Embracing professional growth with the Diploma in Business Administration program
By Portia Yip, Marketing Services
"For me, it's an opportunity to grow in my life and to have business skills that I didn’t have during my undergrad," says Tyler Reeves, a student in the Diploma in Business Administration (DBA) program.
Before he decided to join the DBA program, Tyler’s wife completed it first. "She was the one that did the program before me while I was finishing up my undergrad,” he says. "It was an awesome experience for her and then she suggested the program to me."
From languages to business skills
Tyler's undergraduate focused mainly on Spanish and Germanic studies. His previous job introduced him to areas like accounting, which sparked an interest in wanting to understand business concepts on a deeper level.
"Anything related to math was outside of my realm but at my previous job, I got into accounting, specifically accounts payable and receivable," says Tyler.
With a background in languages, he values the ability to communicate effectively across cultures, especially in a multicultural country like Canada. The DBA program was a good fit not only because of the different topics like leadership, communication and soft skills, but because it offered Tyler an opportunity to learn from his peers.
"[The program] taught me to think critically and to listen and interpret other people’s experiences," he says. "Sentences have different meanings in different cultures, and you end up looking for opportunities to apply your languages in different settings."
Tyler’s favourite course, Business Ethics, challenged him to think about complex situations from multiple perspectives. "Business ethics was very interesting because it doesn't necessarily have a hands-on black-and-white vantage point," he explains. "It was interesting to learn about the global downfalls of companies and the ways things were done at the time."
The flexibility of online learning
Born and raised in Switzerland, Tyler understands the experiences of international students and the challenges they face when adapting to new academic environments.
Despite taking the program online, he found it easy to connect with students, especially those in similar time zones. The online format of the program is another benefit for Tyler, as it allows him to balance full-time work with his studies.
"I started the program when I was at my previous job, so I was working 40 hours a week, but I wanted something new. I wanted something that you could say was bigger and better and so the online program gave me the opportunity to continue to work, to apply myself at my current job, and to educate myself on what to do next."
—Tyler Reeves
Supportive connections and community
Tyler appreciates the supportive community of instructors and students in the program, and the collaborative learning environment. His experience is slightly different to his undergraduate studies—where smaller class sizes created a close-knit community—but overall, the DBA program has led to diverse interactions and new connections.
"All the instructors have been really forthcoming and they appreciate questions," he says. "They are more than happy to provide comments, whether it’s during your course or after."
Today, Tyler works as a program assistant in languages, arts and culture with Continuing Studies at UVic and looks forward to applying the skills he’s learned to achieve his future goals.
- Posted August 20, 2024