{"id":751,"date":"2017-02-01T09:38:47","date_gmt":"2017-02-01T17:38:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=751"},"modified":"2024-09-15T20:33:10","modified_gmt":"2024-09-16T03:33:10","slug":"learning-while-you-earn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/learning-while-you-earn\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning while you earn"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

For working students and their employers, OSU Ecampus offers instant benefits, long-term value online<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"Ecampus

A manufacturing engineer for Boeing by day, Michelle Cramer doubles as an engineering management master’s student online with Oregon State University Ecampus, all to gain a better understanding\u00a0of Boeing\u2019s managerial workings.<\/p><\/div>\n

By Erin J. Bernard<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

A young Boeing engineer who is looking to rise in ranks hits the books in her off hours and discovers a smarter approach to on-the-job project and people management.<\/p>\n

A state of Oregon IT procurement worker and devoted dad cracks his laptop during dance and swim practices and cultivates a more nuanced view of the technologies he encounters daily.<\/p>\n

Such scenarios are increasingly typical for the many Oregonians who work full time while pursuing degrees online \u2014 and\u00a0Oregon State University Ecampus<\/a>\u00a0is meeting the needs and preferences of adult learners by tailoring programs to the lifestyle of these working professionals.<\/p>\n

The flexibility of online learning benefits students and employers alike, says Mitzi Montoya, dean of Oregon State\u2019s College of Business.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the nature of global innovation that you have to be able to work with experts that are not collocated with you and do it effectively,\u201d says Montoya, whose college offers six business programs that are delivered fully online or in a hybrid (online\/face-to-face) format through OSU Ecampus. \u201cThe pace of technological innovation is changing quickly, and that\u2019s embedded in all our Ecampus programs geared for working adults.\u201d<\/p>\n

Technology is supercharging the business and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields particularly fast, and Oregon State is pacing the trend by developing programs in high-demand disciplines that are delivered in flexible formats. OSU Ecampus, the university\u2019s nationally ranked online education unit, is growing its catalog of fully online and hybrid programs to include offerings such as data analytics, business analytics, computer science and innovation management.<\/p>\n

“<\/span>It\u2019s nice to have a perspective from the management side in my classes to see why managers do what they do and why they\u2019re doing it that way.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The promise of career continuity, paired with coursework that\u2019s relevant right now, appealed to Ecampus student and Boeing manufacturing engineer Michelle Cramer.<\/p>\n

Cramer, who holds an OSU bachelor\u2019s degree in industrial engineering, craves a deeper understanding of Boeing\u2019s managerial workings. That\u2019s why she\u2019s pursuing a Master of Engineering in Engineering Management \u2014 an uncommon offering in the online education world \u2014 and devoting 10 to 15 hours of her free time for coursework each week.<\/p>\n

Her project and operations management coursework has already come in handy.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s nice to have a perspective from the management side in my classes to see why managers do what they do and why they\u2019re doing it that way,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

The Ecampus program also offers practical benefits for Cramer and her employer, who is helping fund her studies.<\/p>\n

\"Oregon

Christopher McCormick is pursuing a bachelor\u2019s degree online in business administration while working in IT procurement for the state of Oregon.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWhen I\u2019m working on my engineering projects, I am now able to see the end goal of the project, and I\u2019m focused on that goal,\u201d she says. \u201cThat\u2019s going to make me more successful and cost-effective.\u201d<\/p>\n

Working while you learn takes commitment, says Ecampus student Christopher McCormick, who\u2019s pursuing a bachelor\u2019s degree online in business administration while working in IT procurement for Oregon\u2019s Department of Administrative Services and raising a family. He\u2019s banking on the idea that his commitment will earn him unbeatable stability, plus a big-picture advantage.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re working for the state, you can go left, right, up and down, and having that college degree will help open up more doors for me,\u201d McCormick says.<\/p>\n

Business law and management coursework has demystified complex contractual terminology, and in IT, the benefits of mastering new online technologies go without saying.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn dealing with technology, you always have to adapt to any type of new user interface,\u201d McCormick says. \u201cLearning online forces you to learn using those tools. And the more I use them, the better I get.\u201d<\/p>\n

Higher education has always represented an investment in the future, but when a student can also connect coursework to daily work, the returns become instantaneous, according to Montoya.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really closes that loop of learning and adds practical value for the employer and the student,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\n

This article first appeared in the February 2017 issue of Oregon Business magazine<\/a> and on its website<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/span> 3<\/span> minute read<\/span><\/span>A manufacturing engineer for Boeing by day, Michelle Cramer doubles as an engineering management master’s student online with Oregon State University Ecampus, all to gain a better understanding\u00a0of Boeing\u2019s managerial workings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":752,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[673],"tags":[129,107,160,236,169,25,24,350],"class_list":["post-751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives","tag-business-administration","tag-college-of-business","tag-college-of-engineering","tag-engineering-management","tag-online-degrees","tag-online-education","tag-online-learning","tag-portland"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/michelle-cramer-ob.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-c7","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":507,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/graduation-2017\/","url_meta":{"origin":751,"position":0},"title":"OSU Ecampus class of 2017 spans the nation, world","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"June 14, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Nearly 1,000 Oregon State distance students, hailing from 49 states and more than a half-dozen countries, will graduate Saturday, June 17, after completing degree requirements online through OSU Ecampus. The 960 students earning their diplomas this year far surpasses the previous high of 692 set last June.","rel":"","context":"In "Archives"","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Oregon State University's Memorial Union building, a centerpiece on campus with with red bricks and white granite accents including a dome in the center.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/MU-web.jpg?fit=638%2C425&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/MU-web.jpg?fit=638%2C425&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/MU-web.jpg?fit=638%2C425&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2708,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/what-can-you-do-with-a-mechanical-engineering-degree\/","url_meta":{"origin":751,"position":1},"title":"What can you do with an online mechanical engineering degree?","author":"Carly Fredericks","date":"January 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Explore jobs and careers you're prepared for with a mechanical engineering degree online A riddle for you: What do wind turbines, spacecraft and nanochips have in common? Mechanical engineers \u2014 the people who understand how machines and related elements work on a physical level and how each component and process\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Advancing Your Career"","block_context":{"text":"Advancing Your Career","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/learning-experience\/advancing-your-career\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Two engineers wearing blue coveralls install a blade on a mechanical turbine.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/mechanical-engineering-96263802-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/mechanical-engineering-96263802-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/mechanical-engineering-96263802-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/mechanical-engineering-96263802-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2582,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/engineering-management-masters-employer-tuition-benefits\/","url_meta":{"origin":751,"position":2},"title":"Engineering master\u2019s degree is a long time coming, and employer tuition benefits helped","author":"Tim Edwards","date":"July 10, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Had I enrolled in a traditional in-person program, I would not have achieved the success that I now enjoy.\u00a0The flexibility of Oregon State\u2019s online program allowed me to achieve honors in the engineering management program and now graduate with my master's degree.\" \u2014 Tim Edwards, OSU graduate","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A man wearing a black graduation cap and gown smiles in a selfie in an arena filled with other graduates.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/800x450-ge.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/800x450-ge.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/800x450-ge.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/800x450-ge.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1760,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/new-center-for-online-engineering-students\/","url_meta":{"origin":751,"position":3},"title":"New center to advance online engineering education at Oregon State","author":"Keith Hautala","date":"May 5, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State University College of Engineering and Ecampus have announced a plan to launch a new center on campus for exploring innovation in online engineering education.","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ecampus computer science student, Mark Moore, works happily from his laptop.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Mark-Moore-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Mark-Moore-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Mark-Moore-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Mark-Moore-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":805,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/ingrid-scheel\/","url_meta":{"origin":751,"position":4},"title":"From the file room to the boardroom","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"February 26, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Twelve years ago, Ingrid Scheel burned out in an engineering program and worked part time filing papers at a small fiber optic technology firm. You wouldn\u2019t have predicted her future success. But now Ingrid holds two college degrees. Those papers she used to file? Now she signs them as the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Archives"","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Ecampus engineering management student Ingrid Scheel stands on a balcony with a glass barrier. There is a hanging multi-colored glass sculpture near her.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ingrid-scheel-featured.jpg?fit=638%2C425&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ingrid-scheel-featured.jpg?fit=638%2C425&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/ingrid-scheel-featured.jpg?fit=638%2C425&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1223,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/engineering-management-masters-degree-amanda-kniepkamp\/","url_meta":{"origin":751,"position":5},"title":"Engineering management master\u2019s degree propels NASA pro to new heights","author":"Julie Cooper","date":"August 8, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cNASA is constantly trying to get the best and the brightest, which is why I got my master\u2019s to remain competitive with my peers,\" says engineering management master's graduate Amanda Kniepkamp.","rel":"","context":"In "All Stories"","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Amanda-Kniepkamp.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Amanda-Kniepkamp.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Amanda-Kniepkamp.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Amanda-Kniepkamp.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=751"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/751\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}