“I strategically set my educational goals to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems, then augmented that training by pursuing an M.B.A.,” Bradley Dotson said. “Once I had achieved these milestones, I was hired as a Program Analyst with the United States Navy Military Community Management Division.

“I excelled in this position, but quickly learned that although my M.B.A. and undergraduate training were very beneficial, they didn’t completely equip me with all the skills that were needed for my position. After doing my due diligence, I decided that the M.S.O.M. program offered through University of Arkansas would be a good fit….and I was right.

“Immediately, I was being introduced to concepts that were applicable to my job responsibilities. By Chapter 2 of the very first course, I was bringing my textbook into the office and applying the data analytics concepts. I began developing analytical products for leadership at a very furious pace and was quickly becoming well-known throughout the organization.

“My immediate supervisor was responsible to delivering the reports that I generated from knowledge gained from this curriculum to the Chief of Naval Personnel. Eventually, my supervisor was nicknamed ‘professor’ from the Admiral because of our work.

“One short, yet challenging year after beginning the program, through a contracting firm, the United States Navy offered me a move from my Program Analyst position with Military Community Management to a Senior Business Analyst/Technical Lead with the Production Management Office.

“This promotion increased my pay substantially. The cost of the program tuition was returned in a matter of a few months. Additionally, the new position that I was hired into had a requirement of being PMP certified. This requirement was waived for me because of the reputation of the Project Management curriculum in the M.S.O.M. program.”