Athletics: How two student-athletes are earning their MBA in just four years

Written and posted by Anthony Perry, Rivier University Sports Information Director

Quarantine Times are a series of short stories produced by the Athletic Department to help showcase our student-athletes during the fall semester. Throughout the series, each program will highlight a feature of their team, either an individual accomplishment or team achievement. This week we take a look at a pair of student-athletes whose journey has been unique here at Rivier.

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For more than a decade, Rivier University has been offering a pathway for students to obtain both their bachelors of Science degree in Business and their Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in just five years. Rivier’s unique 4+1 program provides the student with a streamlined, integrated academic experience that fast tracks their business career. This is done by applying for entry into the MBA program during your senior year and upon graduation, enter into a year-long journey to earning your MBA.

We sat down with the Dean of Business & Security Studies, Amir Toosi D.B.A to discuss the program and how it can be fast-tracked into a 3+1 program. We also chatted with two current student-athletes in Daniel White (Baseball) and first-year Adam Hailey (Men’s Lacrosse) who are at the end and the beginning of their journeys, respectfully, on earning their MBA in four years while being successful student-athletes.

Amir Toosi, D.B.A. – Dean of Business & Security Studies

Q: Where did the inception of the idea of come from?

A: In short, from the past administration. The 4+1 has been an option for more than ten years. Dr. Amir Toosi, Dean of Business & Security Studies has expanded the 4+1 across all undergraduate business programs being offered at Rivier University with prospective and current student-athletes. For the past eight years, it has become a key part when current students are being advised by their faculty advisors not just on course options for the next semester, but for guiding the students to the best career path.

Q: Is our Business Department in support of future students following the same path?

A: In short, absolutely for all of the undergraduate business students. It is important to share that the students in the BS in Cybersecurity Management program, an interdisciplinary program does not allow for a 3+1 option due to the course requirements within the Business, Cybersecurity, Homeland & International Security, and Computer Science course requirements. It is important to mention students in the BS in Cybersecurity Management now do have a pathway to the 4+1 via MS in Computer Information Systems.

Q: Where do the majority of your non-conventional credits come from? (AP courses in High School OR Internship credits)

A: Probably an even split between Dual Enrollment also referred to as Running Start, and AP courses in high schools.

Q: How many internships are business students allowed take part in and what was the largest amount of credits you earned from one internship?

A: Business & Security Studies students must take at least one internship, and are encourage to take up to three for credit. The maximum number of credits is 6 (working 240 hours), and we suggest that those be summer internships. In addition, we do encourage students to try out internships that are not for college credit but might pay well and help build their resumes. Students in the 4+1 program have an additional 3-6 credits of an internship as well.

Daniel White, Baseball – B.S. in Business 2020, on track to finish his MBA in the Spring of 2021

Q: Where did the inception of the idea of completing your masters in four years come from?

A: I first thought of doing a 4+1 MBA program when I was in high school. I had always wanted to do something related to business so when searching for a college, having a 4+1 or a 3+2 program was at the top of my list. My dad had recently graduated with his MBA when I first started looking. He always told me that waiting so long was a mistake and he wished he could have done it sooner. I took that into consideration and my goal was to find a college that had the ability for me to acquire my MBA.

Q: Was the idea met with support or resistance from Rivier administration?

A: Coming to Rivier for open house and accepted students' day, I met with the faculty of the Business department. They were the ones that really vouch for me to do the program. Admissions was all for it and told me to apply for that exact program during my open house. The whole Rivier community was supportive and happy to hear I wanted to get a head start on my future.

Q: Where did the majority of your non-conventional credits come from?

A: All my non-conventional credits came from dual-enrollment classes that I took in high school. There was a tech center that was attached to my school and it offered a business program. The program offered 5 college courses throughout one school year. I took it two years in a row, so just from that program I had acquired 30 college credits. Then in my senior year my high school offered a college English dual-enrollment and a college math dual-enrollment class. I passed both of those classes and graduated high school with a total of 36 college credits.

Q: How many internships did you take part in and what was the largest amount of credits you earned from one internship?

A: I took apart in one internship, it was in college and I earned three college credits for it. It was a great internship where I worked within the athletic department at Rivier. It gave me a ton of new experiences and opportunities and solidified my idea of what I wanted to do outside of college.

Adam Hailey, Men’s Lacrosse – Undergraduate Class of 2023, MBA Class of 2024

Q: When did you first hear about the possibility of playing four years of your NCAA sport and graduating in four years with your master’s degree?

A: I first heard about the possibility of playing four years of NCAA Lacrosse and graduating in four years with my master’s degree when my coach told me about it during a visit I had at Rivier.

Q: What was the most intriguing part of this possibility?

A: The most intriguing part of this possibility was that I wouldn’t have to do any extra classes during the summer, nor would I have to attend Rivier for another semester after my 4 years was complete.

Q: Where will the majority of your non-conventional credits come from?

A: Half of my non-conventional credits will come from the running start courses I took in high school, while the other half will come from internship(s) that I plan to do during the summer.

Q: How many internships are you planning to take part in and what is the first type of business you would like to intern for?

A: I plan on taking part in 2 different internships, preferably starting with a real estate company as I plan to work towards getting my license in real estate before graduating from Rivier.

Student-Athletes looking to find more about Rivier University’s 4+1 program, can visit the Rivier.edu website or by following this link: https://www.rivier.edu/academics/all-programs/b-s-business-mba-4-plus-1/