Pratibha Dhillon and Anne Reiffenstein come from very different backgrounds and are pursuing very different careers. But both recently graduated with the same graduate degree from Carleton.
Dhillon decided to pursue an MBA from the Sprott School of Business because she wanted to “develop specific skills relevant to international development projects including managerial accounting, finance, project management, and organizational behaviour.”
The Sprott School of Business is the only school in Canada that offers an MBA with a specialization in International Development Management.
After spending more than 20 years in the Canadian military, Colonel Reiffenstein attended an information seminar at Carleton to check out the MBA program. Serendipity kicked in when the army decided to sponsor her to go back to school.
“I applied to several schools but I chose Carleton primarily due to the structure of the program,” says Reiffenstein. “The concentrations appealed to me. I thought the scheduling was a bit more family friendly and I thought the idea of an internship over the summer was interesting as well.”
Both appreciated the support they received from their professors and other students in the MBA program. Says Reiffenstein: “I learned so much from my peers who came from a variety of backgrounds, each contributing their ideas and thoughts based on their experiences to my learning process.”
Dhillon says another highlight for her was learning about different work styles and, “most importantly, how to manage and how to be managed, which is highly useful in the work world.”
Dhillon is now working as a Research Award Recipient at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in the Donor Partnership Division. She says that her MBA definitely helped her land the job. “Many international development organizations are looking for professionals who not only understand current world affairs but also possess the management skills that allow them to work in business, government and the non-profit sector. The MBA in International Development Management provided me with the unique combination of management skills and knowledge of international development issues that set me aside from other candidates.”
Reiffenstein is currently instructing at the US Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, an accredited graduate degree granting institution delivering curriculum in the Department of Joint, Interagency and Multinational Operations.
While pursuing her MBA, Reiffenstein wondered how she could apply what she was learning to her teaching. Today, she says that: “Within my classroom, there is a lot of discussion about challenges and issues related to a variety of different American and International organizations. In our MBA program, what we discussed in power and influence, knowledge management, marketing, managing diversity and organizational behaviour is incredibly applicable to the discussions with my students.” She also noted that materials from the “Doing Business in the U.S.” course has helped her connect with local business leaders and understanding some of the challenges of doing business in her area.
Dhillon says that, after her current contract ends, she will stay in the international development field. Her long term goal is to become a project manager responsible for planning, implementing and effectively delivering developmental projects in developing countries.
Reiffenstein says that no matter what the future holds, “the MBA has opened my eyes and many doors to opportunities I hadn’t previously considered. I am considering starting a PhD a few years down the road depending where the Army may send me next.”
