Hannah Williams, ’17, enrolled in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln MBA@Nebraska program while serving active duty in the U.S. Air Force. She took what she learned in the top-ranked online graduate program to develop her analytical abilities and turn them into a successful career working with data at both United Health Group and Kroger Health.

“My husband I both graduated from the Air Force Academy in 2014 and served active duty, and we knew there were military benefits that pay for a master’s degree. We thought it was the right time to do it and joined the program,” said Williams.

The Princeton Review® recently ranked the online graduate program #8 in the nation on the education services company’s list of Top 50 Online MBA Programs for 2022. The reputation for the MBA@Nebraska drew Williams and her husband into the program.

“I’m from the Midwest, so I knew that Nebraska was a great school. It has a very reputable online program, while being affordable. We both really enjoyed the program and have fun and fond memories doing it together,” Williams said.

While active in the military, Williams worked on medical group data analytics within the Air Force medical facilities system. She found what she learned in classes lined up with the work she did in the field and to this day.

“I was looking at trend analysis and patient demand trying to forecast seasonal demand for flu season and how many appointments we were going to need, while also trying to look at which types of appointments are being used and which aren’t and how to fill those gaps,” she explained. “Looking back at some of the class concepts like data mining and warehousing, they are completely applicable to what I do.”

Prior to her current career at Kroger Health, she worked for United Health Group as a product owner/quality analyst, where analytics played a key part in her role. Citing a rising need for analytics across industries, she focused on business analytics, one of six specializations students can pursue in the MBA@Nebraska program.

“That business analytics piece, along with a couple of key classes focused on data, helped me along in these roles as I see and work with different aspects of data. I think that’s invaluable in a lot of industries right now, so I’m thankful I did the analytics piece, partly because I was interested, but it also worked out great for what a lot of employers are looking for nowadays,” Williams said.

Beyond the rise in her analytical skills, Williams also found the MBA@Nebraska strengthened her core foundation of business.

“I have more context of what certain documents mean like balance sheets and quarterly earnings reports that I didn’t know before the MBA@Nebraska program. Even the resources we read for class helped me learn a lot more about the business side of things, especially being in the military and having to work within those means,” she said.

To learn more about the MBA@Nebraska program, visit: https://business.unl.edu/mba.