could tackle. I started reshaping the HR organization.”

At the same time, Cremer was coordinating the search for a new CHRO with a contracted search firm. “We were looking for at least 20 years of experience, which is outside the realm of my resume,” she said. They reviewed resumes and talked to dozens of applicants, ultimately narrowing the search to a short list of seven.

But in the end, Strong decided Cremer had a proven track record of trust and integrity that couldn’t be guaranteed with an outside candidate. He surprised Cremer by offering her the permanent post.

Cremer is a graduate of Florida State’s College of Business and College of Law. Students pursuing FSU’s joint JD-MBA degree apply to the full-time MBA program during their first year of law school. If admitted they typically spend their second year completing their MBA

coursework, then return to the law school for their final two years of legal studies.

Now a company executive, Cremer finds that the knowledge she gained from the MBA part of her joint degree is being put to extensive use. “For the first time I was responsible for the budget of my department. As an executive group, we meet on a biweekly basis and review the financials for the company, determining what subsidiaries are profitable and forecasting,” Cremer said. “I had to catch up enough on just learning HR. Fortunately, I didn’t have to learn business in the process.”

Cremer said the best benefit of her FSU MBA continues to be the enduring relationships with classmates all these years later. As MBA students they worked countless group projects together; now they are all excelling in their chosen careers. “The network itself has been phenomenal,” Cremer said. “You need to have the professional sounding board outside of work who gets where you’re coming from, like-minded people with similar goals, facing those same challenges.” -- By Melanie Yeager (MBA ’07)

Learn more about FSU’s MBA programs at mba.fsu.edu