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Kaplan University
Randy Ashbaugh
Systems analyst
Class of 2011, bachelor’s degree in information technology, computer science
Kaplan University
Meet Randy Ashbaugh, a systems analyst and the principal member of Wave Dynamics, a new IT company Ashbaugh created in the Greenville area of South Carolina. The company specializes in systems analysis and design, the installation of commercial software, and custom software development. However, information technology has not always been Ashbaugh’s area of expertise. For 20 years, he served as a manufacturing engineer, but with declines in the manufacturing sector, Ashbaugh decided to pursue a degree in information technology. He felt that his new career path was worth following, as it would give him a substantial return on his investment. Now, thanks to Kaplan University, Ashbaugh is reaping the benefits.
Kaplan’s accreditation is what attracted Ashbaugh’s attention. The school is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, the same agency that accredits colleges like Michigan State, Purdue, and others. Then, Kaplan impressed Ashbaugh by doing a “wonderful job of explaining how the online education process works,” he said. Lastly, the price encouraged Ashbaugh to enroll. He saved an immense amount of time and money by not having to commute to a physical campus.
Ashbaugh went on to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in information technology with a focus on programming. He studied object-oriented computer languages, such as Visual Basic, C++, Java, and others. While working towards his degree, he served a consultant, sometimes working full time. He described the experience of working and studying simultaneously as difficult but not unmanageable. Typically, Ashbaugh would spend 20-25 hours on class work while working 40 hours each week, with weekends used to shore up any deficiencies. Ashbaugh admitted that online schooling takes discipline and planning. Luckily, Kaplan University gave him the opportunity to properly plan his schedule out ahead of time by making the requirements available at the beginning of each new term.
“Most times, I would work one to two weeks ahead of the rest of the class to allow for disruptions from my personal life and work schedules,” Ashbaugh said.
Having earned two degrees previously at ITT Technical Institute, Ashbaugh was able to apply some of those credits towards his new degree from Kaplan. After being a member of the advanced start program at Kaplan, it took him approximately 18 months to complete his entire degree. Without having previously earned transferable credits, students can anticipate earning their degree in four years.
Ashbaugh used his education to help him start his own company — Wave Dynamics. He is currently finalizing the design of a saleable online Web application, which will soon enter beta testing at a local company.
When asked how Kaplan’s coursework applied to his career, Ashbaugh said there were multiple factors to his success. First, Kaplan required a number of college-level essays, which improved his writing and critical thinking skills considerably. Second, there was an effort to go beyond theory and work on programs that would have some real-world significance. He also credited the class time online and the discussion board interaction with the instructors and students as a vital component to his education.
The coursework in his Systems Analysis and IT Project Management classes have added nicely to his skill set, as well. In these courses, Ashbaugh explored many of the issues unique to IT projects in detail, providing him with even more valuable insight into the field. Another beneficial factor was the discussion boards within the online classes, which helped him learn how to communicate more effectively with the added twist of encouraging him to learn to communicate using new technologies over vast distances. Ashbaugh found it fascinating to be in a class where his classmates were located all over the country. Lastly, he found that his professors were encouraging and experienced enough to offer valuable insight into his new career path. In fact, Ashbaugh has kept in contact with several of his instructors.
“Overwhelmingly, it is the attention to providing not just an education, but a high-quality education, that makes the difference,” Ashbaugh said. “Everything from the instructors to the quality of the curriculum combined to make Kaplan number one in my mind. With the education I received, I was able to quickly apply what I learned in a practical way, creating a new business venture. If the quality had not been there, I’d never have been able to start an IT business within months of graduation.”
