Carlson Part-Time MBA Makes Immediate Impact

Zach McGillis expected that graduating from a leading MBA program would bolster his long-term career prospects: After completing the Carlson Part-Time MBA Program, he joined UnitedHealth Group where he now works as senior director of transplant resource services.

But he did not expect to experience the value of the program right away.

McGillis saw immediate return on the time and effort he invested in earning his MBA. From his first semester, he applied lessons from the curriculum to address challenges at the office.

“I was actually taking the materials that we were working on each and every night in class and applying them to my job each day,” he says. “I was able to be much more efficient in our organization.”

Leveraging the insights he derived from the MBA program not only improved his performance at work, it helped McGillis thrive in the classroom.

“Working full time while simultaneously going to school helped me see the direct application [of the curriculum], and made me pay closer attention to the material we were reviewing,” he says.  

This ambitious healthcare professional also built a powerful network of fellow leaders during his time at the Carlson School.

“Just as much as the actual curriculum, the benefit of earning a Carlson MBA is the development of a network,” he says. “Being able to develop that network was critical, and has been really important to any success that I've had over the years.”

McGillis carries forward those connections by heading the UnitedHealth Group chapter of the Carlson School alumni group. The group now has 300 members.