• Full-time MBA programs can facilitate significant career pivots through intensive immersion and networking, while part-time programs support upward mobility within your current industry. 
• You should select a full-time program if you want an accelerated timeline, or choose a part-time format to maintain your salary and job continuity. 
• Financial planning involves balancing the opportunity cost of leaving the workforce against the benefits of continued income or employer sponsorship. 
• Both MBA formats offer identical long-term alumni benefits and career returns, so your choice depends on your personal financial and professional circumstances.

What’s the Difference Between a Full-Time and Part-Time MBA? 

Choosing between a full-time and a part-time MBA depends on your career goals, finances and lifestyle.

A traditional full-time MBA demands complete academic immersion. You leave the workforce for roughly two years, attend classes during the day and dedicate your evenings to study groups, networking events and career recruitment preparation. 

Part-time MBA formats, including Rice’s Professional MBAs, prioritize flexibility. These programs deliver the same curriculum through evening, weekend or hybrid schedules, which often benefits working professionals. Continuing your current employment, you’ll maintain your salary while attending classes outside of standard business hours — allowing you to integrate classroom theories directly into your role. 

Here are a few differences you’ll find across these MBA formats.

The typical duration of either a full-time or part-time MBA is about two years. In some cases, part-time MBA programs enable students to take longer to complete the MBA to accommodate work schedules. However, at Rice Business, both the Full-Time and Professional MBA programs take 22 months to complete. Review the Rice Full-Time MBA and Rice Professional MBA program pages for more information. 

What Are the Key Benefits of a Part-Time MBA? 

Many working professionals hesitate to pause their careers just as they begin building serious momentum — but a flexible business degree offers a practical solution. The benefits of a part-time MBA go far beyond convenience, and can offer a new edge to your everyday performance and long-term growth, such as: 

• Immediate Professional Application: Apply new frameworks from your lectures at your office the next day — demonstrating immediate value to your employer. 
• Continuous Financial Stability: Keeping your job means you continue earning a salary and avoid the opportunity cost associated with leaving the workforce for two years. 
• Employer Sponsorship Opportunities: Many employers offer tuition reimbursement programs for employees who pursue advanced degrees while working. Learn how to ask for employer sponsorship for your MBA. 
• Uninterrupted Career Progression: Continue building your resume and work experience, which may help you to compete for internal promotions even before you finish the degree. 

Why Choose a Full-Time MBA Program? 

Stepping away from daily professional obligations allows you to dedicate yourself entirely to transformation, networking and rigorous academics. Below are a few core full-time MBA advantages. 

• Summer Internships: Full-time MBA programs largely include internships over the summer, along with the support to find and complete one. If you want to leverage an MBA to pivot into industries like product management or investment banking, a summer internship with top employers is a bridge to prove your capability in a new industry.* 
• Immersive Experiences: Without a demanding full-time job, you have the bandwidth to lead student organizations, participate in case competitions, and engage deeply with visiting executives, alumni and employers. 
• Dedicated On-Campus Recruiting: Full-time programs may offer more time for structured recruitment opportunities. Rice’s Career Development Office connects MBAs with top employers at consulting firms, investment banks, tech companies and more. 

*The internship is a requirement in our Full-Time MBA program. Internships aren’t required in our Professional MBA programs (Evening, Weekend and Hybrid), since students work full-time and many advance without one. That said, Rice is one of the few programs that allows Professional MBA students the opportunity to pursue an internship if they choose. Our Career Development Office supports your goals either way, so speak with Admissions to navigate schedule trade-offs and to find the right format for you.

Understanding Costs and Financial Obligations 

When evaluating your MBA options, it is essential to consider the financial investment required for each pathway. Pursuing a graduate business degree represents a significant commitment, and understanding the total program costs helps you plan your journey. For example, review costs and financial information for some Rice MBA programs.
 

Hear finance professor James Weston explain why an MBA from Rice is a strong investment: 
 

Fortunately, several financial resources can help ease these costs. For part-time students, leveraging employer tuition sponsorship is a highly effective way to reduce out-of-pocket expenses. Full-time students, on the other hand, benefit from robust access to financial aid and scholarships, with 96% of Rice Full-Time students receiving scholarship support to help fund their education. 

How Do Career Outcomes and ROI Compare? 

Both a full-time and a part-time MBA offer a great financial payoff in the long run, but what your career looks like right after graduation will vary depending on what you choose. 

If you want to make a total career switch, a full-time program may be your best fit. Pivoting often requires dedicated time, hands-on internship experience and direct access to campus recruiters. Though you’ll be stepping away from consistent pay, the Full-Time MBA at Rice often pays off with a significant salary increase, especially in fields like consulting or finance. 

On the other hand, if you’re looking to climb the ladder in your current field, a part-time format can help maximize your ROI. Many working professionals use their new skills to land promotions, negotiate a raise or jump to a better role at a competing company while still completing the MBA. 

Ultimately, the true value of an MBA grows over time, no matter how you take your classes. Graduates from both tracks get the exact same access to Rice’s tight-knit alumni network. That means you’ll have a lifelong community for mentorship, partnership opportunities and career growth long after you finish your degree. 

How To Decide Which Program Fits Your Goals 

Making your final business school decision requires a thorough self-assessment. Review the following part time vs full time mba factors to determine your ideal format. 

• Evaluate your transition timeline: Do you need to change industries immediately, or are you looking to steadily climb the corporate ladder within your current field? 
• Assess your financial risk tolerance: Can you sustain your lifestyle for two years without a salary, or do you need continuous income to meet family and personal needs? 
• Review your professional tenure: Do you have the typical 3-5 years of experience suited for a full-time cohort, or does your extensive background align better with more established part-time peers? 
• Analyze your geographic flexibility: Are you willing to relocate to a new city for an immersive two-year program, or do you need a local part-time program near your current residence? 
• Determine your daily capacity: Do you possess the discipline to balance 40 hours of corporate work with 15 to 20 hours of rigorous weekly academic study? Read our guide for balancing full-time work with a part-time MBA. 

Next Steps: Researching Schools and Job Outcomes 

The best way to decide is to look past the marketing materials and talk to people actually in the programs. Reach out to current students or alumni from the programs you’re interested in for an honest look at what the day-to-day is really like. Connect with a Rice Business student ambassador to learn about our community and programs. 

Also, take a close look at the official employment reports for any school you’re considering. These reports give you a clear picture of what graduates achieve. You can use them to verify potential job outcomes, and you’ll find helpful data on average starting salaries and the industries that are currently hiring. 

Finally, map out your own timeline and look at your finances. When you know your career stage and financial situation match up with what a program offers, you’ll feel much more confident in your decision. Continue reading about how to fund a part-time MBA. 

Whether you choose a Full-Time MBA or an evening, hybrid or weekend program, you’ll get a transformative education that prepares you for what’s next. The best choice depends on your schedule, budget and career goals. 

Ready to find your MBA? Take our quiz and explore Rice MBA admissions today.

Explore Our Rice MBA 
 
 

Based on research by Vikas Mittal (Rice Business), Sonam Singh (University of South Florida) and Ashwin Malshe (UT – San Antonio)

Key takeaways:

• Among all known measures — brand equity, net promoter, customer experience, service quality or referrals — customer satisfaction is the only known metric that predicts 12 different outcomes.
• Many CEOs have consistently grown sales, margins and stock price by improving customer satisfaction. 
• Executives should systematically measure customer satisfaction to identify strategy drivers and create their strategic plan. 

When the president and CEO of Houston-based ITI Manufacturing dug into the factors driving customer value at his company, he found neither cutting prices nor refining his sales process — the approaches his marketing team and brand advisor advocated — made a real impact. Tracing back to specific attributes in each strategic area showed that providing weekly customer updates and resolving issues to customers’ satisfaction had the highest lift in customer satisfaction.

CEO Joshua Robinson, Rice MBA ’21, fully committed to excelling on those two drivers. Within two quarters, all of ITI’s customers got weekly updates and every issue was completely resolved with fidelity. The results: Four years later, ITI’s stock had climbed by 115%, three times faster than the S&P 500, after tracking virtually parallel with the index in years prior.

ITI’s success story is not an isolated one. A new paper co-authored by Rice Business Professor Vikas Mittal, “Customer satisfaction: A multi-level framework,” shows the power of customer satisfaction at scale. In a study of more than 285 million ratings across 1,126 brands, researchers link customer satisfaction to 12 financial and non-financial outcomes, including sales, profit margin, purchase intent, cash flow and stock returns. 

“Many of today’s CEOs and senior executives are using gut feelings, intuition and intuitive leaps to come up with their business strategy,” Mittal says. “Their strategy may be the latest industry trend, or what a competitor is doing, or what they learned from a conference or AI. But that leads to strategy clutter. Focusing on customer satisfaction is a way to directly link strategy to customer outcomes, and a way to prioritize. It tells you what actually matters for strategy and what doesn’t.”

Research evidence: Better returns with happier customers

The authors provide strong evidence for their claim.

First, they summarize three separate research reviews that together cover more than 250 studies on customer satisfaction conducted over the past 50 years. The summary clearly showed that companies with more satisfied customers saw higher customer retention, more positive word of mouth, stronger sales and profit, higher cash flow, lower stock volatility and better stock returns.

Second, they combined customer satisfaction ratings from YouGov January 2007 to June 2023, and firm financial information from Compustat and the Center for Research in Security Prices. 

The data included a sample of 17,001 firm-year-quarter observations based on customer satisfaction scores from more than 285 million ratings across 1,126 brands from 458 publicly listed firms — the most comprehensive and largest set of data on customer satisfaction and its outcomes to date.

They showed the pattern held up. Companies with higher satisfaction had customers who were more likely to recommend them and purchase again. They also had higher sales, larger profit margins, better returns on assets, stronger cash flow, better enterprise value and higher stock returns in addition to less volatile cash flow and stock prices. 

Companies with more satisfied customers saw higher customer retention, more positive word of mouth, stronger sales and profit, higher cash flow, lower stock volatility and better stock returns.

Applying these findings to iconic companies, they estimated that a one percentage point increase in customer satisfaction would yield an additional $17.8 billion in Apple’s market value and $7.26 billion in additional sales for Walmart.

“There’s only one metric that can predict so many outcomes for an organization,” Mittal says. “Customer satisfaction is the best measure of customer value, and it’s something that more companies should be using as the basis of their strategic planning process.”

A systematic strategy, rooted in science and logic

The lesson for CEOs and other executive leaders is to not base their strategy on guesswork. Instead, organizations should identify the specific levers that matter most for satisfaction, and then invest in excelling on those.

The framework isn’t limited to for-profit companies, Mittal says. It applies to places like schools and non-profits, too. “We recently worked with two small school districts in Greater Houston to apply this framework. Both increased student retention, academic outcomes, and parent engagement. Every organization has customers, and every one of them benefits from maximizing the value it creates for them.” 

Regulators and policymakers have a stake as well. Regulators could use satisfaction trends to weigh the costs and benefits of proposed mergers and help forecast consumer spending as part of broader economic policy. The same data, Mittal argues, could extend even further, to how companies treat their most vulnerable customers, or how responsibly they operate.

But the core argument, he says, centers on the companies themselves. “Customer satisfaction has to be the strategic basis for all companies,” says Mittal. “Sure, try to be innovative, use AI, you may need to do that. But those things themselves can’t be the strategy unless they’re creating value for the customer.”

Written by Deborah Lynn Blumberg

“Customer Satisfaction: A Multi-Level Framework.” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science (2026).

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PREVIOUS CAREER BEFORE MBA

• Title: Commercial Underwriter, Middle Market Banking 
• Company: Comerica Bank

SUMMER INTERNSHIP

• Company: Visa, Inc. 
• Department: Global Finance, AI Acceleration Office
• Location: San Francisco Bay Area, CA

HOW DID YOU SECURE YOUR INTERNSHIP?

I secured my internship through Visa's external recruiting process, as Visa was not recruiting on campus at Rice. I wanted to explore corporate finance, corporate development and investment analysis roles, particularly within technology and healthcare. While I leveraged Rice Business and the CDO where relevant, I also had to be proactive in identifying, networking and applying to opportunities outside of the school's traditional recruiting channels. 

WHAT WERE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES DURING THE INTERNSHIP?

I worked as part of Visa's AI Acceleration team within global finance on several projects throughout the summer. My work included building a dashboard prototype for FP&A, evaluating how product and technical teams could enhance their use of AI workflows and agents, and developing standardized processes for tracking and reporting on AI solutions across finance. 

HOW DID YOUR MBA COURSEWORK PREPARE YOU FOR THIS INTERNSHIP?

Although my internship was within global finance, much of my work focused on AI and finance transformation rather than traditional financial analysis. Rice Business gave me the analytical foundation to approach complex business problems while also helping me become a stronger communicator. Strategic Business Communications (MGMT 594) helped me learn how to communicate effectively with senior leaders, while courses such as GenAI for Business Applications (MGMT 803) and GenAI for Finance (MGMT 675) gave me practical experience with many of the AI concepts and tools I encountered during the internship. 

HOW DID THE INTERNSHIP ALIGN WITH YOUR CAREER GOALS?

One of my goals in attending business school was to broaden my skill set across finance, strategy and technology while learning how to build a career within a multinational organization. Working on finance transformation initiatives at Visa showed me how a global company is using AI to solve real business challenges, exactly the intersection of finance, strategy and technology that I came to Rice for.

I will be returning to Visa's Finance Leadership Development Program (FLDP) full time after completing my MBA, where I'll have the opportunity to rotate across areas such as FP&A, M&A, deals, ventures and more while continuing to build a broad foundation in finance.

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WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE?

My favorite part was the opportunity to learn directly from senior leaders across Visa. Visa's global CFO took an hour to meet with a group of MBA finance interns and share his career path, advice and perspective on the company. I also had the opportunity to connect with other senior finance leaders and SVPs at Visa, ask questions about their careers, and learn from their experiences. Those conversations gave me a much better understanding of how to leverage the FLDP program best for my career and were some of the most memorable parts of my summer.  

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS?

First, stay organized. Keep a tracker of the companies, contacts, applications and follow-ups in your search so that you can manage the process effectively.

Second, cast a wide net. Be open to different industries, functions, and companies, and have multiple paths you are pursuing at once.

Finally, network proactively, but also strategically. Networking is valuable, but not every conversation will lead to an interview or opportunity. Pay attention to what is actually working in your search and be willing to adjust your approach. In my case, I did extensive networking across several companies, but ultimately secured Visa through the application process without having networked there beforehand. The lesson for me was to stay proactive and flexible.

Taran Jain is a Full-Time MBA student in the Class of 2027.

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PREVIOUS CAREER BEFORE MBA

• Title: Lab Scientist 
• Company: Aramco Americas

SUMMER INTERNSHIP

• Company: UT MD Anderson Cancer Center 
• Department: Cancer Survivorship
• Location: Houston, TX

HOW DID YOU SECURE YOUR INTERNSHIP?

The path to securing a summer internship took time, intentionality and self-reflection. I entered the MBA program interested in LDPs, opportunities in the energy sector, and healthcare, while staying open to exploring other paths. Throughout the year, I attended on-campus recruiting events and spoke with second-years, who mentioned in the fall that the MD Anderson application came in the spring. I continued applying to other jobs and intentionally networked at different events in the meantime. Attending the healthcare trek to MD Anderson in the fall and speaking with one of the MD Anderson Administrative Fellows really sparked my interest in applying for the summer internship, which I applied to in late February/early March. The application consisted of submitting a personal statement and two letters of recommendation. It also asked applicants to rank their top four projects of interest from a list of 20-plus projects. After interviewing with two departments I had selected as my top choices, I received an offer letter that paired me with the cancer survivorship team. 

WHAT WERE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES DURING THE INTERNSHIP?

Every intern in the MD Anderson Summer Leadership Institute program works with a different department. I worked with Katherine Gilmore, MPH, and Dr. Michael Roth to expand the Survivorship Certification for Health Professionals, analyzing metrics like completion numbers, learner profiles and geographic spread, while also developing marketing materials and identifying channels to extend our educational reach. With 18.6 million cancer survivors in the US today, a number projected to reach 22.4 million by 2035, educating the physicians who care for survivors is urgent work to support cancer survivors. 

HOW DID YOUR MBA COURSEWORK PREPARE YOU FOR THIS INTERNSHIP?

Core data analysis and core marketing were most relevant to my summer internship work. My prior experience as a researcher, paired with the data analysis coursework, built the foundation for the analysis I did during the internship. Additionally, learning about market segmentation and channels in core marketing helped me approach the marketing aspect of my project by asking what each learner is looking for in this certification program, how we can best market to their interests and what channels they use to find new learning opportunities. 

HOW DID THE INTERNSHIP ALIGN WITH YOUR CAREER GOALS?

The internship gave me the opportunity to explore whether I wanted to pivot my career from the energy sector to healthcare. I found the experience deeply motivating. The mission of serving patients through my work helped me rediscover a sense of drive in my day-to-day life. Inspired by my summer work, I am now applying to the Administrative Fellowship program at MD Anderson and other hospitals to pursue my short-term goal of deepening my understanding of the complex healthcare system as quickly as possible and to support my long-term goal of becoming the director of a cancer survivorship department. 

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE?

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I really enjoyed interviewing stakeholders and learners, both internal and external to MD Anderson. Speaking with people on the ground who engage with MD Anderson's educational survivorship content helped me understand the unmet needs in survivorship education and how our program serves that need in the community and across the globe. I was motivated knowing my project was ultimately helping cancer survivors and the people who care for them. Additionally, I was very grateful for the support and mentorship from the cancer survivorship team. Working with them on a day-to-day basis inspired me to pursue a career in hospital administration and to prepare for that path via the Rice Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Management alongside my MBA. 

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS?

First, engage with people and stay curious about their experiences and career paths. You will learn a lot from what others have done and start to understand whether certain paths are right for you. Talking with others will also help clarify your own goals. Second, find small ways to recharge throughout the recruiting process; recruiting is a marathon, not a sprint. Third, keep an open mind and keep showing up. Everyone experiences failures and rejections, but do not get discouraged. Keep putting in the work, and you will end up where you need to be.

Marta Antoniv is a Full-Time MBA student in the Class of 2027.

The Rice MBA is designed to meet students where they are and transform their strengths to help them reach their ultimate career goals. Central to our Full-Time MBA curriculum is a required summer internship, which gives students a hands-on opportunity to apply classroom concepts to real-world business challenges while serving as a powerful pipeline for full-time employment. For many students, these internships directly launch their post-graduation careers. 

Backed by Houston's thriving market and dedicated support from our Career Development Office, members of the Class of 2027 secured competitive internship roles across today’s top global industries. Here is how six current students leveraged their summer internships to step into their next chapter. 

Note for Working Professionals: While the internship requirement is built directly into the Full-Time MBA curriculum, working professional students in our Professional MBA (Evening and Weekend) programs may also pursue internship opportunities if their work and course schedules permit.

Taran Jain

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Internship Company: Visa, Inc.
Internship Department: Global Finance, AI Acceleration Office
Internship Location: San Francisco, CA;
Pre-MBA Role: Commercial underwriter, Middle Market Banking, Comerica Bank

Stepping outside traditional on-campus recruiting, Taran Jain secured a role with Visa’s Global Finance AI Acceleration Office in the San Francisco Bay Area. During his internship, Jain spearheaded strategic initiatives — building financial planning and analysis (FP&A) dashboard prototypes, evaluating generative AI workflows for product teams and standardizing enterprise AI tracking across global finance.

Jain credits specialized Rice MBA courses, such as GenAI for Business Applications and Strategic Business Communications, with sharpening his technical fluency and presentation skills prior to the role. A key highlight was receiving direct mentorship from senior leaders through a Q&A session with Visa’s global CFO and subsequent networking conversations. After graduation, Jain will join Visa’s Finance Leadership Development Program, where he will gain experience across FP&A, mergers and acquisitions, deals, ventures and more.

Taran’s career advice for prospective MBAs? “Stay organized,” he says. “Track the companies, contacts, applications and follow-ups in your search so that you can manage the process effectively.”

Justin Jin

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Internship Company: IBM
Internship Department: Infrastructure, IBM Fusion
Internship Location: Austin, TX 
Pre-MBA Role: Senior Software Engineer

After six years as a senior software engineer, Justin Jin ’27 pivoted into tech product management through a summer internship with IBM Fusion in Austin, Texas. During his internship, Jin owned two high-impact initiatives: taking an AI-powered seller enablement tool from concept to working prototype and leading the marketing and production of a three-day enablement event for sellers.

Working cross-functionally across software engineering, UX design, marketing and sales, Jin turned to his Rice MBA coursework — pulling from classes like Product Management and Core Communications — to adopt a user-first mindset and craft executive-level presentations.  

Jin’s advice for prospective MBAs? “Be curious, yet intentional,” he says. “If you don’t know exactly what you want to learn yet, that’s fine, but be proactive about finding the right people to steer you in the right direction."

Stephen Fialko

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Internship Company: Hines
Internship Department: Hines Global Income Trust, Houston Development Team
Internship Location: Houston, TX
Pre-MBA Role: F-15E weapons systems officer, USAF

Wrapping up over a decade of service in the U.S. Air Force, most recently as an F-15E weapons systems officer, Stephen Fialko successfully transitioned into global real estate development. Leveraging his network among fellow veterans, Fialko secured a summer internship with Hines on the Houston Development Team of Hines Global Income Trust.

During his internship, Fialko spearheaded critical investment analysis — building financial modeling structures for potential developments, evaluating acquisitions and contributing to deal summary decks for executive investment committees. Reflecting on the coursework that prepared him for the role, he credits professors Alan Crane and Stephanie Johnson for helping him understand operations.  

Fialko’s advice for prospective MBAs? “If your goal is real estate, start networking immediately,” says Fialko. “Not only will connections be able to provide pivotal advice, but you need to immerse yourself [in the industry] to follow trends, cycles and news.”

Amdia Saccoh

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Internship Company: Medtronic
Internship Department: Marketing (Downstream) Finance, U.S. Marketing
Internship Location: Houston, TX 
Pre-MBA Role: Tech product management

Combining seven years in healthcare operations with product management expertise, MBA student Amdia Saccoh secured a high-impact process improvement internship at Medtronic. In her role, she assessed and scaled a software launch process — interviewing more than 40 stakeholders and performing competitive analysis to ensure product growth.

Her final task was to build a solution, complete with frameworks for continuous learning, a playbook, performance scorecards and a formal business case, which she presented to leadership. For Saccoh, the internship with Medtronic helped clarify her long-term career trajectory at the intersection of medical technology, operations and strategic advisory roles.  

Saccoh’s advice for prospective MBAs? “Stay open to the direction your internship can take you. A lot of what I actually did was closer to internal consulting than traditional marketing,” she said. “That wasn’t what I expected, but it opened up a new interest.”

Ned Southwell

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Internship Company: Phillips 66
Internship Department: Finance, U.S. Marketing
Internship Location: Houston, TX
Pre-MBA Role: Senior M&A Analyst at Hanger, Inc.

Transitioning from his prior role as a senior mergers and acquisitions analyst, Ned Southwell began his move into energy from within the very heart of the industry. On-campus recruiting through the CDO landed him an internship with Phillips 66, where he joined the U.S. Marketing Finance team.

During the 10-week program, Southwell served as the owner of a brand strategy project for refined products across key markets — building comprehensive financial models and strategy that aligned with legal, marketing and finance stakeholders before delivering final recommendations to senior executive leadership. 

Throughout the process, he was able to connect with Rice Business alumni across the company, learn from their unique paths and plan for his own post-MBA career goals.  

Southwell’s advice for prospective MBAs? “Leverage Rice Business’ deep alumni network early and often,” he says. “It is one of the program’s biggest assets, and you won’t find a community like that everywhere.”

Marta Antoniv

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Internship Company: UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
Internship Department: Cancer Survivorship
Internship Location: Houston, TX
Pre-MBA Role: Lab scientist, Aramco Americas

Marta Antoniv, who previously worked as a lab scientist at Aramco Americas, applied to internships across industries, but ultimately made her selection with intention and self-reflection. That led her to the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Summer Leadership Institute program, where she was assigned to the Cancer Survivorship department.

During her internship, Antoniv collaborated with department leaders to expand the Survivorship Certification for Health Professionals — analyzing metrics, developing marketing materials and extending educational reach. Her experience as a researcher, paired with data analysis coursework from Rice, helped her develop outreach strategies to address a growing demand — with U.S. cancer survivors projected to reach 22.4 million by 2035.

Antoniv’s experience sparked a definitive career pivot toward hospital administration, and she is now pursuing the Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Management alongside her MBA. 

Antoniv's advice for prospective MBAs? “Find small ways to recharge throughout the recruiting process,” Antoniv says. “MBA recruiting is a marathon, not a sprint.”

Curious where a Rice MBA can take you? Chat with a current student to hear more about the experience or take our find your MBA quiz to see how the degree can best fit your life and goals. 
 

Explore Our Rice MBA Programs

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PREVIOUS CAREER BEFORE MBA

• Title: F-15E Weapons Systems Officer
• Company: United States Air Force

SUMMER INTERNSHIP

• Company: Hines
• Department: Hines Global Income Trust / Houston Development Team
• Location: Houston, TX

HOW DID YOU SECURE YOUR INTERNSHIP?

I secured my internship through the veteran network. A well-connected veteran introduced me to a few people within the company who were ultimately able to vouch for my candidacy, as I come from a nontraditional background.

WHAT WERE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES DURING THE INTERNSHIP?

I analyzed real estate acquisitions and contributed to deal summary decks and investment committee memos that were presented to high-level decision-makers. I also analyzed and constructed financial models for potential developments to determine viability for investment.

HOW DID YOUR MBA COURSEWORK PREPARE YOU FOR THIS INTERNSHIP?

My Intro to Finance course taught by Alan Crane and my Real Estate Valuations course taught by Stephanie Johnson were pivotal in helping me understand the operations and not drown while drinking from the proverbial fire hose over the summer.

HOW DID THE INTERNSHIP ALIGN WITH YOUR CAREER GOALS?

This internship was with my target company in my target role, so it aligned perfectly with my goals.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE?

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My favorite part of the experience was seeing how deal flow and alpha generation are sustained at a global company through both good and bad times. Even though real estate is coming out of a down cycle, Hines never slowed down. It was interesting to see how structure, track record and connectivity to the industry have helped them thrive.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS?

If you’re interested in recruiting for real estate, start networking and connecting with folks in the industry immediately. Not only will they be able to provide pivotal advice in your pursuit of your vision, but you need to immerse yourself in the vernacular, mindset and community as much as possible to stay in tune with current trends, cycles and news.

Stephen Fialko is a Full-Time MBA student in the Class of 2027.

Owl Have You Know

Michael Pariser ’12 was a banker at Lehman Brothers when the 2008 financial crisis pulled the rug out from under him. But after buying a one-way ticket to Southeast Asia and exploring the world, he stumbled into the work that would reshape his career: finding clean energy solutions.

That experience led Mike straight to Rice Business and into a career that has taken him from selling utility-scale wind and solar at NextEra Energy and EDF Renewables to buying power for Walmart, Microsoft, and now Oracle, where he oversees global energy procurement and clean energy strategy for one of the largest AI data center buildouts in history.

In this conversation with co-host Brian Jackson ’21, Mike unpacks what it actually takes to get electricity to a data center in 2026, why the U.S. grid is struggling to keep pace with AI's appetite for power, and how embedding environmental justice commitments directly into power purchase agreements can turn billion-dollar infrastructure projects into engines for local community investment. He also offers career advice for Rice students eyeing the power sector and explains how his monthly happy hour became a go-to gathering for Houston’s energy and power crowd.

Subscribe to Owl Have You Know on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

Aileen Hu is one of the newest members of Rice Business’s Full-Time MBA Class of 2028. We asked her to share a little bit about herself and her experience starting the program. Here's what she had to say.

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TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR CURRENT CAREER AND BACKGROUND.

• Education: The University of Texas at Austin, BS in public health with a concentration in health policy and administration
• Most Recent Title: Baylor College of Medicine, M.D. candidate
• Career Highlights and Industry Experience: 
  • Conducted research in infectious disease, dermatology and oncology
  • Completed a rotation at a pediatric HIV/AIDS clinic in Malawi
  • Published in leading journals
  • Presented at national conferences

WHAT IS A FUN FACT ABOUT YOU?

I'm a former competitive ballroom dancer.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE RICE BUSINESS?

Houston is where I'm from, and my family is here. Family support is very important to me, and as an MD/MBA student, Rice Business' proximity and connections to the Texas Medical Center made it the clear choice.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE OUR FULL-TIME MBA PROGRAM?

I'm interested in exploring and learning more about the business side of healthcare.

HOW ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT STARTING YOUR MBA? WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO?

Excited! I am looking forward to utilizing the resources provided to broaden my horizons, as I have spent the past three years rotating in hospitals or in lecture halls.

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HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE DURING LAUNCH WEEK? WHAT WERE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE PROGRAM AND YOUR CLASSMATES?

I loved it! It was long and exhausting, but the strategy class was really fun. I think our program has a lot of opportunities to explore, and it's a matter of what you want to prioritize. Sometimes I feel like I don't have enough time to do everything. My classmates are great and come from all sorts of interesting backgrounds. It's nice to have a life outside of medicine!

Aileen Hu is a Full-Time MBA student in the Class of 2028.

For working professionals, an online MBA can offer a more flexible program than a traditional in-person MBA. But it also allows you to build critical skills, pursue promotions, increase your earnings and pursue long-term ROI — all while continuing to work and study from anywhere.

Many business schools across the U.S. now offer remote learning options. The key is finding an online MBA that not only enables you to apply what you learn immediately to your work, but also gives you the skills and network to help you grow your career.

At Rice Business, the online MBA@Rice combines interactive digital classes with hands-on learning, an on-campus residential experience and even a Global Field Experience. The program is also highly ranked, placed No. 6 among online MBA programs (The Princeton Review, 2027), No. 13 globally (Financial Times, 2026) and No. 17 for veterans (U.S. News & World Report, 2026) — making the Rice MBA a top program for active-duty and U.S. military veterans.

If you’re considering taking the next step in your career, here’s how an online MBA can make an impact — both now and in the years ahead.

1. Increase career momentum and earning potential

Unlike students who step away from the workforce for a full-time MBA, online MBA students can continue to work and build professional experience while completing their degree. That creates opportunities to apply new skills in real time, take on greater responsibilities, and strengthen their positioning for future career and salary growth.

Depending on your experience and career goals, many online students at Rice Business may see promotions either during or after completing their MBA. For professionals looking to move into management, change functions or accelerate their career progression, the combination of existing work experience and advanced business education can be especially valuable.

Earning an MBA while continuing to work also demonstrates the ability to manage competing priorities, apply classroom learning in a professional environment, and remain committed to continued growth.

2. Build long-term ROI

Did you know that an MBA has one of the highest returns on investment in academia? Not only does it open the door to raises, promotions and lateral movements — it offers invaluable career support and financial security that compounds over time.

Through your MBA community, you’ll gain a broader understanding of business and expand your professional network, preparing you to take on increasingly complex roles. Long after graduation, you’ll have the ability to leverage career support — and you’ll always be able to turn back to your Rice Business community, whether as a mentor or as a student auditing a course (learn more about special alumni rates).

3. Hands-on skills you can apply immediately

Through coursework in areas such as finance, strategy, marketing, data analytics and leadership, online MBA students develop skills they can apply right away. At Rice Business, a research-first approach to business education from our world-class faculty also integrates data analytics, AI and emerging technologies into the curriculum, helping students prepare for a business landscape that changes every day.

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Rice MBA@Rice students can choose from a variety of electives or tailor their degree to their own personal interests and goals through one of the following focus areas:

• Corporate Strategy
• Corporate Finance
• Investment Management
• Marketing
• Entrepreneurship
• Energy
• Healthcare

Online MBA students can also involve themselves with the broader Rice Business community by attending on-campus events, joining student associations and participating in opportunities like Rice Business Board Fellows, a program that gives students leadership experience on the board of a local nonprofit.

4. Expanding your network

The MBA@Rice pairs live online coursework with in-person experiences designed to build a tight-knit network, like the Rice Residential — an immersive, four-day experience on campus with your cohort. Although your classmates are remote, online Rice MBA students join a strong culture of support and collaboration among peers, faculty and staff.

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The online MBA program is integrated into the Rice Business community, so your networking opportunities are widespread, even after graduation. Both your cohort and the broader community of professional MBA students brings vastly unique perspectives, experiences, skills and strengths — enriching your learning experience and offering greater support.

You also become part of the Rice University network, with access to the university’s programs and resources. With the recent addition of Virani Hall, a state-of-the-art facility that more than doubles Rice’s on-campus business hub, you know you can depend on next-level resources when you need them.

5. Gain real-world, global experience

During your MBA, online students participate in a Global Field Experience (GFE) — a core part of the Rice Business experience. The GFE offers online MBAs a critical learning experience abroad that many remote programs may not facilitate.

As an undeniable highlight of the program, the GFE encourages students to take their learning into an international business environment and gain a broader perspective on how organizations operate around the world. Plus, there’s no better way to experience global business than through diverse cuisine, arts and culture.

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To top off the MBA@Rice experience, students work on a Capstone project that allows them to apply everything they’ve learned throughout the program — combined with their own professional experience — to solve a complex, real-world managerial problem.

6. Prepare for your next role from anywhere

An online MBA gives you the flexibility to pursue your next step without putting your current career on hold.

Whether you’re aiming for a promotion, transitioning into a new function, moving into leadership or building the business skills to pursue an entirely new direction, an online MBA can help you prepare for what’s next — from wherever your career takes you.

Not sure if an online format is right for you? Compare the MBA@Rice to other programs for working professionals, like the Evening, Weekend and Hybrid Professional MBAs, or schedule time to chat with an online student ambassador today.

Explore Our Rice MBA 
 
 

What happens when people leave work they once considered a calling? Research has largely assumed that they won’t: When people see a profession as central to who they are, they usually find ways to reshape their lives around it so they can stay.

But what happens when the effort to remain in meaningful work becomes its own source of harm?

In this Q&A, Shannon Sciarappa, a new assistant professor of organizational behavior at Rice Business, discusses her research on what happens when people recognize that a beloved profession has become unsustainable and how they can construct a meaningful life beyond it.

First, welcome to Rice. How has your experience been so far?

Thanks so much. One thing I noticed about Rice right away is that there are resources everywhere, and people are genuinely happy to help you succeed. I’m grateful for the opportunity to join such an impressive, supportive community. I’m very happy to be here.

How would you describe your research?

I’m on the more micro side of organizational behavior, interested in the experiences of individuals at work. Most of my work is qualitative, and I draw from research on identity and meaningful work. I may be a glutton for punishment, but I’m especially interested in what happens when things go wrong: when the way you work changes, or when the future you expected from your work no longer seems possible. How do people grapple with that disruption? How do they recalibrate and move forward?

The idea of having a “calling” is especially interesting to me because it’s more than enjoying your job or feeling intrinsically motivated. It is a highly meaningful view of work, one that is closely tied to identity and often carries moral and social significance. The work feels integral to who you are. That makes it powerful. But it also makes disruption much harder to absorb.

How did you become interested in this area of study?

While I was at Boston College, teachers in nearby Newton went on strike. I read a news story that quoted a former teacher who had returned to support her former colleagues. She said the profession was supposed to be a calling, something you did because you loved the kids. It was hard to say, “I love the kids, but I want to leave.”

That stayed with me. I had been studying meaningful work, so I started looking for research on people who leave callings and found very little. Most studies tell us that a calling is sticky. People are more likely to craft their jobs and their lives around maintaining it than to walk away. But people can and do leave. I wanted to understand what finally makes that possible, and what leaving means for them afterward.

Is this dynamic specific to teaching?

Education makes the tension especially visible, but I would expect similar dynamics in other helping professions, including healthcare and animal care. But, in theory, it could exist anywhere we find passionate workers. The common ingredient is the combination of a strong source of meaningfulness, deep identification with the work, and conditions that can exploit that identification. 

If leaders want work to remain sustainably meaningful, they have to provide the resources that allow people to continue doing it. Money is one resource, but so are time, recovery and support for mental health. 

What pushes people to leave work they feel so strongly about?

I expected to find a particular force pushing people out or pulling them toward something else. Instead, I found a tension that built over time. The former teachers I interviewed talked about an almost magical draw toward teaching. It was what they were supposed to do and who they were supposed to be. At the same time, they described significant suffering.

Because people with callings work so hard to stay, they often begin by altering themselves to fit the profession. They absorb more, lower their expectations or keep trying to repair the relationship. Over time, that effort can damage their mental and physical health. The final breaking point is often not one dramatic event. It’s the realization that the calling had become unsustainable. My research participants would look toward the future they once imagined, including retirement, and ask: Can I keep doing this for that long? Eventually, the answer was no.

It must be emotionally very difficult to leave one’s calling. What does it feel like to people who go through that?

It’s not a clean process. There’s grief and sadness because people are losing work they loved, but there’s also guilt and shame. Many of my research participants entered teaching because they cared deeply about students and education. Leaving can feel like abandoning those commitments, especially when people around them don’t understand what they’ve lived through.

At the same time, many begin to acknowledge the injustices they experienced. They recognize that a profession that was supposed to work for them did not, and that callings can sometimes be unhealthy or exploitative. Recovery requires them to reconsider what work could or should be. They begin to create distance from the job as their primary source of identity and meaning, then invest in family, hobbies or other parts of themselves. Once they feel the benefits of this recovery, some later miss the meaningfulness and seek it again, but with a clearer sense of boundaries.

Managers shouldn’t interpret continued dedication as evidence that the conditions are working. People with callings may tolerate poor conditions longer precisely because the work matters so much to them.

What can people do when a calling has maybe become too large a part of who they are?

The people in my study who seemed healthiest approached work as one part of a loosely coupled system, drawing from the work of late organizational theorist Karl Weick. In this case, their work, identity, and sense of meaning were connected, but not so tightly that losing one caused the entire system to collapse. They had built a more complex system wherein other identities, relationships, and sources of meaning could support them through a disruption.

One former teacher described changing how he thought about himself. Instead of saying, “I am a teacher,” he began to say, “I am someone who teaches.” That small shift opened other possibilities. He could teach in different settings or in different ways. The calling did not disappear, but it became part of him rather than the whole of him. That leaves more room to change, and more room to stay well.

How can managers recognize that meaningful work is becoming unsustainable before someone leaves?

One signal is that the employee keeps changing themselves to accommodate the job. They absorb more, lower their expectations and treat deteriorating mental or physical health as something they have to manage privately. Another is that they can no longer imagine doing the work over the long term. We often hear this talked about in terms of burnout.

Managers shouldn’t interpret continued dedication as evidence that the conditions are working. People with callings may tolerate poor conditions longer precisely because the work matters so much to them. By the time they leave, the tension may have been building for years.

We all want a passionate workforce, but not at the expense of workers’ health. That dedication only lasts so long. Sustainable passion is something worthy of investment.

What else can managers learn from the experiences of people who leave a calling?

Passion is not an infinite resource. Organizations want dedicated employees, but they can’t treat dedication as a substitute for support. If leaders want work to remain sustainably meaningful, they have to provide the resources that allow people to continue doing it. Money is one resource, but so are time, recovery and support for mental health. 

If possible, leaders should consider offering sabbaticals or other opportunities for genuine recovery. Anything leaders can do to encourage employees to invest in other identities or sources of meaningfulness (that is, create a more complex system) would be beneficial for the health of their workforce, and for retaining dedicated employees. 

Research on “decent work” identifies five essential elements: safe working conditions, time for rest, values that complement a person’s family and social values, adequate compensation and access to healthcare. Those basics may matter even more in professions where people feel called to the work, because passion can motivate people to tolerate their absence for a while. 

The idea that organizations can exploit passionate employees because those employees will remain dedicated is not a reality leaders should count on, if it ever was. We all want a passionate workforce, but not at the expense of workers’ health. That dedication only lasts so long. Sustainable passion is something worthy of investment.