All students, faculty, and staff must register for Microsoft Entra before Tuesday, November 11 to continue accessing university systems. Register today!
Ten years after graduating from Boise State University with an associate degree in English, United States Army Reserve Platoon Sergeant Ryan Ferguson was a proud Bronco again.
Ferguson graduated from the online Bachelor of Business Administration in Management program in August 2025.
“I came back from my second tour, and I was in between spaces,” he said. “I was looking at what my next assignment was going to be. I looked at the commissioning route.
“I applied to three or four different schools. Boise State was happy to pick me back up, so I didn’t have to do any other previous classes. They worked with me and still took VA and Army benefits. It was a decent fit.”
In addition to serving in the Army Reserve, Ferguson works full-time as a staff administrative assistant for the United States Department of Defense in Boise, where he started in 2017. He and his wife, Alysha, have two children — Rolland, 4, and Adrienne, 2.
“Coming back to school with a wife and kids, it had to be online even with being in the area,” he said. “As far as pay plan, flexibility and accessibility, that was a go.
“It was good to have some familiarity. Having a previous student account made it easier to pick things back up. The online format worked out well for me.”
Coming full-circle
Ferguson is from Tacoma, Washington, but his family is from Boise. Ferguson enlisted in the Army in 2011. His first tour of duty took him to Afghanistan, while he split time between Syria and Iraq on his second tour.
While earning an associate degree at Boise State, Ferguson developed leadership and management skills in Senior ROTC. He left for Afghanistan while enrolled, then returned and finished the degree.
“I applied to a handful of colleges and a couple of private schools that were too expensive, but the end goal was to commission initially,” he said. “I was going to go ROTC, which is why I went to college. I enlisted instead.
“Then, I deployed and had a pause. I pursued the enlisted route. Now that things have calmed down a little bit, it was time to circle back around.”
After working as a technician, electrician and roofer, Ferguson enrolled in the online Bachelor of Business Administration program. His favorite course in the curriculum was Business Analytics.
“That was a really good class,” he said. “We did a simulation of turning out new products, managing old products, working with a team to decide your marketing budget, how much you’re going to put in research and development, how much you’re going to price.
“Then, you compare price points from previous years to see what the competition is doing. You competed against your classmates as far as product sales went.”
Earning a business degree was comparable to being in the Army in some ways, according to Ferguson. He added a project management certificate while enrolled.
“There are a lot of business aspects to the military,” he said. “The military runs a lot of things off older business models. There are some blurred lines where business management and project management are super similar. It’s universally applicable.
“Having a scope of what your deliverables are and what your timetable needs to be, it’s a universal language. The program gave me some different lenses.”
Round two
Ferguson completed his journey by receiving his bachelor’s degree in cap and gown at the commencement ceremony 10 years after graduating with an associate degree.
“My family and friends were excited,” he said. “My mom had been pushing me to finish my degree for some time. My wife wasn’t happy at the time, but she is happy now. I am glad that I attended graduation.”
Now that he has a bachelor’s degree, Ferguson is planning out his future and taking advantage of the opportunities he expects to come his way.
“I am dropping off a packet for officer candidate school,” he said. “Long-term, I plan to do something in the embroidery business or do something in operational management. I absolutely think having this degree will open up opportunities for me.
“I got good value out of the online Bachelor of Business Administration program at Boise State. I had another good experience there.”
Ferguson, who enjoys working in his backyard, off-roading and cooking in his free time, believes returning to Boise State to complete a bachelor’s degree was a great decision. He said that the degree would be beneficial to anybody.
“It’s up to the individual to set aside the time,” he said. “It’s flexible enough for you to make something work. I work in computers, so the amount of working with new tools is not to be overlooked, using new chunks of Excel, Microsoft Suite, software and apps. That alone was a value in and of itself.”
Learn more about the business administration program
Earning an online Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from Boise State University can open doors to new opportunities and a brighter future — and we’re here to support you every step of the way. Whether you’re exploring if an online degree is right for you or need help transferring credits, connecting with a student success coach is the perfect first step.
Ready to learn more? Attend one of our online information sessions or contact a student success coach today.