When Dr. Sheri McKillop, Vice-President, Academic, of the University of Fredericton, says that 99 per cent of her students are ambitious professionals fully engaged in their career trajectories, she ought to know. She was one of them.

“Actually, I was one of the first students,” she says. “I was working full time and travelling a lot for my job. Many of our students actually get promoted at work before they even graduate. To me, the biggest thing here is the applied learning, which is what UFred does best of all.”

When she says “here”, she means “anywhere”, of course. Established as a thoroughly online educational institute in 2005 with Government degree-granting status in 2007—offering MBAs, Executive MBAs (EMBA) and advanced programs in occupational health and safety—Dr. McKillop says flexibility and relevance are the twin virtues that set UFred apart in the field of advanced learning for busy professionals.

This flexibility and relevance show up in the high quality of instruction. Faculty members, located across North America, are all thought leaders in executive management. The MBA program, for example, begins with 10 foundational courses taken over two years. Spanning 11 weeks each, these courses offer a deep dive into economics, organizational strategy and leadership theory. 

The Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) program is for advanced-career professionals who aspire to lead their organization towards superior performance. The program enhances students’ capacity to contribute strategically while solidifying their understanding of management principles.

According to Dr. McKillop, latest research shows that online learning is the most beneficial type for mid-career professionals who want to advance their careers with high-quality education but who need the flexibility of online delivery and a pay-per-course model. “Our programs provide timely knowledge in an online environment that’s immediately practical and applicable to the workplace,” she says. “We’ve had people studying online from hotel rooms in places like the UAE and Bangkok.”

Now, courtesy of the University of Fredericton, that’s a fully engaged career trajectory.