Online MBA student implements project management principles in police department

“Project management is everywhere, and there are limitless opportunities in the field,” said Master of Business Administration (MBA) student Nick Freisthler.  

While pursuing his MBA with a concentration in project management, Freisthler also works full time as an officer in the Investigative Section of the Troy, Ohio Police Department. The skills he has learned in the program have influenced how he conducts investigations, tracks evidence and communicates with top management. Within the MBA program, he has expressed a specific interest in project management.  

“As a detective I have to manage cases the same way a project is managed. My deliverables are a little different, but the concept is the same,” said Freisthler.  

Investigative work requires methodical, strategic decision-making to conduct safe and productive investigations. By using fundamental principles of project management, such as team management, stakeholder engagement, risk management and agile project management, Friesthler has been able to speed up investigations and improve the case closure rate since he has been in the program.

While many of the skills he has learned have been directly transferable to his career in law enforcement, making those connections was not always easy.  

“The most difficult challenge for me was relating what I do in law enforcement to the business world. The professors were extremely helpful with guiding me when to leverage my law enforcement experience and when to focus my assignments on other businesses,” said Friesthler.  

Even though his coursework did not always directly apply to his career, Friesthler has been able to use his experience in law enforcement as case studies in his project management coursework. Particularly, in Change and Risk Management, PM6500, he was able to implement change to maximize efficient communication and organization in his cases and bring that perspective to his coursework.  

“The project management courses give the student an excellent foundation of project management principles. The course assignments are realistic and apply the principles of project management,” said Friesthler.  

Finding how his degree program fit into his career goals was important for Friesthler. When he initially enrolled in the program, he questioned if it was the right fit for him. Through the encouragement and support of his professors, Friesthler saw his own potential and decided to stay in the program.  

“I never thought that an online program would be so personal, and that is what sets Ohio University apart from other universities,” said Friesthler.  

Learn more about OHIO’s online MBA. If you are interested in project management, learn more about OHIO’s online Master of Science in Project Management.