More than 20 years after earning his undergraduate degree, Californian Erik Kraus, '24, utilized the online Master of Business Administration program at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln to sharpen the skills he developed during his career in supply chain management and biotechnology. Though he didn't attend his Commencement in Lincoln, he wasted no time putting his education into action. Within six months of graduating, he implemented the strategic leadership plan he had developed as his final project, securing a new role and a promotion.
Kraus earned a certificate in supply chain management from Nebraska in 2022 and then rolled those courses into an MBA in 2024. The program was entirely online and provided the flexibility he needed while balancing work and family, but it also meant he completed his MBA without ever setting foot on campus. That all changed in September when he and wife, Sandra, traveled from Auburn, California, to Lincoln to see the Huskers play Michigan. They toured campus, ate prime rib at Misty’s, attended a tailgate, sported red-striped overalls and cheered on the Huskers in Memorial Stadium.
What drew you to Nebraska’s online program?
I wanted the flexibility of studying online, and Nebraska seemed like a really good overall program. For the quality, too, it had a reasonable cost. Some programs cost $100,000-plus, so I thought the one in Nebraska was the same level of education for a fraction of the cost.
How was your MBA experience?
I really liked the classes that I was in and the people that I met. I was a business undergraduate major and had worked in the field, so I already had a lot of experience, but I learned a lot in the program as well. It was neat having a lot of professors. I don’t think there was one I didn’t like.
How did receiving the MBA enhance your career?
The program made a big difference in how I approach my career and day-to-day work. I started the program 20 years after my undergraduate studies (from California State University, graduating in 2001) so I was not trying to change everything. I just wanted to sharpen my skills and be more effective in what I was already doing. That is exactly what it helped me do. For my final project, I put together a strategic leadership development plan that helped me take a step back and think through where I was in my career and where I wanted to go. I started putting that plan into action right after graduating, and within six months, I had landed a new job and a promotion.
Walk me through your decision to finally come to campus.
Many of my classmates came to Lincoln for graduation, but that didn’t work for me. This summer I was checking my email and saw a message from the alumni association offering tickets to the Michigan game and I said, “Well, I think this was meant to be.”
What did you think of campus?
It felt like a small school as everything was walkable. When we walked through campus and saw the Chick-fil-A in the Student Union, I cracked up because we had talked about that location in one of my MBA classes.
What was game day like?
I had never been to a college football game like that. My wife talked me into getting striped overalls for the game, and I found a lot of kids in those overalls, too, and they were fist-bumping us. Seeing the packed stadium was an incredible experience. Feeling the stadium erupt was pure excitement. It was definitely a moment I’ll never forget.
You also went to the volleyball game later. How was that?
In a way, I’m more familiar with volleyball than I am with football — my daughters play volleyball. If I watch Nebraska on TV, that’s the game experience I get, but now I know what it was like in the arena.
Do you anticipate bringing the family to Nebraska and having the game-day experience again?
My wife’s already talking about it. She said our daughters would love it. We bought them a lot of Nebraska gear, and they are already wearing it to school. Who knows? I think it would be cool if they go to school here someday. Maybe they’ll even try it in person.
