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April Piper is a proud Ragin’ Cajun.  

Despite never taking on-campus classes and living over an hour away, she often visits Lafayette to see the friends she made while earning her MBA online. She also loves a good crawfish boil or tailgate. 

Just a few years ago, graduate school wasn’t on her radar. But she started feeling stagnant in her career and knew it was time to return to school to expand her skillset. 

So, she turned to everyone’s best friend: Google. 

“I didn’t know anything about graduate programs, but I looked online and saw that UL Lafayette had a great MBA program offered online,” she says. “I applied, got accepted, and the rest is history.” 

That history included gaining practical business knowledge and making lifelong connections and friendships, all while maintaining her full-time job. 

A Flexible Education 

About half of the students in the UL Lafayette’s MBA program come from undergraduate disciplines other than business.  

Piper, who graduated from the program in December 2023, was one of those students. She earned her bachelor’s degree in social sciences in 2011 before working as an operations technician at a manufacturing plant in Pineville, Louisiana. 

But after a while, she wanted to do more. 

“Going back to school was something I had to think about. I decided to do it mainly because I was unhappy with where I was in my career,” she says. 

As a plant employee, Piper doesn’t work a traditional 9-to-5 schedule. Her shifts are 12 hours long, and she switches between day and night shifts each week. 

When looking for degree programs, she needed something flexible, so she opted for the program’s online delivery option. Juggling work and studies, Piper spent her days off dedicating six to 12 hours to her schoolwork at a time. 

“As difficult as the program and courses were, it was convenient,” she says. “Every so often I would create a day off for myself, just to keep my sanity. Other than that, it was all school or work.” 

Crafting Her Curriculum 

Piper also found flexibility in the MBA curriculum itself. She had , allowing her to craft an experience that fit her interests and goals. 

Initially choosing project management, Piper later discovered an interest in human resources. With permission from the program coordinator, she took extra classes to complete the HR management concentration, too. 

She actively applies her new knowledge in both project management and human resources at work every day.  

“My current role limits me as far as what I can do, but I still try to apply what I've learned,” she says. 

“From a technical standpoint, I try to come up with different cost-saving procedures with what I learned in project management. And now, with my human resources knowledge, I know how to better communicate with people. I’m working with someone in HR at work right now to improve morale in my department.” 

When the time comes for Piper to make her next move, she’ll be equipped to handle the challenges that come her way. 

“My goal is to be a senior project manager, mainly because I want to stay in a hands-on role. I would also not be opposed to being a human resource manager or specialist or something in that area,” she says. “Whatever I end up doing, I know I’m going to try to be the best at it.” 

Making Friends Abroad 

Students in the MBA program online — and other online programs — can participate in the . This program allows students to travel while gaining unique learning experiences and connect with their classmates in person. 

Piper chose to study abroad for the Summer 2023 term, enrolling in IBUS 540: International Business. 

“Studying abroad, for me, was the best part of the MBA program,” Piper says.  

Piper and her classmates spent 10 days in Costa Rica touring local businesses. Their stops included a coffee shop, a laundry detergent manufacturer, medical device manufacturer, and a major international tech company. 

“It was great to see how they did things over there, in the sense of sustainability and things like that,” she says. “Every day, we had a reflection assignment where we wrote about an assigned topic and what we learned. We had a good time and learned a lot.” 

And Piper didn’t just leave Costa Rica with a new business perspective, either. 

“It was so refreshing to be able to meet my classmates and my professor,” she says. “I made lasting friendships from that trip; that will always be the best part of the program for me.” 

Embracing the cULture 

As an MBA student, Piper also found community in the University’s MBA Association. The MBAA and the Moody College of Business host virtual Q&As, Zoom trivia nights, and more to keep online students engaged.

Piper made frequent appearances at these events, virtually and in person. She often made the 1.5-hour drive from her home in Alexandria to attend tailgates, crawfish boils, and social hours. 

“All of the events that MBAA did gave us the opportunity to get together and socialize and meet everybody,” she says. “When I come to Lafayette, it’s my friends from MBAA and from study abroad who I link up with. We talk regularly, sometimes daily.” 

And, luckily, her involvement in the MBA program isn’t over just because she finished her degree. UL Lafayette MBAA members are considered members for life, and Piper has no plans to step away from the connections she’s made.  

Her advice to students in MBA program? Work hard and get involved, just like she did.  

“Whatever your situation is, online learning will make it easier; you just have to keep working hard,” she says. “The best part about it all is that no matter where you live, you’ll get to be a Ragin’ Cajun.”  

Level up your business knowledge and make lifetime connections through UL Lafayette’s MBA program online.  

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