JAY THOMAS

Financial Services

Director and Senior Research Analyst at Merrill Lynch

“If you’re going to earn an MBA or any advanced degree, it’s not worth the investment to have a marginally good MBA.”

When I learned about the MBA@UNC program by reading an article in the Financial Times, I thought, here is my chance. I called that day and put the wheels in motion. If you’re going to earn an MBA or any advanced degree, it’s not worth the investment to have a marginally good MBA, at least not in my profession.

“There’s no back row in the virtual classroom. Everyone is on the screen all the time.”

I had great interactions with my professors. There’s no back row in the virtual classroom. Everyone is on the screen all the time — and there are no more than 15 students per class. Kind of unheard of in an MBA program.

“We went through more than a program together; we went through life.”

The caliber of my peers is incredible. We have scientists and lawyers and all types of people — of all ages. I really appreciated the diversity. In that two-year period classmates got engaged and married, had children and changed careers. We went through more than a program together; we went through life. I learned a lot from them.

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