After 10 years of working the in the same job, Matt Schlimgen felt he’d hit a plateau in his career. “I knew that if I wanted to advance my career any further, I would have to go back to school and earn my master’s,” he said. But like most adults, Schlimgen had a family and a full time job, and needed to find a program that offered flexible scheduling so he wouldn’t have to sacrifice his family’s standard of living in the process.
He began looking at online master’s degrees, and found the Master of Science in Adult Education. “I’ve always had an interest in lifelong learning and continuing education programs, which fit well with the adult education curriculum,” said Schlimgen. “I was also very familiar with the graduate programs offered by IU and was confident that IU would provide a quality education.”
He wasn’t disappointed. After completing a majority of his undergraduate work through traditional face-to-face courses, online learning was a welcome change. “Online learning is a great avenue for continuing education, allowing you to do the work on your time, when it fits into your schedule,” said Schlimgen. “With online education, you get better at it. In the beginning, I didn’t really know what I was doing, but the more experience I had with it, the easier it was. Time management was an initial concern, but I found that as long as I was dedicated to the course work and cared about the subject matter, I found the time.”
Schlimgen received his degree, and within weeks of graduation, accepted an offer for a new position, serving as registrar for the Christian Theological Seminary. “Just getting the degree opened up all types of job opportunities I wasn’t eligible for before,” said Schlimgen. “This degree can provide numerous professional opportunities, in human resources, philanthropy, geriatrics, or higher education. I recommend the program highly to anyone interested in those fields.”
In his spare time, Schlimgen keeps busy with his church, and spending time with his wife and three kids. He enjoys running and is very interested in fitness and nutrition.
