Haslam College of Business - Couple Advance Careers Together in UT Haslam’s Professional MBA Program

Joyce Tipton (ProMBA, ’25), director of operations for Knoxville’s Southeast Supply, Inc., was ready to earn her MBA. She considered online options, but wanted to meet her cohort personally. Full-time, in-person options, however, meant pausing her career. Then she found the Professional MBA (ProMBA) program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business.

“This ProMBA program provided the perfect balance,” she says. “There were in-person sessions every other Saturday, so I saw professors and my cohort face-to-face, but I didn’t have to give up my job.”

Joyce’s husband, Chad (ProMBA, ’25), Southeast Supply IT manager and sales representative, wasn’t considering an MBA, but he accompanied her to a ProMBA information session. That choice changed everything.

Listening to the presentation, he reflected on how he could fill gaps in his business knowledge and elevate his job performance with a master’s. When an alum shared that one of the most valuable aspects of the program is the enduring relationships built there, Chad felt a chord resonate. The clincher hit as they drove home.

“I thought about how Joyce was going to be juggling work and school for 16 months, and would I even get to see her; then I thought, ‘What if we were juggling work and school together?’” he recalls. “The more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a perfect fit. We took on this challenge as husband and wife.”

Balancing Work, School and Life

For the Tiptons, pursuing their degrees together was the right move. Organizing around each other’s work and school schedules, they were able to manage their relationship expectations. The program’s flexibility also helped, Chad says.

“We learned to block off our schedules and work on school projects at certain times,” he explains. “The ProMBA program made it easy, since most of the classes are done on the weekends or in Tuesday night Zoom sessions.”

Joyce is also grateful for the program’s flexibility and for its focus on working professionals. While the program requires students to spend personal time on assignments, she was able to balance work, school and family, and never had to miss work hours for school assignments.

While finishing the program, the couple even accepted additional duties at work when a colleague suddenly had to take an extended leave.

“We were able to take on this program and cover that absence without sacrificing anything,” Joyce says.

A ProMBA Project with Real Value

All Haslam MBA programs require students to complete an Organizational Action Project (OAP) that delivers significant value to their organizations. Joyce found the OAP contributed to her work-school balance, too.

“Solving a problem for the class that solves a problem at work definitely helped,” she explains. “I didn’t have to break up my focus and think about two things at the same time.”

Chad adds that the OAP helped persuade company leadership to approve the couple completing the ProMBA program.

“They didn’t think we were taking the program solely for ourselves,” Chad explains. “Instead, they saw that it will benefit the company. That is a real plus.”

While Southeast Supply supported the Tiptons earning their degrees, management was unsure if the company could implement Joyce’s company-focused OAP. What she learned in ProMBA not only enabled her to complete the project satisfactorily but also provided her the tools to successfully pitch its implementation to management.

“The OAP is designed to make the business process more efficient and financially beneficial to students’ employers,” Joyce says. “It teaches about change and leadership management as well. Gaining more business acumen added credibility and helped with the pitch. Most importantly, it helped with implementation orientation. Creating change is not easy, but other folks in the company supported it.”

For Chad, the OAP was the foundation for the program’s learning and changed how he approaches work. He notes that completing his OAP focused his thinking, helping him set and achieve goals and get buy-in from his employer.

“I didn’t expect it going into the program, but I came to love the entire OAP process,” he says. “It changed the way I think about problems.”

According to Amy Cathey, Haslam’s associate dean for Graduate and Executive Education, the Tiptons’ success is representative of what student professionals can accomplish for their organizations through ProMBA.

“Joyce and Chad’s impact through their OAPs are just two examples of the value ProMBA delivers to its graduates and their organizations,” she says.

Networking Offers Ongoing Learning Potential

Networking was an essential component of the program for both Tiptons. Joyce entered the program expecting to make professional connections, but she gained even more than she anticipated.

“I wanted to surround myself and network with ambitious professionals, people who want to improve themselves, but it went beyond my expectations,” Joyce explains. “Everyone was busy, but they still made time to host a pool party or have a book club, even after the program. I am truly moved by the level of personal connection we forged through the program.”

Additionally, when a member of the inaugural 1998 ProMBA cohort spoke at one of the program’s lifelong learning lunches, Joyce realized her opportunities for connection and continuous learning could last for decades.

“That goes well beyond the initial investment we put into the program,” she says.

A Smooth, Supportive Experience

The Tiptons’ ProMBA experience was overwhelmingly positive. Chad praises ProMBA’s director, Molly Kinard, for making the program’s logistics as effortless as possible.

“The whole time, Molly was transparent with us,” he says. “She made everything as smooth as possible so that we could focus on school and learning.”

Kinard says ProMBA faculty and staff were thrilled Chad and Joyce completed the program together as husband and wife. She adds that their experience shows that professionals seeking to advance their careers while managing work and family responsibilities will find ProMBA a receptive and supportive program.

“As a professional couple, Chad and Joyce brought a unique perspective to the program that gave the class a different dimension,” Kinard says. “We look forward to a continuing relationship with the Tiptons for years to come.”

The Tiptons both strongly endorse Haslam’s ProMBA program to other professionals. Based on their experience, Chad is especially enthusiastic about a particular subset of professionals’ prospects in the program.

“I specifically recommend professional couples take ProMBA at the same time because this has been a great experience for Joyce and me,” he says.

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CONTACT:

Scott McNutt, senior business writer/publicist, rmcnutt4@utk.edu