Master’s of business administration (MBA) alum Matt Califar helps manage multiple power plants and oversees cash compliance, investor relations, treasury issues, and funding decisions.

“With all the rankings and recognition the program is now getting, it proves that Ball State’s MBA was a good choice for me.”

GRADUATE SCHOOL WITH A FULL-TIME JOB

Matt Califar was a senior financial analyst in Indianapolis and only a couple years into his career when he began his search for an MBA. Because he sought a program that was exceptional and affordable, Califar chose the Ball State MBA instead of others offered locally.

Matt Califar

His only question was whether he could pursue graduate work with a full-time job in corporate finance.

“I started out just by taking one class, and I quickly found out that I could manage what was expected of me,” says Califar, a graduate of the Ball State MBA program, which he took as a blend of online and on-site courses. “As long as you’re on top of what is required of you, it’s very manageable.”

CLIMBING THE CAREER LADDER

Today Califar is senior analyst for project finance with AES Corporation, a global power company with a U.S. Strategic Business Unit in downtown Indianapolis. Having absorbed several responsibilities since joining AES, today he helps manage multiple power plants and oversees cash compliance, investor relations, treasury issues, and funding decisions, among other areas.

Califar says his employer looks for MBAs when it’s time to hire. “I think that going back and pursuing your MBA proves to people that you’re driven, you’re motivated, you’re goal-oriented,” he says.

BALL STATE’S MBA PROVES ITS WORTH

The Ball State MBA, which is offered online, on campus, or as a blend of both, has ranked in the top 20 of the U.S. News & World Report listing of top online business and MBA programs for the last two years.

“With all the rankings and recognition the program is getting, it proves that Ball State’s MBA was a good choice for me,” he says. “If I didn’t have it, I might find myself struggling to be considered for upper-level senior positions.”