Customers are the ones whose opinion of the product matters the most. Three students from the first cohort shared their first impressions of the M.A. in International Management / M.B.A. program. Rogerio De Souza Silva from Londrina, Brazil, currently a Commercial Manager, Aistė Kaušakytė from Vilnius, Lithuania, currently a Marketing Coordinator, and Devon Kauffeldt from Toronto, Canada, currently an Assistant Manager at “Starbucks” all agreed – the program has most certainly exceeded their expectations. “LCC is definitely one of the most valuable experiences of my life”, added Aistė who also admitted she was rather skeptical of the university and the program in the beginning.
What motivated you to continue education in the field of business?
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Rogerio De Souza Silva
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Rogerio: I am passionate about adding value to business by delivering wealth-growth management results; thus, the decision to further study business came naturally to me. I find that the transferable analytical, numerical and people skills gained are highly applicable in every step of our lives.
Aistė: I got my very first job at the age of 15 selling jewelry in tourist hotspot Pilies Street, Vilnius. Ever since then I tried many different fields – TV, films, advertising, architecture and design, B2B food supply of raw materials, commercialized science (hyperspectral chemical imaging), etc. That is everything I did for living so far in my life was always directly related to some form of business. And although I got my B.A. in Management and Business Administration from one of the most reputable universities in Eastern Europe – Vilnius University Economics Faculty, the time is in fact ruthless. Even if you have the most successful career, lots of experience, good ‘basic’ education, the market is extremely knowledge-intensive and is rapidly improving labor force wise. You can attend various seminars, read numerous work-related literature, however, I felt the time has come to get a more directed and concentrated assistance so that to be able to further grow professionally, which is unquestionable necessity in order to continue being among the most qualified employees. I did consider possibility to get M.Sc. in some specific field, like marketing, nevertheless, I believe that one of my strongest personal traits is actually being a rather useful, productive and capable generalist – a manager at heart. Currently, I represent middle level management. On the other hand, I do not intend to stay in this position forever. I am aiming for more.
Devon: I completed by Bachelor’s in Business in 2012 and after two years of workplace experience I realized that the need for further education was vital to take big steps in my career. Continuing my education at the Master's level would give me a unique advantage in the workplace.
Why did you choose LCC's program out of many Master's level business programs available in the market?
Rogerio: I needed a program which would fit in my budget and around my busy work schedule. I also wanted a program where human interaction would take place. The succinct learning balance between on and off campus combined with dual qualification (M.A. is more academic and M.B.A. is more professional) were most certainly key attractive to take part of this program.
Aistė: When it comes to the composition of the programs, then it gets really complicated as the choice becomes rather limited – in most cases you have to study full-time or if not, then everything will be online. At least this is my experience.
I knew the field I wanted. It wasn’t so much about the university or even the country. However, when I started searching, I realized it’s not as easy as I thought. My main criteria was: 1. The Language – English; 2. Flexibility – full-time every day or even evening classes did not fit me as I am a mom of two small kids, though I did not want an online version only also; 3. International aspect of studies was not compulsory, but strongly preferable – it’s crucial to be able to benefit not only from the textbooks or assignments, but also from the people you work with – lecturers and group mates: the more diverse the environment, the richer you can get.
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Devon Kauffeldt
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Devon: LCC offered the most unique and cost effective program I could find. Being from North America, Master's level programs are very expensive. With LCC there was an equally competitive program from an educational standpoint, while it surpassed the others financially. There is also the unique aspect of receiving an M.A. in International Management along with the Master’s in Business. All of these combined with the unique aspect of a very internationally diverse learning environment make this program one of the best.
From what you have already experienced, has the program met your expectations? Name three things that you enjoy the most about your experience with this program and LCC International University in general.
Rogerio: The program has most certainly exceeded my expectation, it is a full on course which is to be taken seriously. I found the residency (face-to-face) teaching very productive. Every student has a voice and is expected to participate in debate-style teaching. Learning from each other's experiences while being backed up academically makes easier to learn because it is applicable in real life scenarios. The mix of assessment given is very interesting: debates, presentation, articles summaries, case studies well as individual term paper are designed to maximize everyone's potential. The program was delivered by well qualified personnel; with on field experience professors that made interesting to learning from because the overall course content and course demand is developed in a lean manner, avoiding time consuming, exhaustive theoretic materials.
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Aistė Kaušakytė
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Aistė: Not only did it meet my expectations, but exceeded them rather significantly! The slogan of the LCC claims: “Challenging minds. Transforming lives.” This is perhaps one of the fairest key statements ever, which truly corresponds to reality. I have to be honest, having a degree from Vilnius University, I was slightly skeptical in the beginning. But boy was I wrong! It is probably one of the best and most qualitative educational experiences ever. The three things:
- Internationality – we are a relatively small group, however, we bring/share experiences from over six countries! This really gives a totally new dimension to the overall studying process, especially when it comes to applying theory in practice (providing examples from our professional lives, comparing cultural aspects related to businesses etc.).
- Variety and interactivity – the types and forms of the assignments as well as the overall learning process is extremely rich and rewarding: we attend intensive residency session where we actually interact with our lecturers and our fellow students, afterwards we work online while writing essays, participating in discussion boards, reviewing scholarly articles, working on case studies; one of the last term final works involved filming our presentations and submitting it via public web space; another final assignment involved teamwork etc. – there’s no such a thing as a standard cliché tasks. It’s exclusively dynamic and very interactive environment. Often challenging and in the beginning slightly scary, but once you step out of your comfort zone – that’s it, you once again are reminded of how much there is you can give and take from the world. It’s absolutely spectacular! What is even more, you almost immediately get very insightful and fruitful feedback, both – from the lecturers as well as your group mates.
- Attention and customization – as mentioned previously, being a student in LCC is by far one of the best ever educational experiences! The university is genuinely interested in students’ well-being and success. The staff will always act so that it’s comfortable for all parties involved, but students are perhaps the most important: they will source your books, provide suggestions regarding financial aspects, advice on the schedule, when and if needed will help communicating with the lecturers, assist with your own individual issues and so much more. It’s incredible! They are always there whenever you need them. It’s as if all you have to do is just study, anything else is 100% taken care of. I could not be a happier customer! Huge thanks.
Last but not least, I think it’s a great place to excel not only mentally, but also morally. It helped me rediscover the spirituality that I have lost somewhere on the way before. LCC is definitely one of the most valuable experiences of my life.
Devon: This program has exceeded my expectations. After one semester I have already seen the benefits of applying my education in the workplace. I have enjoyed the hybrid learning style with some face to face class time at LCC and the majority online so it does not have to interfere with your current work situation. The diverse international group of students allows us to learn from many different perspectives and truly encourages a positive learning experience. What is most encouraging to me is the staff running the Master’s program at LCC. They truly have a passion for seeing students succeed and work tirelessly to make sure we are successful.
Are you thinking of extending your education beyond Batchelors' level?
Find out more about this and other graduate programs at LCC International University »
