HWS News
7 August 2026 More Pathways to Business Leadership
Three new graduate pathways give Hobart and William Smith students more options for advancing their business careers.
Whether they aspire to become financial analysts, data scientists, entrepreneurs, marketing executives or business leaders, Hobart and William Smith students now have more opportunities to continue their education through three graduate business partnerships.
New agreements with the University of Rochester's Simon Business School, Rochester Institute of Technology's Saunders College of Business and the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School are designed to reduce time, complexity and cost for students looking to earn a graduate business degree explains Professor of Business Management and Entrepreneurship Tom Drennen.
The accelerated pathways also build on the broad foundation of an HWS liberal arts education.
The Simon, Saunders and Carey Business School partnerships offer a menu of options so students can tailor their studies after graduation, whether their goal is:
- beginning graduate coursework before completing their bachelor's degree,
- earning a Master of Business Administration or
- developing expertise in a specialized, high-demand field.
For students seeking specialized expertise
Students interested in fields such as finance, business analytics, accounting, marketing analytics and artificial intelligence may find the new 4+1 pathway with the University of Rochester's Simon Business School the best fit.
Designed for liberal arts students — including those who did not major in business — the program allows qualified students to earn a specialized Master of Science degree in one additional year after completing their bachelor's degree through a simplified admissions process that includes:
- Guaranteed admission
- A scholarship covering at least 30% of tuition
- A waived application fee
- No GRE or GMAT requirement
- Early access to graduate-level career workshops and one-on-one coaching sessions
“At its core, this collaboration is about giving students time, choice and access — made possible through strong regional partnerships,” says Provost and Dean of Faculty Sarah Kirk. These new graduate pathways, she adds, complement a liberal arts education and help students make informed, confident decisions about what comes next.
Students accepted into the Simon pathway begin connecting with the business school before arriving in Rochester. Beginning the summer before their senior year, participants gain access to Simon Career Services, including career coaching and professional development opportunities that complement services already available through HWS. Students may enter the pathway as high school seniors applying to HWS or during the spring of their junior year.
For students pursuing an MBA
Students whose interests center on broad business leadership and management may prefer the accelerated +1 MBA pathway through Rochester Institute of Technology's Saunders College of Business.
Compared to a specialized graduate degree in business, MBAs are typically two years and more intensive, Drennen says.
The agreement at Saunders, by contrast, allows students to complete their MBA in as few as two or three academic semesters after their HWS graduation by receiving advanced standing based on their undergraduate coursework and course waivers.
The Saunders pathway includes substantial scholarship support. Through RIT's Master Up program, HWS students who meet the full admissions requirements receive a 30% scholarship toward tuition, while one HWS student each year will receive a 50% scholarship.
Students in the program also benefit from coordinated advising between HWS and Saunders faculty, creating a streamlined transition from undergraduate study to graduate education.
For students who want to begin graduate study while still at HWS
HWS also established a new 4+1 pathway with the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. It allows qualified students to begin graduate coursework during their senior year — including two graduate courses taken at no additional cost while enrolled at HWS — before completing a specialized Master of Science degree one year after graduation.
In their junior year, HWS students in good academic standing may apply for preliminary admission to select master's programs at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, where accepted HWS students receive a guaranteed 30% scholarship and do not have to take the GMAT or GRE.
During their senior year, pathway participants enroll in courses to be completed online or in person at Johns Hopkins' campuses in Baltimore or Washington, D.C.
After successfully completing their HWS bachelor's degree and the graduate coursework, students spend two semesters (fall and spring) at Johns Hopkins to complete their master's degree.
Students may choose from seven Master of Science programs, including finance, management, marketing, healthcare management, business analytics and artificial intelligence, information systems and artificial intelligence for business, and real estate and infrastructure.
For Drennen, the three pathways demonstrate the advantages and value of pairing a liberal arts education with graduate study tailored to students' individual interests and career aspirations.
For students majoring in quantitative subjects like economics or business management and entrepreneurship, these partnerships can help students focus more quickly and deeply in one area, such as AI or health care.
"Students today are looking for flexible pathways that prepare them for rapidly evolving careers. Whether their interests lie in finance, analytics, artificial intelligence, health care management, marketing or executive leadership, these partnerships allow them to build on the critical thinking and communication skills they develop at HWS while accelerating their path to advanced professional study," Drennen says.
