Choosing a graduate business degree begins with three questions, according to Dr. Shibu Philip: Where are you now in your career? Where do you want to be? And what are you willing to do to get there?
Dr. Shibu brings more than two decades of experience in technology and project management, including roles at AOL, Yahoo and Amazon, to his work as Senior Director of Graduate Business Programs, and Associate Professor of Project Management at Lewis University.
In this Studyportals Campus Conversations interview, he explains how moving from from engineering to corporate leadership (and academia) shapes his approach to helping students. Having wished for more guidance during his own career, he now helps students connect their interests, educational choices and professional ambitions.
His central message is that graduate education should give students the judgment to apply knowledge in unfamiliar situations. For international students, Dr. Shibu emphasizes cultural openness, active networking and confidence in the experience they bring.
(Photo courtesy of Dr. Shibu Philip)
Choosing a business degree that fits your career plans
Studyportals: What does your role at Lewis University involve, and how do you support students?
Dr. Shibu Philip: I oversee our graduate business programs, which are built around students’ careers. We offer face-to-face, online and hybrid options, and students can accelerate their studies depending on the number of classes they take. Some can complete their degrees within 12 to 18 months.
Our programs include business administration, project management, organizational leadership, business analytics, finance and management information systems. Across those disciplines, our focus is on connecting theory with practice and developing the next generation of leaders.
I am also one of the starting points for students who are unsure which program would suit them. Once we understand their interests, we connect them with the relevant program director, who can explain the curriculum, graduation requirements, possible waivers and related certification opportunities.
Studyportals: How do you help someone who has only a vague idea of what they want to do?
Dr. Shibu Philip: I come back to three questions: Where are you now in your career? Where do you want to be? And what are you willing to do to get there?
Those questions help students think beyond the name of a degree. Someone interested in broader business leadership might consider an MBA. Someone who enjoys delivering projects may be drawn to project management. Organizational leadership can appeal to people interested in change management, coaching and leading organizations.
If you enjoy working with data, tools and visualization, business analytics may be a better fit.
The decision ultimately belongs to the student. My role is to help them understand how their interests and aspirations connect with the available programs. If their direction changes after they begin, we can discuss their options, including whether any common courses might support a move to another program.
Studyportals: You began with Computer Engineering and later earned a doctorate in Business Administration. What triggered this shift?
Dr. Shibu Philip: I enjoyed coding and working in engineering. As I gained experience, however, I realized that I also wanted to lead teams and organizations. That encouraged me to pursue a Master’s in Engineering Management, which focused on managing engineering teams and businesses.
Later, after years of leading organizations and mentoring colleagues, I wanted to help develop the next generation of leaders. I also wanted to deepen my understanding of the field and bring research more directly into organizational practice. Those interests led me to a doctorate.
There was a personal motivation, too. Earlier in my career, I wished I had had more people helping me understand how educational choices could connect with professional opportunities.
That is a large part of my mission today: meeting students where they are and helping them work toward their aspirations. I hope to provide some of the guidance I would have valued myself.
Earlier in my career, I wished I had had more people helping me understand how educational choices could connect with professional opportunities. That is a large part of my mission today.
Studyportals: Your career includes AOL, Yahoo and Amazon. How did further education influence your progress in the technology industry?
Dr. Shibu Philip: My responsibilities grew with each position. Although a master’s degree is not necessarily required to work in technology, mine helped me understand the concepts behind what I was doing and apply them more effectively.
I felt that it became a distinguishing factor as I was considered for promotions. That is something I tell students: the value of a master’s degree may not appear immediately as a new title or promotion. It can become more apparent later, as your responsibilities increase.
My doctorate served a similar purpose. I wanted to understand how research, case studies and lessons from other organizations could inform everyday decisions. Research can remain separate from engineering practice, and I wanted to help close that gap.
I also knew that I eventually wanted to teach. Pursuing the doctorate while working was part of preparing for that longer-term goal.
The value of a master’s degree may not appear immediately as a new title or promotion. It can become more apparent later, as your responsibilities increase.
(Photo courtesy of Lewis University)
Connecting the theory with practice
Studyportals: As a professor of practice, how do you maintain your connection with industry?
Dr. Shibu Philip: My background is on the practice side of academia. Universities have professors whose work is deeply rooted in research, alongside people who bring substantial industry experience into teaching. Both perspectives contribute to students’ education.
I remain active in professional organizations, including the Project Management Institute. These organizations provide connections with practitioners and help us stay engaged with the challenges businesses face.
Lewis also gives me scope to work with companies and consult on behalf of the university, helping them draw on our expertise.
That connection matters because bringing theory and practice together requires ongoing engagement. It means understanding how organizations are working today and bringing that perspective into conversations with students.
Bringing theory and practice together requires ongoing engagement. It means understanding how organizations are working today and bringing that perspective into conversations with students.
Studyportals: How do those industry relationships influence the curriculum?
Dr. Shibu Philip: Our program directors spend considerable time reviewing the curriculum and keeping it relevant. One example is the MBA’s move from micro-credentials toward concentrations, including areas such as marketing and digital analytics.
Our location also helps. We are close to Chicago while being part of a wider business environment that includes manufacturing, supply chain operations and logistics, as well as technology and finance.
That gives us exposure to different kinds of organizations and their challenges. We can see what businesses are doing, where their needs are changing and how our students might contribute.
Those observations inform the way we think about our programs. We want students to develop knowledge that connects with opportunities in the surrounding economy and beyond.
We want students to develop knowledge that connects with opportunities in the surrounding economy and beyond.
Studyportals: What would you identify as the distinguishing features of your graduate business programs?
Dr. Shibu Philip: First, we emphasize applying classroom concepts to industry. Many of our faculty members bring experience from fields such as telecommunications, technology and finance, and they use that experience in their teaching.
Second, we want students to understand the challenges organizations are facing. Through discussions, simulations and case studies, they can encounter situations before having to manage them professionally.
Third, we prepare students to make progress without having every answer. We cannot predict everything they will face after graduation, but we can give them frameworks and knowledge that help them respond.
That is an important part of graduate education. You need to become comfortable with uncertainty, evaluate the available information and propose a direction. The environment may change, but strong fundamentals help you adapt.
Studyportals: How do you prepare students for businesses ranging from small startups to large corporations?
Dr. Shibu Philip: We expose students to organizations of different sizes rather than directing everyone toward one type of employer.
For students interested in entrepreneurship, we have an innovation and incubator hub, with support from an adviser and companies involved in its board. We also run a pitch competition that encourages students to develop and present ideas.
For those interested in established businesses, there are company visits and talks involving medium-sized and larger organizations.
Students also arrive with different interests. Some want to work in nonprofits or associations; others want to pursue engineering-related careers or finance.
Once they identify a direction, faculty can help them explore it. A professor might recommend a conference or meeting where midsized finance companies or financial technology startups come together. That kind of guidance helps students understand the opportunities within a particular field.
We prepare students to make progress without having every answer. We cannot predict everything they will face after graduation, but we can give them frameworks and knowledge that help them respond.
(Photo courtesy of Lewis University.)
Building your network and finding opportunities
Studyportals: For international students unfamiliar with Illinois, what does the Chicago area offer?
Dr. Shibu Philip: Chicago has a broad business landscape. Downtown, students will find finance, technology, insurance and consulting companies. The surrounding suburbs also have substantial manufacturing, supply chain and logistics activity.
Many companies use Chicago as a base for their central US operations, so students can encounter a wide range of businesses.
We also use company visits to help them understand that environment. For example, we have a relationship with McDonald’s and take groups of students to visit its Chicago headquarters.
Each summer, we welcome students from our sister institution, La Salle in Barcelona. Another professor and I co-lead an initiative that introduces them to major companies downtown and businesses in the surrounding area.
That combination gives international students a broader view of the region. They can experience a major city while also seeing the industrial activity and business opportunities beyond its center.
Studyportals: What adjustments should international students be ready to make?
Dr. Shibu Philip: Three things come to mind.
The first is openness to cultural differences. Work happens differently across countries, and students should see their own cultural knowledge as an asset while learning how to work in a new environment. Many companies operate internationally and value people who understand other regions.
Many companies operate internationally and value people who understand other regions.
The second is becoming comfortable with incomplete information. This is also a transition from undergraduate to graduate education. Instead of receiving a fully defined problem, you may need to identify what information is missing and decide how to find it. That reflects professional life, where an assignment might begin with a problem statement of only one or two sentences.
The third is building relationships. Attend events, introduce yourself and engage with classmates and employers. I encourage students to move beyond simply attending class and leaving.
Be proud of your background. Other people can learn from your experience, just as you can learn from theirs.
(Photo courtesy of Lewis University)
Studyportals: Can you share an example of a student whose development particularly stood out?
Dr. Shibu Philip: One student in my class had a mechanical engineering background and was unsure where he fitted because he felt that everyone around him was focused on technology.
I asked him those three questions: Where are you now? Where do you want to be? What are you doing to get there? I encouraged him to identify the areas that interested him, and quality emerged as a strong possibility.
Over the following weeks, he studied quality concepts independently and explored certifications. By the sixth or seventh week of the course, he had developed a much clearer understanding of that field.
We began looking at relevant jobs. I remembered an electrical and mechanical company we had visited with the Barcelona students and contacted someone there. The student researched the company, identified a quality-related vacancy and applied.
He got the job. My contribution was making an introduction and asking the company to consider his résumé. He did the preparation and succeeded in the interview. We were very proud of him.
Be proud of your background. Other people can learn from your experience, just as you can learn from theirs.
Studyportals: What formal support helps students connect with employers?
Dr. Shibu Philip: We have several routes. The Career Center helps students prepare their résumés, practice for interviews and understand how to approach employers.
Faculty members also work to identify internship opportunities and share them with students. Our Meet the Firms event brings employers to campus so students can introduce themselves and discuss opportunities directly.
Occasionally, companies bring us specific problems that can become student projects. Departments within the may university also need graduate assistants or help with consulting-style assignments.
The opportunities are there, but students need to participate actively. At an employer event, for example, they should be ready to explain their interests and what they are looking for.
I encourage students to gain experience during their degrees, whether through an internship or a suitable opportunity to shadow someone. It helps them understand the work and gives them something concrete to discuss when applying for a role.
The opportunities are there, but students need to participate actively.
(Photo courtesy of Lewis University)
Business is changing constantly. Students must adapt
Studyportals: What major changes in business are influencing what students need to learn?
Dr. Shibu Philip: Business is constantly changing, but I would highlight three areas.
The first is business transformation. Companies are examining their systems, considering automation and looking for new ways to operate. They need people who can connect strategy with analytics, project management and business administration.
The second is resilience. The supply chain disruptions associated with COVID made organizations reconsider the risks of depending on a single model. Businesses are thinking about how to operate globally and locally while preparing for the next three to five years.
The third is artificial intelligence. Companies are trying to understand how machine intelligence and human intelligence can work together.
For management education, the question extends beyond what AI can do. We also need to consider how organizations use it, how they govern it and how it contributes to better performance.
Studyportals: How do you approach AI from a management perspective?
Dr. Shibu Philip: We are interested in organizational intelligence: how an organization brings human and machine intelligence together to create value.
A company might see opportunities to use AI to optimize its work, but it also needs to decide how that use will be governed. How does AI fit into the organization’s activities? How can its contribution be assessed? How do you make sure its use remains controlled?
Those are management questions as much as technology questions.
Our focus is on helping students think about how these capabilities are absorbed into an organization. The aim is to understand how the combination can improve performance and how to manage that process.
Studyportals: Why is practical experience so important alongside classroom learning?
Dr. Shibu Philip: Knowing a concept well enough to explain it in an exam is different from knowing how to apply it inside an organization.
Experience helps you recognize that an obvious solution may overlook something important. Education gives you frameworks for examining that solution more carefully and considering factors you might otherwise miss.
Every company is different, so there is no single process that works everywhere. You need a foundation that allows you to adapt your approach to the organization.
Case studies and faculty experience can help accelerate that learning. A professor can explain the textbook definition, then discuss how the same issue appears in a small or midsized business. Students begin to see why implementation requires judgment and why context matters.
Knowing a concept well enough to explain it in an exam is different from knowing how to apply it inside an organization.
Studyportals: Many MBA students already have professional experience. What do they gain from the practical side of the degree?
Dr. Shibu Philip: They gain opportunities to examine their experience through new frameworks and learn from other people’s perspectives.
In classroom discussions, we encourage students to take a position and explain it while remaining open to others’ ideas. That resembles a business meeting: someone proposes something, and you need to evaluate it and respond constructively.
Assignments ask students to develop an argument, apply frameworks and make decisions with incomplete information. Students often draw on situations from their own careers and consider how they would approach them differently now.
Group projects add another dimension. You need to consider other people’s ideas and help the team move forward collectively, an essential leadership skill.
Presentations develop communication. Graduates should be able to explain a recommendation clearly, support it with research and communicate its value to a chief executive, director or team.
Ultimately, the goal is to connect knowledge with action: make a sound proposal, explain why it matters and help implement it.
