For many working professionals, earning an MBA feels like a choice between career and education. Between working responsibilities and personal commitments, stepping away from work to pursue a degree simply isn’t realistic.
That’s why hybrid MBA programs have become an increasingly practical option for professionals looking to advance without pressing pause.
Reco Sanders, a School Business Operations Manager at KIPP SoCal Public Schools and MBA student at Mount Saint Mary's University, represents this new generation of graduate students. Through the Mount’s weekend-only hybrid MBA program, Reco has strengthened his leadership and project management skills while continuing to grow professionally.
What Is a Hybrid MBA?
A hybrid MBA combines in-person learning with online coursework, offering students structure without sacrificing personal or professional commitments. Unlike fully online programs or traditional full-time MBAs, hybrid programs are designed to support professionals who want meaningful faculty interaction, peer collaboration, and applied learning without leaving their jobs.
At MSMU, the hybrid MBA program follows a weekend-only format. Students can focus on their careers during the week and engage deeply with coursework on weekends. Classes emphasize practical application and leadership development, making the program especially well-suited for professionals managing teams, projects, or complex organizational responsibilities.
Meet Hybrid MBA Student Reco
Name: Reco Sanders
Program: Hybrid MBA
Job/Title: School Business Operations Manager, KIPP SoCal Public Schools
How has your hybrid MBA degree from MSMU contributed to your current career success?
As a result of the program, I feel prepared to take and pass the PMP and CAPM assessments to demonstrate my knowledge of project management. Additionally, the workload of the program while working full-time has shown me that I’m capable of being disciplined with my time and achieving ambitious goals.
What’s one of the most fulfilling parts of your current job? Why?
I decided on the Project Management concentration before I even got my acceptance into the program. I have worked on so many projects throughout my career, and it has always been my favorite part of my job.
As a person, I am more collaborative and a better communicator thanks to my experience in the program. The amount of group work required me to communicate effectively in writing and verbally during our group meetings. I also had to learn how to give and receive feedback from my teammates without becoming defensive.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to prospects who are considering enrolling in a hybrid MBA program?
I would tell any prospective student to have an excellent organization system and start using it as soon as they have access to their course syllabi. This program is so fact paced, and there are always deadlines to track across multiple classes, so you can quickly go from feeling prepared to feeling behind if you don’t organize yourself.
Find a Hybrid MBA to Fit Your Career at the Mount
Reco’s experience reflects what many professionals find when they pursue an MBA at Mount Saint Mary's University: a program designed to meet the realities of working life while still delivering rigorous, career-relevant business education.
The Mount’s hybrid MBA equips students with practical tools in leadership, project management, and strategic thinking, all within a structure that supports your career momentum.
Based in Los Angeles and offered in a weekend-only hybrid format, the program allows students to continue advancing their careers during the week while investing deeply in their coursework on weekends.
With multiple concentrations, including Entrepreneurship, Finance and Accounting, Organizational Leadership, and Project Management, you can tailor your MBA to align with specific professional goals.
To learn more about the weekend hybrid MBA program at the Mount, download the MBA Guide for a closer look at why an MBA might be for you!
