Student’s Experience: Trine University MSBA Program

This article was contributed by student Y, who is currently attending Trine University’s Master of Science Business Analytics program.

I only had one year of OPT and initially hadn’t planned on staying in the US, so I didn’t seriously look for a job that could sponsor me. Later, my boyfriend and I decided to stay in the US, but my OPT was about to expire. That’s when I learned about attending Day 1 CPT schools to maintain my legal status. In July 2023, My friend recommended CISI’s consulting service to me, and I started my journey on the Day 1 CPT path. This article is written in April 2024, after nearly a year of studying at Trine, to share my experience and provide useful information for future students who might have similar situations as me.

Why I Chose Trine University？

As I graduated with a bachelor’s degree and didn’t have a master’s, my options were limited to schools that are non-profit. (*Editor’s note: for students who do not have a master’s degree and above looking for Day 1 CPT programs, if you would like to get into H1B’s Master Cap, it is recommended that you choose a non-profit school, because if you only have a master’s and above degree at a for-profit school, you will not be able to be considered for H1B’s Master Cap)  I chose Trine’s MSBAN (Master of Science in Business Analytics) program because I wanted the three years of STEM OPT and a master’s degree to increase my chances of winning the H1B visa through the Master’s Cap.

Another reason for choosing Trine was its affordability. The total cost of tuition and fees is under $20,000, but the program lasts 2.5 years, and I can use 3 years of OPT, which means $20,000 can offer me 5.5 years of legal status, a truly cost-effective choice.

In-Person Class at Trine University’s Detroit Campus

I am based in New York City. During the first semester of enrollment (Fall 2023), I chose the Detroit campus, which I visited in September. At that time, the Reston campus near DC Airport (Dulles International Airport) had not yet opened, so I chose the Detroit one. The Detroit campus is near the airport and a huge museum—the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. If you are going to the Detroit campus, you should take the opportunity to explore the museum. The museum has various cars and airplanes, including the car Kennedy was assassinated in and the bus Rosa Parks was arrested on. There’s also a car-themed restaurant inside the museum where you can rest. I highly recommend a visit.

Detroit is also close to Ann Arbor, Michigan. When I visited, I also watched their football game. Their stadium can host 120,000 people, making it the largest sports venue in the US. Ann Arbor also has many delicious Korean and Chinese restaurants—it’s a very charming town. If you have time, remember to visit friends there.

My boyfriend and I also visited downtown Detroit, which felt a bit desolate and rundown, but we visited the GM building and could see Canada’s Windsor across the water. The Detroit Museum of Art is worth seeing. There’s also an Italian pasta shop opened by Eminem, Detroit-style pizza, and streets full of art. There are bands performing in the plazas during the day, making Detroit feel like a hidden gem. It was a very surprising experience.

(Editor’s note: Please refer to the end of this article to see this student’s updated experience at the Reston campus)

Academic Workload

The MSBA program is completely unrelated to my undergraduate degree in liberal arts, and I occasionally find it challenging, but the advantage is learning a lot about finance, business, and data analytics. Thankfully, with alumni group chats and CISI’s help, I was able to manage it.

Classes typically last 8 weeks, with a 200-word discussion post due every Wednesday and quizzes/papers/math problems due on Sundays, along with responses to two classmates’ discussion posts. I spend an average of 3 hours per week on homework. 

Thus far, the courses and corresponding professors I’ve taken include:

• BAN 5003 Operations Analytics (Clarence Clark)
• FIN 5063 Corporate Finance (Brent Jacobs)
• GE 5103 Project Management (Samson Akpobome)
• FIN 5823 Financial Modeling (Duane Kilty)
• BA 6933 Statistics & Quantitative Methods (Ali Afshari)

Overall, these professors are excellent, not nitpicky about small details, and generally give decent grades as long as the assignments are completed. Highly recommended!

My experience is to definitely join the course groupchats!!! Some courses involve problems from the textbook, and classmates will share PDF versions for free in the group, saving money and time on textbooks. Sometimes there are mistakes or bugs in the description of the assignment problems that you can’t solve on your own. In the group, you might find other students who have already asked the professor for corrections and will share the corrected question, saving you time from figuring it out and emailing the teacher. In short, it is very good to have a community to study with, so make sure to join these groups after enrollment. In these groups, you can also find carpool or hotel-sharing partners for in-person classes. CISI will also help set up carpool groups, I feel like I was really taken care of by CISI.

CISI also has a system for collecting course evaluations for future students to refer to. Before choosing classes, you can consult this table to avoid strict graders and be mentally prepared for the courses. It’s also encouraged for everyone to fill out an evaluation after completing the course, helping to pave the way for future students.

In-person Class Frequency and Experience

Trine operates somewhat like a quarter system, with two terms each semester, each term lasting 8 weeks, with a week’s break in between. So, I take one course per term, totaling two courses per semester. At least one course per semester requires an in-person class.

For example, in the Spring semester from January to May 2024, I took Course A from January to March and Course B from March to May. At least one of A or B required an in-person class. This means I only need to attend in-person classes twice a year.

My first in-person class was at the Detroit campus (see above) in Brent Jacobs’s FIN 5063 Corporate Finance. It required attendance from 7 am to 6 pm, and remember to bring your ID. Although many people arrived early at 7 am, the class started at 8 am. Before the class, Trine University’s staff checked our IDs and had us sign in on a roster to take our attendance. Everyone introduced themselves before the lecture, which took a long time with about thirty to forty people in the class. The teacher had prepared a PowerPoint and delivered a standard university lecture.

There was a one-hour lunch break, and you could order various takeouts. I ordered Chipotle with some Chinese students I met there, and there was a lunchroom where we could get water, eat, and chat. I met a few students from Columbia and NYU, showing that CPT schools really are full of hidden talents. Most students in the class were Chinese and Indian, along with some Nepalese, Pakistanis and Korean, and occasionally one or two from Europe or the UK.

Before the afternoon session, we signed in again. The afternoon was more focused on group discussions. There was plenty of time for discussions, after which each group took turns presenting, and then class was dismissed—actually at 5 pm. At the end, they took our attendance again. Many students who lived in Chicago found it convenient to drive back and forth, and some who had evening flights managed to reach the airport in time (about 15 minutes away), which was quite convenient.

CPT Application and Administrative Efficiency

My CPT application was processed very quickly. The DSO and my advisor responded quickly, and CISI directly contacted their DSO to expedite my process, which was incredibly considerate.

My academic advisor, Maria Donnelly, responded quickly and was very responsible. She explained everything clearly regarding course changes. My DSO, Cassandra Duran, was very helpful when I needed to leave the country during the course and was worried about re-entry issues. I asked her many times and sent long emails, which she always responded to the same day or the next. I had no issues re-entering the country after my trip abroad, which was during the first week after the winter break, a particularly unusual situation. I don’t recommend traveling abroad during the course term as I’ve heard of students who would have problems re-entering. Even though my customs clearance went smoothly, it was still a nerve-wracking experience. If necessary, it’s best to travel during the winter or summer breaks.

If the school’s response is slow, we just reach out to CISI, who then directly contacts the responsible person to expedite things, ensuring we face no issues at the CPT school. Overall, the experience has been very positive—quick responses and responsible handling by the school administration, with a very systematic approach evident even in email communications, where you can see whom your DSO and Academic Advisor report to directly, allowing you to escalate urgently if needed.

May 2024 Update: In-person Class Experience at the Reston Campus

Trine’s Reston branch opened in 2024. Because this campus is closer to me, I smoothly transferred to the Reston campus. Here’s an update on my experience after transferring:

Transfer Process

I transferred one semester in advance, so I had plenty of time. I first emailed my advisor to ask how to transfer, and she sent me this link: https://trine.jotform.com/220903622954960 , which allowed me to manage the transfer myself. This page includes many useful links, which I highly recommend to fellow Trine students! It includes applications for RFE, travel-signatured I-20, in-person class schedules, CPT, and OPT applications, among others (see below image). If you encounter any issues, you can simply do it yourself on this website and wait for three business days before emailing the relevant personnel, which greatly improves efficiency.