The Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Accounting programs at IU Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics was designed specifically for professionals like Dan Parker. A 2011 graduate of the University of Notre Dame and a Leighton Fellow at the Judd Leighton School of Business and Economics, Dan Parker is employed by Beacon Health as an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) manager. Parker realized to move up in his career, he would need to pursue an advanced degree.

Dan, a dual MBA-MSA student, has completed his Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the Leighton School, and recently, he finished his Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) in December 2015. “The MBA degree is a more broad approach to studying business,” explained Dan. “The MSA gives me the accounting knowledge I need to advance to more senior level positions.” As a Leighton Fellow, Dan is pursuing his MSA at no cost.

Dan appreciates the more practical approach his Leighton School professors employ when teaching business and accounting concepts. “For example, my professors will say: ‘here is what the accounting standards say, but this is how they are applicable,”’ Dan explained. “It helps me to see how they apply in business.”

In addition, he likes the relevancy and usefulness of the Leighton School MBA and MSA coursework. “The Leighton School professors are very committed to ensuring that classroom work is applicable to real-world experience,” Dan said, recalling a business law class that opened his eyes to the practical aspects of law in the business world. “Serving as general counsel at Whirlpool for more many years, my business law professor was able to use real-life examples to show how business law concepts applied in corporate and business settings,” said Dan. “So, I could immediately see how they were relevant.”

Comparing his undergraduate experience to his graduate experience, Dan says he is impressed with the strength of the graduate business programs at the Leighton School. “I’ve experienced strong rigor in the classroom, and the coursework is very pertinent to today’s business world,” comment Dan. “I think this is the real advantage of pursuing an MBA or MSA at the Leighton School.”

Now that he has achieved his goal of earning a dual MBA-MSA degree, Dan plans to remain at Beacon Health and move up in the organization. “I really like working at Beacon,” he said. “I would like to advance in the organization, and my MBA and MSA degrees for the Leighton School will help me achieve this goal.”