"It has stirred up an entrepreneurial spirit in me. One of my goals after graduating is to apply what I have learned to open up a business in the Vancouver area that brings people together in a city known for loneliness."
Amanda Birkenstock, MBA student
Alumna Amanda Birkenstock decided to pursue an MBA at Trinity Western, and she is graduating this year. There is nothing particularly outstanding about that statement, except that this year is 2020, where a pandemic disrupted business schools all around the world.
An MBA is known for its experiential nature — internships abroad, networking within and beyond campus, and working on capstone projects with colleagues. With the pandemic shifting many classes online and rendering these face-to-face experiences impossible, what does this cornerstone of postgraduate business education look like in 2020?
For 28-year-old Birkenstock, it was an agile and smooth transition to adapt to the disruptions of the virus crisis, thanks to the way her professors designed and organised their asynchronous and synchronous online classes.
“I was recently in a class where a typical day began with two hours of live lecturing, followed by two hours of live discussion in small groups, followed by a chance to meet professors as a group one-on-one, followed by two hours of live lecturing again, and back to two hours of live discussion in small groups,” Birkenstock said.
The days end with students asynchronously watching lectures and videos on their own. It’s a highly rewarding day, with various forms of support provided.
"The MBA programme has definitely shaped me to be a better leader. Since I work full-time while studying, I find I am able to apply what I learn in class one day to my workplace, and the next," Birkenstock said.
"It has stirred up an entrepreneurial spirit in me. One of my goals after graduating is to apply what I have learned to open up a business in the Vancouver area that brings people together in a city known for loneliness."
With all classes moving online so graduation can go ahead as planned, Birkenstock has appreciated how TWU has adapted during COVID-19.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier Christian liberal arts university dedicated to equipping students to establish meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. It is a fully accredited research institution offering liberal arts and sciences, as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has five campuses and locations: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, Ottawa, and Bellingham, WA. TWU emphasizes academic excellence, research, and student engagement in a vital faith community committed to forming leaders to have a transformational impact on culture. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.
For media inquiries, please contact: media@twu.ca