Ory Huval was stuck.
He鈥檇 leveraged his bachelor鈥檚 degree in industrial technology into a project coordinator position with a global oilfield services company, but he wasn鈥檛 making the vertical moves he needed for personal and professional growth.
That changed when he enrolled in the online M.S. in Systems Technology program at the 青青草视频.
鈥淚 wanted to move up and I just didn't see a clear path,鈥 he says. 鈥淧robably one year after I was in the graduate degree program, I was able to get a new position within the company.鈥
Growth on Your Terms
Huval鈥檚 daytime hours were booked between his full-time job and family, which continued to grow while he pursued his degree.
Although he had never taken online courses before enrolling the systems technology program, he says the format was ideal for his lifestyle.
鈥淚t was actually probably better for me because I had family and work,鈥 he says. 鈥淚t was really good for me to set aside time and just do it on my own pace."
Huval says the graduate-level coursework was manageable 鈥 even with a newborn 鈥 because he maintained a consistent schedule.
鈥淚 basically carved out time after work, typically at night, it was like an hour, two hours set aside just for schoolwork,鈥 he says. 鈥淚t was constant, every day, setting aside say 7-8 p.m. just trying to do schoolwork. Typically, weekends were kind of my break unless I really needed to get something done.鈥
Practical Application
Because he was already working in the field, Huval says he was able to apply what he learned in his experience to his coursework and concepts from his courses to his work.
鈥淚t was very practical, and you can apply it as you're learning it. It's real world scenarios, which you kind of go through with your technical jobs,鈥 he says. 鈥淭he path I took in my professional work life was really developed during that program, learning Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, project management.鈥
Huval says he earned additional certifications within the master鈥檚 program to reflect mastery of those business methodologies.
Developing those skills, Huval says, allowed him to perform at a higher level in his job as a continuous improvement manager at the same company where he worked while earning his degree.
Huval worked with executives, traveling to facilities worldwide to identify and improve upon processes for greater efficiency and profitability. He was even able to complete his thesis within the company.
Since completing his degree in 2016, Huval has transitioned to a new position as a regional quality manager with TEAM, Inc., an engineering and industrial services company.
鈥淢y current job has a lot to do with the continuous improvement side, but now it's more of the business side,鈥 Huval says. 鈥淪o not only continuous improvement, but also managing the quality team, the quality system, and client interactions, as well.鈥
The Business of Engineering
Huval鈥檚 interest in the business side of industry, engineering, and manufacturing began as an undergraduate with a business minor.
He was able to lean into that in his graduate coursework with electives offered through the B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration as part of the M.S. in Systems Technology program. Students can take up to nine hours of business electives.
Huval recently enrolled in UL Lafayette鈥檚 MBA program online and says he was able to jump right into the accelerated coursework because of the foundational courses he took previously.
鈥淭hat was a big benefit for me, too,鈥 he says.
Huval was among the first graduates from the online Master of Science of System Technology program 鈥 the only program of its kind in the region. He says since that time, the program has become recognized in the industry.
"The classes were very practical to real-life situations. You still go through the theory, but there is more application to real-world scenarios that you would see,鈥 Huval says. 鈥淭hat's what I loved the most about it.鈥