Bryant University offers many ways to get an MBA: a part-time, two-year program; an online course; and a one-year degree. The latter appeals to anyone seeking an accelerated course of study and has proven to be particularly attractive to transfer athletes who are looking to continue their education as well as extend their time on the court or field. 

The One-Year MBA program has been a win-win-win for students, the university, and Bryant Athletics. 

“Transitioning into a full-time MBA program while being an in-season athlete was a concern for me, but it has been a smooth and rewarding experience,” says Maranda Nyborg ’26, who transferred from Fordham University in April 2024 to play forward with Bryant’s women’s basketball team.  

“Going into the transfer portal to use my fifth year, I knew I wanted to be part of a one-year MBA program and only looked at schools that offered it,” says Nyborg. "I came to Bryant because of how well known the program is and because I could get it done in a full calendar year.” 

“Going into the transfer portal to use my fifth year, I knew I wanted to be part of a one-year MBA program and only looked at schools that offered it. I came to Bryant because of how well known the program is and because I could get it done in a full calendar year.” 

Under NCAA rules, student-athletes can compete in four seasons of college sports over a five-year period. Individuals who sit out a season due to injuries or other reasons can find themselves graduating while still retaining a year of eligibility to play sports.  

Some student-athletes choose to pursue a second major to retain their eligibility, but Bryant’s One-Year MBA allows students to earn a postgraduate degree rather than just a single year of a four-year undergraduate degree. 

Christopher Merritt, Bryant’s head football coach, says the One-Year MBA program has been a valuable recruiting tool for his team; last season, the team had approximately 10 players in that specific graduate program. 

“Most institutions have two-year programs and won’t offer scholarships to players for the second year,” he says. “We offer full and partial scholarships in order to recruit student-athletes to Bryant and provide our own graduating players with remaining eligibility the opportunity to earn their MBA or a master’s degree in any of our programs.” 

Bryant’s One-Year MBA program provides practical skills and knowledge so they can make an immediate impact when they enter the workforce, regardless of the profession they choose, says Patrick Cameron, Bryant’s senior associate director of admission for graduate programs.  

“The specializations we offer within the MBA program, like business analytics, fintech (which is the intersection of finance and technology), supply chain management, and international business, are all things that Bryan excels at but also are in demand in the workplace,” Cameron says. 

The full-time accelerated degree program attracts a somewhat different cohort of students than the university’s Two-Year MBA, which primarily appeals to in-career professionals looking to extend their education in evening classes that fit around their work schedule, says Cameron. 

Specialized MBAs are offered in each of the programs, Cameron says. In addition to classroom instruction, both the one- and two-year programs include a business practicum component, which the online MBA does not. 

“This year, half the cohort was in South Korea and the other half was in India,” he says. “In years past, we've gone to China, Chile, Panama, Berlin, Prague, and Dubai. We've quite literally gone to almost every corner of the globe to learn about local businesses and cultures.” The study abroad component of the program particularly appeals to athletes and other students who may have missed out on such opportunities because they had packed schedules as undergraduates, says Cameron. 

Cameron notes that many student-athletes pursued finance as undergraduates.  

“They know they want to get into some type of money management,” he says. “Alternatively, we see a variety of students going into the program’s business analytics concentration because there’s a widely recognized acceptance of analytics in professional sports, and that really resonates with a lot of student-athletes.”  

"We see a variety of students going into the business analytics concentration because there’s a widely recognized acceptance of analytics in professional sports, and that really resonates with a lot of student-athletes.”  

However, he says, “A lot of students don't recognize that the analytical skills they learn within the program are transferable to things like education, marketing, finance, technology, or athletics.” 

Maximus Villar ’25, a defensive lineman for the Bulldogs’ football team who transferred from Georgetown University to Bryant in 2021, says pursuing an MBA was always part of his educational plan.  

“I chose the Bryant MBA program because it allowed me to further my education while continuing to play football,” he says. Bryant’s One-Year MBA program has been a “perfect fit,” says Villar, who is interested in working for a FinTech firm by either contributing to supply-chain operations or pursuing a managerial role. 

“There are student-athletes who see this as a great program to maintain eligibility for a fifth year, but we also have seen a lot of other students who don’t have a business background and want managerial experience to round off their education; the specializations can make them as marketable as possible,” Cameron says.