Knowledge is power — the ultimate cliché. And, yet, it’s a statement that realistically defines the lives of modern instructional designers. These professionals understand that today's knowledge economy relies on the quick acquisition of new skills. Instructional designers are determined to optimize this process and, in doing so, transform academia and professional life as we know it.

Most people register for baby gear when they are six months pregnant—I registered for an online master’s degree.

Sleepless nights, learning more each day about something you love, re-assigning all of your free time to your new priority: Becoming a parent and becoming a graduate student are more similar than you think. I’m reflecting on the parallels because tomorrow will be two years since the birth of my daughter, and I am currently enrolled in my last class to complete my degree.

“Everyone is part of the supply chain.”

According to Professor Paul Richardson, DM, PMP, it doesn’t matter what you do or where you work—somewhere, somehow, the supply chain touches you.“I don’t care what organization that you work for,” he said. “You are definitely going to be involved in operations and supply chain management.”

When Stephanie Decker ‘16, ‘18 MBA decided to return to school after working for 20 years in the food industry, she knew she needed a flexible option that would allow her to continue to raise her family, work, and remain active in all of the things that were important to her.

After 40 years in the hospitality industry, you could say that Steve Townsend had done it all. But as his mouse hovered over an ad on LinkedIn for an MBA – Hospitality from Johnson & Wales University, he realized that there was one thing on his bucket list that he had yet to accomplish.

You’ve probably received more than a few “Terms of Service changes” emails in the last few weeks from sites you don’t even remember subscribing to promising increased transparency, improved functionality, and GDPR compliance. What’s going on?

For Sara Patterson ‘16, ’19 MBA, every day is game day. When she is not working in digital media at the National Football League headquarters in New York City, the Johnson & Wales University alumnus is pursuing her MBA through the JWU College of Online Education.

What is it that inspires a person to return to school to finish or further their degree? For some, it’s the promise of a new career. For others, it’s a step toward providing for their family. For Gwen Capers-Wilson, it was a personal decision she made to honor her late husband.

“Professionally, a graduate degree makes a person more marketable,” she said. “On a personal level, I wanted to see if I could do it.”

At Johnson & Wales University, we know hospitality. For years, JWU has been recognized as a trusted institution across the globe, and we’ve earned a reputation of excellence among hospitality employers.

When she wasn’t working her corporate job, Samantha Kim ’11 ’16 was working part-time in retail, renovating her first home, and training for MMA in her local gym. She knew that her busy schedule would demand a flexible approach to getting her MBA – Finance, and she decided JWU Online was the best choice based on her availability. What she didn’t know, she said, was that she’d make lasting relationships in the online classroom.