Shull was attracted to program's structure for master's degree

Casey Shull, 2015 Purdue graduateCasey Shull graduated from Purdue University with a master’s degree in industrial technology in May 2015. He earned the degree through the weekend master’s program administered by the Center for Professional Studies (ProSTAR) in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.

He is the operations manager for storm and crisis management and team leader for major overhead projects engineering at Indianapolis Power & Light Co. He started working toward his Ph.D. in the Purdue Polytechnic this fall.

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Why did you choose to pursue a master’s degree through ProSTAR?

The opportunity to obtain a master’s degree from Purdue University three weekends per semester over a two-year period while balancing work and family life.

What were the best parts of your program?

  • The weekend option was fantastic for work-life balance. The opportunity to obtain a master’s degree from Purdue by attending three weekends per semester is outstanding.
  • The program gives back what a student puts into it. Specifically, you can choose a directed project that provides the opportunity to publish in a scholarly journal, or you can complete a project for your current skill and position to provide an improvement to a specific task or skill.
  • Meeting other students from all over the country who work in different fields, are in different seasons of life and have the same ambition to improve their technical skills in order to obtain additional professional opportunities. I made lifelong friends during the program.
  • The program and the professors inspired me to continue my academic pursuit and obtain a Ph.D. from Purdue. The Purdue brand and the gravity of the master’s program provide a foundation to pursue professional goals and/or pursue a Ph.D. from a prestigious university. The ProSTAR program provided an opportunity for me to pursue my ambition and passion to add knowledge and skills in order to provide opportunities for other people. Innovation and technology move society forward, and the program has provided the first step in my pursuit of the highest level of academic success by obtaining a Ph.D. to help me pursue my future endeavors. I proudly display the Purdue logo everywhere I go and encourage everyone to pursue a master’s degree from the program.