Case study

Helping Nick
take his
career to
the next level

Nick Goddard had been working in technology for nearly three decades when he decided to study online. After one of our academic leads helped to find the perfect course for him, Nick's now applying his newfound knowledge to take his career to the next level.

That personal touch

Nick had originally applied for an MSc in Strategic Management but, after a conversation with Dr Cedric Nkiko, our Business Management academic lead, he decided to study the MBA Global.

He explains: “Cedric called me to discuss my application. The conversation was real and what I mean by this is that Cedric really wanted to understand my motivations for study, what I wanted from the programme and how I planned to apply it in my career. During the conversation, he paused and suggested that the MSc may not suit me but the MBA Global would.

“He was absolutely correct. Although we studied strategic management as a module, it was complemented by so many other important modules that I needed and wanted to learn.

“That was the Derby difference. They wanted to truly understand my motivations and interest, they made it personal. This is why I selected Derby and this programme.”

Nick Goddard on finding the right course

View Online MBA Global Nick Goddard video transcript

Balancing a job, study and a family

Nick did his research when choosing to study online. He says: “My research into choosing an institution to study spanned more than just a programme that delivered academic knowledge. It was also about finding a university that could really work around me.

"It’s a tough time-management task to juggle a job with a young family, let alone studying a masters degree. But the way the material was taught truly allowed me to be at the centre of the learning. The unique way of learning at Derby in the online programme allowed me to have a life, work and study on my time at my own convenience.”

Nick works in software engineering for one of the largest information technology companies in the world and travels extensively. He says: “I spend many hours on a flight and, with that time in the air, having the capability to study offline was incredibly important to me.”

Nick pulling a party popper at his graduation
Nick stood with his family at graduation

What is MBA Global?

The masters degree in Business Administration Global is a programme that covers all aspects of business management, set in a global context. The degree delves into macro and microeconomics, markets, marketing, consumer and corporate, organisational design, sustainable business operations and leadership and management among other subjects.

Nick says: “I wanted to apply academic grounding to a 25-year career span where I wanted to employ learned knowledge to the applied practice, increasing my agility in today’s ever-changing business environment.

“My career to date has centred on information technology. I have been fortunate to see the transition of how the world uses and relies on computers and the technological advances we have witnessed for nearly three decades.

“Having an academic grounding in business, within a global context, is pivotal for me to accelerate my capabilities in a world where digital global trade is commonplace. This is why I wanted to study a masters degree that focused on global and strategic aspects and this is where the University of Derby Online Learning came in.”

Applying theory to practice

Nick has always had ambitions to obtain a masters degree, but he has also learned many new skills inclusive of his new-found academic knowledge. He says: “I wanted that academic grounding so I could better understand, not just how, but why things are done in that way.

“Being able to converse with domain leaders, finance, operations, HR, marketing, knowing the ‘lingo’ as well as the subject certainly built credibility into conversations, especially when you are contributing to a business decision that requires multi-department collaboration.”

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