Earning a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree consecutively takes hard work, patience and determination. Zach Ruhter has all three of those disciplines covered.
“Back in 2017, I had a New Year’s resolution that I wanted to hike Table Rock once a day,” he said. “I successfully did that and lost 60 pounds.
“A friend of mine then got me into ultramarathon. He said, ‘If you can run an ultramarathon successfully, nothing in life will be hard again.’ It was a nightmare, but after that it was like, ‘Yeah, college isn’t so bad.’”
Ruhter graduated from Boise State University’s Online Master of Business Administration in Business Analytics program in May 2026. Two years earlier, he graduated from the online Bachelor of Business Administration in Management program. Ruhter is the first person in his family to earn a master’s degree.
“I was open to the MBA, but I wasn’t dead-set on it,” he said. “After the bachelor’s degree, my wife, Melissa, and I talked and decided [that] if I don’t get the master’s now, the odds that I would ever go back and get it would be nonexistent. It was better to go ahead and get it done.”
A former entrepreneur who owned a software development business, Excel Edge, which provided analytics and internal systems construction, Ruhter is a department specialist at the Albertsons corporate office in Boise.
After starting as a computer science major at Boise State, Ruhter switched gears to business. He took two online math classes before making the change.
“The good thing was I already had my associate degree,” he said. “With computer science, I would have had to start back at square one. With the business program, I was able to take those first two years and add the credits.”
Exceptional quality
Ruhter is from Filer, Idaho. He moved to Twin Falls when he was 16, then to Boise in 2013. He graduated with an associate degree in music from the College of Southern Idaho.
“I made some money with music for a little bit,” he said. “I was a member of the Nashville Songwriting Association International. Me and another person ran a chapter in Twin Falls, Idaho.
“We would teach classes on songwriting and how the industry works. I play guitar. I started playing when I was 14; I’m 37 now. I switched to business from music around 2013. The music was the fun part.”
Ruhter enjoyed the courses in the Online MBA in Business Analytics curriculum, but 562: Financial Analytics and Modeling was his favorite.
“It included using statistics to find the efficient frontier with stocks and a lot of cool information,” he said. “It was helpful to have someone to work you through the steps and the formulas that go inside this other formula and inside these variables.
“When you fit that together, you get a better understanding of the theory of investing and how to do it, rather than taking a shot at a bunch of different stock prices and hoping you’re going to get a good return.
Applying data and Excel skills in real-world scenarios
“I also liked using Lexicon for reviews. You can take the actual words and associate positive or negative values. One of the projects when I was on break was to build an Excel formula using strands of text to gain a numerical value to show if your reviews are good or bad. I use that quite often.”
The experience in the online undergraduate program was valuable for Ruhter, as he enrolled in the master’s program the month after completing his bachelor’s degree.
“The first couple of weeks of courses you already have under your belt, so that helped out quite a bit — especially taking two classes per semester,” he said. “You can’t afford to get too stuck on an issue because you have to keep the momentum going. Otherwise, you start dropping assignments, which isn’t good.”
Across the finish line: Future career plans and entrepreneurial goals
Ruhter’s family and friends are thrilled to see him complete his goal of earning a master’s degree with an ultramarathon mentality.
“They’re very excited,” he said. “I also got inducted into Phi Kappa Phi, so I got to wear the Phi Kappa Phi stuff when I walked at commencement. That was exciting, as well.”
Now that he is finished with college, Ruhter is keeping his career options open. His entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well.
“I want to do remote jobs for now,” he said. “I have a ton of side projects. I have built a couple of board games I’d like to market. I haven’t done as much music as I’d like.”
With his experience and education, Ruhter believes mastering Microsoft Excel is a key to success in the business landscape.
“For anyone going into business, whether you’re starting your own or are in the corporate world, getting Excel under your skin is important,” he said. “Keeping track of little things and getting at least a basic understanding of bookkeeping and accounting concepts is vital.
“If you’re going to start a business in anything, like say you’re a plumber, you’re actually a plumber and a bookkeeper. Understanding the in-flows and out-flows where you can track your expenses and where things are going will make or break a lot of stuff — especially if you’re starting from scratch.”
Ultimate tip: Build a flexible Excel calendar
Excel was also beneficial to Ruhter as he worked through back-to-back online degree programs while working full-time.
“Once the semester starts, throw together your own calendar in Excel and track the due dates yourself,” he said. “You can track all of your classes there, but you can also add a meeting with friends in there, too. A lot of people like to schedule things in the formation of class. If you have a rigid schedule, the chances of it shattering are good.
“When you can find a way to keep it flexible enough, you can keep rolling without issues. That’s the big takeaway. It’s not really disciplining yourself to have the time; it’s ensuring that time stays valuable. If something happens, you still have that window of opportunity without worrying about it closing.”
After arriving at Boise State with an associate degree in music, Ruhter is walking away with a pair of business degrees and a deep sense of accomplishment.
“I 100% got good value out of the business programs,” he said. “The online format absolutely worked out well for me. I loved it.”
Learn more about Boise State’s Online MBA
Earning an Online Master of Business Administration 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.