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Brett Whorley Excels in MBA Program Ranked #2 for Veterans by U.S. News and World Report

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln MBA program is ranked #3 for Best Online MBA Programs for Veterans, according to the 2014 U.S. News & World Report listing. To achieve the veteran-specific ranking, schools had to already be on the respective U.S. News & World Report listing for best online programs.

One recent example of how the program complements the career of a veteran is Brett Whorley, who needed a top MBA program that could accommodate his job as a naval officer. He found what he was looking for at UNL.

“In the fall of 2009, I had just returned from sea duty in Japan,” Whorley said. “I needed a solid flexible MBA program to meet my needs, and UNL fit perfectly. I was able to accomplish my class projects and discussions in my free time on travel and between obligations as a flight instructor.”

Although online education is sometimes perceived as being not as compelling as the classroom experience, Whorley found his experience at UNL to be very engaging.

“The online courses exceeded my expectations,” he said. “I thought the communication would be mostly one way. However, the collaborative online venues facilitated interaction at a level I never thought would be possible at a distance.”

One concern was completing the program on a time schedule that would fit within a two-and-a-half year shore duty obligation. The UNL modular format and rolling admission process gave him the options he needed.

Brett Whorley

Whorley receiving Naval Flight Officer of the Year

“I studied for the GMAT in late fall completed it by the end of the year. Then I was able to submit my application in January of 2010 so I could start in March. This allowed me to finish the program in March 2012 and graduate in May, just as I rotated back to sea duty in Bahrain,”he said.

Whorley believes completing a graduate degree is a must for a naval officer.

“The UNL MBA allowed me to study on my schedule while working full-time. I also wanted a program that had a foundation as a traditional ‘brick and mortar’ education with a good reputation. The program has already paid dividends in my current position at U.S. Naval Central Command staff where I work in the Current Operations department,”he said.

Whorley grew up in Knoxville, Tenn., and attended Georgia Tech on a Navy ROTC scholarship where he earned an undergraduate degree in international affairs.

“I chose the international business specialization with my MBA degree and really appreciated the international management and international finance courses. The ability to use the knowledge I learned in those classes to have intelligent conversations and build a good rapport has been invaluable.”

Named Naval Flight Officer of the Year (Shore Duty) in 2012 for the Navy’s E-2C Hawkeye Community, he was directly responsible for the coordination, instruction and evaluation of over 60 Hawkeye aircrew.
Published: May 8, 2014