Earning a bachelor\u2019s degree and a master\u2019s degree consecutively takes hard work, patience and determination. Zach Ruhter has all three of those disciplines covered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBack in 2017, I had a New Year\u2019s resolution that I wanted to hike Table Rock once a day,\u201d he said. \u201cI successfully did that and lost 60 pounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA friend of mine then got me into ultramarathon. He said, \u2018If you can run an ultramarathon successfully, nothing in life will be hard again.\u2019 It was a nightmare, but after that it was like, \u2018Yeah, college isn\u2019t so bad.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ruhter graduated from Boise State University\u2019s Online Master of Business Administration in Business Analytics<\/a> program in May 2026. Two years earlier, he graduated from the online Bachelor of Business Administration in Management<\/a> program. Ruhter is the first person in his family to earn a master\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was open to the MBA, but I wasn\u2019t dead-set on it,\u201d he said. \u201cAfter the bachelor\u2019s degree, my wife, Melissa, and I talked and decided [that] if I don\u2019t get the master\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe good thing was I already had my associate degree,\u201d he said. \u201cWith 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI made some money with music for a little bit,\u201d he said. \u201cI was a member of the Nashville Songwriting Association International. Me and another person ran a chapter in Twin Falls, Idaho.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe would teach classes on songwriting and how the industry works. I play guitar. I started playing when I was 14; I\u2019m 37 now. I switched to business from music around 2013. The music was the fun part.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ruhter enjoyed the courses in the Online MBA in Business Analytics curriculum, but 562: Financial Analytics and Modeling was his favorite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt included using statistics to find the efficient frontier with stocks and a lot of cool information,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was helpful to have someone to work you through the steps and the formulas that go inside this other formula and inside these variables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen 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\u2019re going to get a good return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The experience in the online undergraduate program was valuable for Ruhter, as he enrolled in the master\u2019s program the month after completing his bachelor\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe first couple of weeks of courses you already have under your belt, so that helped out quite a bit \u2014 especially taking two classes per semester,\u201d he said. \u201cYou can\u2019t afford to get too stuck on an issue because you have to keep the momentum going. Otherwise, you start dropping assignments, which isn\u2019t good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ruhter\u2019s family and friends are thrilled to see him complete his goal of earning a master\u2019s degree with an ultramarathon mentality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey\u2019re very excited,\u201d he said. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that he is finished with college, Ruhter is keeping his career options open. His entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI want to do remote jobs for now,\u201d he said. \u201cI have a ton of side projects. I have built a couple of board games I\u2019d like to market. I haven\u2019t done as much music as I\u2019d like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n With his experience and education, Ruhter believes mastering Microsoft Excel is a key to success in the business landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor anyone going into business, whether you\u2019re starting your own or are in the corporate world, getting Excel under your skin is important,\u201d he said. \u201cKeeping track of little things and getting at least a basic understanding of bookkeeping and accounting concepts is vital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you\u2019re going to start a business in anything, like say you\u2019re a plumber, you\u2019re 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 \u2014 especially if you\u2019re starting from scratch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Excel was also beneficial to Ruhter as he worked through back-to-back online degree programs while working full-time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOnce the semester starts, throw together your own calendar in Excel and track the due dates yourself,\u201d he said. \u201cYou 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen you can find a way to keep it flexible enough, you can keep rolling without issues. That\u2019s the big takeaway. It\u2019s not really disciplining yourself to have the time; it\u2019s ensuring that time stays valuable. If something happens, you still have that window of opportunity without worrying about it closing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI 100% got good value out of the business programs,\u201d he said. \u201cThe online format absolutely worked out well for me. I loved it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Earning an Online Master of Business Administration from Boise State University can open doors to new opportunities and a brighter future \u2014 and we\u2019re 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ready to learn more? Attend one of our online information sessions or contact a student success coach today.<\/p>\n\n\n\nExceptional quality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Applying data and Excel skills in real-world scenarios<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Across the finish line: Future career plans and entrepreneurial goals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ultimate tip: Build a flexible Excel calendar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Learn more about Boise State\u2019s Online MBA<\/h2>\n\n\n\n