Greg Salles
Meet Greg Salles
Name: Greg Salles
Age: 38
Marital Status: Married
Children: Two
Current Location: Boston
Advice to Online Students: "For those shifting from traditional to online [education] it will take some adjusting, but over time you should be OK."
School: University of Phoenix Online
Target: Master's in Organizational Management, 2007
For Greg Salles, choosing the right field to get his Master's degree in organizational management was key.
That's why Salles, 38, married with two children, decided to pursue his Master's degree from the University of Phoenix Online. He chose the ever-important field of organizational management as his major.
"Because it is inherently more difficult to manage people and systems within an organization, the linkage between personal goals and corporate strategy has never been more important," sales Salles, who currently resides in Boston.
"It is easier to master rigid disciplines like accounting, statistics, or math, but to find this balance between people and the organization is the ultimate challenge."
Salles is an acquisition financial analyst for the United States Air Force. He previously earned his Bachelor's degree in philosophy.
As a financial analyst with the Air Force, he is responsible for ensuring that his wing's procurement funds are well programmed, planned, budgeted and executed in order to meet the wing's mission.
"My degree in organizational management allows me to be able to tie in the Air Force's strategic mission with my own personal goals," he says.
"I can make absolute sense and meaning of my role in the big scheme of things of Air Force acquisition accounting and budget planning. As long as I know my job plays an important part in the Air Force's achieving its mission, then I have achieved my own."
We caught up with Salles to see how choosing a targeted field helps students find better employment and more satisfaction.
Tell us a little bit about the field organizational management. Why did you choose this field?
I chose organizational management because among the masters programs offered at the University of Phoenix, I found this to be the most appealing in terms of its macro approach toward managing the different and diverse facets of the organization.
I figured that since I already have my transactional skills honed on the job, I found it more important at this point in my career to focus on "organizing the transactions," finding bigger challenges in rallying everyone else to a common goal that there are in merely "doing the job."
Have you been promoted or gotten a pay raise since getting your Master's degree?
Better yet – I got a new job!
I wouldn't say that pay wasn't part of my decision to accept this job, but looking at it in the long term, I would be benefiting from this on all aspects, pay, job security, longevity, job knowledge, and organizational skill sets. Over time, I am pretty much guaranteed pay raises, recognition, and accolades.
What was your favorite course and why?
Within the program, my favorite course was ethics. I found it truly fascinating how easily we are torn between doing what is right and doing what is good-this always makes for good class discussion.
What sold you on the University of Phoenix Online? Did you look at other schools?
Actually, the two schools I was looking at were Strayer University and University of Phoenix.
At that time, these were the leading schools that were trailblazing with the online degree bandwagon. I suppose there were other schools that offered the same services and programs and conveniences, but these were the most visible ones. There was no particular feature that made the decision for me.
From start to finish, about how long did it take you to complete your degree?
Because I took many months-long breaks, as well as transferred jobs twice, it took me 3.5 years to finish an 18-month program.
How did your employer view your online degree?
The Air Force is usually not transparent about their views on whether or not a civil servant has an online or traditional degree, as long as we have it and earned it from an accredited university.
How did you pay for your education?
My employers paid the bulk of it and I paid the rest from my own funds.
Do you have any advice for students looking to have their employers help cover education costs?
Well, the best employer is the Air Force, since I am biased that way. Be it any branch of service, they have many options that would cover all college expenses, and the only drawback (if that) is that you serve your country.
Many companies have generous tuition assistance policies, ranging from $1,500 to $8,000 annually. The average is more or less $4,000. The best way to look is to go online or to call or email corporate or military recruiters and ask them what kind of educational benefits there are.
How much did it cost you?
I paid $25,000 for the program, with my employers paying for roughly 2/3 and I paid the remaining portion until I graduated. I estimate that I would have saved about $3,000 by avoiding the tuition increases for that period if I had taken it continuously.
In the future, would you consider online education again or would you go back to traditional, on-campus experience?
If I were to pursue a second masters or a doctorate degree, yes, I would definitely go online.
Do you think distance learning is best for those already out in the "real world" or is it feasible for undergrads to get their Bachelor’s in this non-traditional way?
It depends on preference really. For a person like me who sits in front of a computer all day, it is just convenient for me to get online to class after work without ever having to walk down the hall, much less drive. I have a friend who prefers attending traditional classroom courses since it affords him a break from the office environment. More and more undergraduate colleges are offering online courses today.
I personally recommend that undergrads attend a traditional classroom college in order to get the needed people skills and train in a real time collaborative environment with other students and teachers. After they’ve been around the block a time or two, then the transition to distance learning or online classes will be much more relevant and less cumbersome.
What advice do you have for other people considering online education?
For those who are technically savvy, this is the way to go; for those shifting from traditional to online, it will take some adjusting but over time you should be OK.
