At the University of Dayton, there are 374 student-athletes. Of those, only 13 student-athletes across seven athletic teams are master’s students.
But for Flyers who have athletic eligibility left after they earn their bachelor’s degree, and want to use it, they enroll in programs like the Master of Business Administration within the University of Dayton School of Business Administration. Not only does it allow them to continue playing at the top of their game, but it also sets them up for future career success by helping them build credentials that translate beyond the field.
“I’d heard that the MBA program was really good,” said Andrew Yanoshak. “I was a business major in my undergrad, so I thought that would be a great way to kind of supplement what I’ve learned over my last four years.”
Andrew Yanoshak earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Notre Dame. He still had NCAA eligibility remaining, and after touring the campus, he knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to play football at the University of Dayton.
“When I came out to visit, I really enjoyed it,” said Yanoshak. “I really liked what I saw.”
Yanoshak had considered attending UD for undergraduate studies, and this seemed like a second chance. Since starting the MBA program, Yanoshak has learned just how much overlap there is in business and sports.
“Football is about working together as a group, and that’s very similar to the workforce, because you’re working in teams to get goals accomplished.”
For Daniel MacDougall, coming to Dayton was about getting a quality education. He wanted a graduate experience that would add long-term value, not just allow him to keep playing baseball.
“I wanted to go somewhere where I could get the academic value that I was looking for,” said MacDougall. “UD is a place I think is worth my time.”
Choosing Dayton also had the added benefit of sharing the Flyer experience with his brother, who is an undergraduate.
“I love it here,” said MacDougall. “I think it’s a great place. You can feel the community, and you can tell the people around here love the place.”
After earning his undergraduate degree in finance from Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts, he decided to join the University of Dayton men’s baseball team and level up his career with an MBA.
“There are some athletes who will get a certificate for the year as a way to be able to play baseball,” said MacDougall. “That’s not something I was interested in doing.”
For Colin O’Rourke, the decision to earn his MBA was easy. He was already a Flyer and part of the golf team while earning his bachelor’s degree in operations & supply chain management. O’Rourke knew staying at UD was the way to go for him.
“It definitely made my decision a lot easier when I could start taking graduate classes as an undergraduate and have my MBA program happen in an expedited time frame,” said O’Rourke
O’Rourke took advantage of the University of Dayton’s Bachelor’s Plus Master’s program, which makes earning a master’s degree more affordable.
“As part of the BPM program, I was taking graduate classes while I was still an undergraduate and playing golf,” said O’Rourke.
The Bachelor’s Plus Master’s program is available to undergraduate students with a 3.0 GPA or higher. It allows them to take up to nine credit hours of coursework as an undergraduate, which also counts toward their master’s degree. After that, they are eligible for up to four semesters of discounted tuition.
For student-athletes who study at UD beyond their undergraduate degree, that kind of flexibility can make it easier to balance travel, training and academics.
“The opportunity to push yourself in the classroom is definitely something that made me grow as a person and become the best version of myself,” said O’Rourke.