No two students in Bryant University’s Online MBA program share the same story. They come to the program from across the nation and around the world, with different backgrounds and a range of experience in varying fields. Some are seasoned professionals, others recent college graduates.

They’re all united, however, by their ambition to keep striving, to learn more, and to achieve their fullest potential — and they know that putting in a little extra hard work leads to an even greater reward. Designed for working professionals aiming to accelerate their career, Bryant’s Online MBA gives students the flexibility to balance work and life with coursework bolstered by small class sizes led by accessible faculty.

National rankings are taking notice. A leader in MBA education for more than 50 years, Bryant recently saw its Online MBA named No. 24 in the nation, according to Poets&Quants 2024 rankings, rising 15 points ahead of last year’s spot and making the prestigious list for the third consecutive year. The rankings considered student surveys as well as outcomes; in 2022, 60 percent of Online MBA graduates reported being promoted or offered a new position after graduation. On average, their salaries increased by 25 percent.

RELATED ARTICLE: Bryant University’s Online MBA makes Top 25 on the Poets&Quants online MBA rankings

Below, hear from three Online MBA students and recent grads on what motivated them to advance their education at Bryant — and where it’s taking them today.

Huetran Duong ’24MBA 
Trained as a microbiologist, Huetran Duong started out as a medical researcher before pivoting to marketing. Now a senior marketing professional for the health science solutions company Revvity, Duong loves that she’s able to mix her natural creativity with her science education.

But she also thought she could go further in her career with a little bit of help. “I have pretty good street smarts and a knack for getting people excited about science, but I wanted a formal business education to go with that,” she says. “I felt like it could take me and my career to the next level.”

The Online MBA’s supportive community smoothed her return to the classroom, as well as her exploration of a new realm of knowledge. “I’d taken difficult classes like calculus or organic chemistry before, but as someone who didn’t take any undergraduate courses in business, I was really apprehensive about areas like accounting and finance,” she recalls. “The professors were always there to walk me through the material, though, and the other students were there to help as well.”

Duong’s time in the Online MBA program has provided her with a broader understanding of the work she does and how it connects with a range of other areas of business. “It changes the way you process things and gives you ‘ah-ha’ moments that you didn’t expect,” she notes. “I found the parts that I was missing.”

The program’s focus on innovation not only challenged her to grow but ignited a newfound passion for strategy and operations. She says she eagerly anticipates applying the knowledge and skills she’s acquired during her time in the program — and knows they will benefit her in both the present and in the years that lie ahead.

Danielle Palmer ’24MBA 
Danielle Palmer started her career straight out of high school, working as a receptionist while going to school part time. She spent years balancing work and her education to eventually earn her bachelor’s degree as an adult.

Palmer then chose to step back from her professional advancement to start a family, finding an entry-level position at Medtronic — a global company that specializes in medical technology and manufacturing — that would allow her to be a working mom. One of the biggest challenges for women she notes, is having to pass up career development opportunities to raise a family.

Ten years later, after rising to the role of senior project manager, she was both professionally and personally ready to further her career growth.

“I definitely hit that wall,” she states, “which is part of the reason why I went back to school.” Palmer began researching MBA programs that would allow her to balance her personal life and professional aspirations.

As a working mom with “a lot going on,” she says, Palmer appreciates the ability to take courses on her own time. She’s also not afraid to lean on her fellow Bryant students for support. “If you’re looking to be part of a community, even though you’re doing asynchronous learning, this is the program for you,” she says. “I haven’t thought twice about my decision since I joined.”

Palmer’s time with the program is already helping her make strides in her career. “My classes have really contributed to me feeling more comfortable stepping into a strategic role,” she says. She’s taken on more prominent work at Medtronic by leading a new global HR initiative and is working toward a director-level position.

Keith Kosoff ’23MBA, P’25 
Even with more than 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Keith Kosoff, a national business director at the biopharmaceutical solutions organization Syneos Health, never considered himself too “tenured” to further his education. In fact, pursuing his MBA was a lifelong dream. But balancing his career while also raising children and coaching sports had always stood in the way of attending a graduate program in person. “I did consider going back,” Kosoff recalls, “but it was just too much with the work-life balance.”

Kosoff had been contemplating Bryant’s Online MBA for a while, but after visiting Bryant for orientation with his daughter, now a junior, Kosoff was impressed with the campus and community — which gave him the nudge he needed to enroll.

“The asynchronous format is really a game changer,” says Kosoff, who took one course at a time. “I wanted to make it a good experience no matter how long it took.”

Kosoff immediately saw his concentration in innovative healthcare leadership play out in his work. “No matter where you are in your career, you need to stay ahead and learn,” Kosoff states. “This has been a great experience to refresh my knowledge and stimulate different ways of thinking. It’s made me better in the way I approach my profession.”

Now that he has his degree, Kosoff aims to pursue collegiate teaching opportunities down the road. “I’ve always enjoyed the teaching aspect of what I do, and I know there are a lot of opportunities in the healthcare field right now,” he says.