How I Did It
Richard Cudmore '10
Rik Cudmore with his daughter
Degree Earned: Master of Science in Business Ethics & Compliance (MBE)
How Long It Took: I started in May 2009 and finished in June 2010 (I wrote my comprehensive final in July 2010).
How I Paid For It: I paid for it myself. At the time the tuition was greatly affordable, even more than it is now, and it was not difficult to pay for it out of pocket.
What Else Was I Doing at the Same Time: I worked full time while I was completing my degree and we were also expecting our daughter during that time. She was born 3 days before graduation and was able to attend.
When I Studied: I set aside an hour each night to participate in the discussion boards and tried to get on at least once a day at lunch. The discussion boards were the key to the material and getting other perspective from those more experienced and from varying backgrounds. Assignments were completed on weekends. My wife worked weekends so I took the time to devote all Saturday and Sunday to research and write the essays.
Where I Studied: Most studying was done at home. It was just setting the time aside to get to it.
Most Challenging Part: The most challenging part was most likely the material that was new to me as I came from a non-profit background and a lot of the course was devoted to finance.
Best Thing My Family Did to Help Me: I hate to say it, but the best thing they did was left me alone when I was trying to get the work done. They understood that it was a short-term project that could pay dividends and benefit us all.
What Kept Me Motivated: I was having a daughter and knew that I wanted to further myself so that I would have as much time to spend with her as she grew up and I couldn’t have done that where I was.
My Highest Point: There were two high points for me. The first was getting to walk during my graduation. I had graduated from three other programs in my life and for one reason or another I had never been able to walk, so that was a high point and the fact that my wife, baby, stepdaughter and parents-in-law watched me. It was a proud moment that I still have vividly implanted in my mind. The second was getting my Comprehensive Final grade back and knowing that I had succeeded and was done (although at the time I had planned on completing my MSF right after).
Biggest Change Since Getting My Degree: The biggest challenge was moving from my old job to a new one. I wanted to work in Finance in Compliance but lacked the background experience to do so. However, I was able to accept a position as a Financial Advisor. The MBE program had not only given me the academic experience, but the personal examination in finding a firm that matched my ethical style and was a good fit. The past year has been spent as a Financial Advisor and although is not directly in the Compliance arena, is a rewarding move for me. This was the biggest change career wise that I can speak of. Overall, I am a new dad and have enjoyed watching my daughter grow. We recently attended the 2011 Commencement as faculty and she was present again to see her dad on the podium.
What's Next: I still have my eye on the MSF degree. At this time though, I want to focus on building my business and continuing to grow an ethical practice. I also now am an instructor at NECB in the undergraduate Business Ethics course and Principles of Management, soon to be taking on the International Business Ethics and Compliance graduate course.
