Deb Hagan wanted to succeed in the boardroom and knew that a master's degree would help her do that. Maintaining a full-time job and being a busy mother of two wasn't going to stop her from getting it. In fact, neither was giving birth to her third child, which just so happened right in the middle of her online coursework at the University of Phoenix .

"I wanted to improve myself - professionally and personally," she explains. "I always wanted to get my master's degree, and I have small children, so that meant I couldn't pursue a more traditional method. The only way for me to achieve this goal was through online learning."

As an employee in the Media and Institutional Relations department at Carlow University (Pittsburgh, Penn.), Hagan knew that in order to advance in the public relations field, she needed an MBA.

"I want to stay in the marketing field, and the MBA could open up more opportunities for me," she says. "I knew I wanted to try something different, and now that I've enjoyed PR work, I want to be able to take the next step."

And online learning turned out to be an asset rather than a fallback plan. "The University of Phoenix is very convenient and flexible," she said. "Don't get me wrong - the class load and the academic work are very intense. The education you receive from the program is unprecedented. But I need the flexibility it offers."

Hagan enjoys the strong support of her family and co-workers - always a source of encouragement and motivation. But regardless of how you pursue an MBA, or who is cheering you on, it's going to be hard work, she says.

"The university has requirements in terms of participation," she explains. "You must participate anywhere between four to five days a week. I average about five to six days a week, and that usually takes place between 9 p.m. and midnight."

What sounds like an exhausting regimen for Hagan is really just par for the course as far as she's concerned. "I think when people really want something, they just find ways to achieve their goals," she says. "My goal is to finish the MBA, and I'm focused on following through."

And just how far was she willing take this commitment? To the maternity ward. "When I began this program last year, I was pregnant with my third child," she says. "I continued my studies through the entire pregnancy... even giving birth! " Her son was born on May 17th and she finished up my statistics class on the 19th. "After less than a week of break, I was already registering for my marketing and economics c...