Discipline, Award-Winning Faculty, Inspiration Key to Alum Dan McKinnon’s BU MET Experience

Why did you choose BU MET for your graduate studies? What set BU MET apart from other programs you were considering?
Having graduated over 20 years ago with a BS in computer science and a BA in economics, I knew that if I ever went back to graduate school, I wanted to focus on a particular area of study that I was passionate about. I was looking for a program that had a database-centric concentration when I discovered that BU had a program that fit this desired requirement perfectly. I also needed a program that was online-only, as I am married with children and work a full-time job. BU MET’s program is very well-regarded, and I knew it has a great history. Living only 45 minutes from Boston also made it an easy decision—I didn’t apply to any other programs.

Were you able to use faculty as a resource? Is there a particular faculty member who enhanced your experience at BU MET?
I found the faculty and facilitators to be very helpful as I continued my journey through the program. I learned from a fellow student in my concentration early on that Jack Polnar was an exceptional teacher and so I proactively reached out to him via email, months prior to taking my first class with him. Of all the teachers in the program, I found that Jack went above and beyond my wildest expectations, and BU is incredibly lucky to have him as part of the teaching faculty. Quick to respond to questions and feedback, always there for his students, and an exceptional teacher—when I later learned he was a previous recipient of the Roger Deveau Part-Time Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching, I wasn’t shocked one bit. Jack made me strive to be a better student and he was an incredible example as I tried to help fellow students during my time in the program, paying forward what I learned through the process.

How were you able to adapt to some of the challenges of balancing work, home-life, and school? Did you benefit from BU MET’s flexible class delivery options?
I learned quickly that I had to be very disciplined if I was going to succeed in the BU MET online program. Immediately after being accepted and registering for my first class, I put daily to-dos on my calendar and stuck to them, never letting myself get behind. When I was told to expect 25–30 hours of work every week, I have to admit that I didn’t believe it at first, but found out very quickly this was totally accurate.

With 7-week classes (that are more like 6 weeks, since the final week is the exam), getting behind was simply never an option—I am not the type of person that can wait until the last minute and cram a weeks’ worth of work into a single day.

Balancing family, job, and life while in the program was a challenge. I had a very supportive spouse, but most weekends I was holed up in the office, along with 2–3 hours (outside of classes) every weeknight on average. It was no easy journey, but my hard-earned degree made it rewarding.

Are there any specific skills or competencies you acquired during your studies that qualified you for a promotion, professional designation, title change or other benefit?
Throughout the entire program and most classes I found that I learned skills that I could immediately apply at my job in a variety of ways. I didn’t receive a promotion upon graduation but, given that I am at a company that values education, my studies will certainly help in the future.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Related to the earlier question of why I chose BU, it was no coincidence that I chose Boston University—hoping to one day find myself on the same alumni list with the great Martin Luther King, Jr. A hero and someone I consider one of the greatest Americans in history, I wanted to be associated with the progressive school that awarded him his PhD in 1955.

There is a reason why his words are quoted every day by people of all walks of life—he is an inspiration. In times like the ones we are going through today, BU should be incredibly proud to be associated with MLK, and I am proud every day to state that I graduated with a master’s degree from the same school that he did. I consider it an honor and a privilege and when I represent BU, I try to use him as the ultimate alumnus example.