Students cheered as Bryan College unveiled a new program: The Bryan Difference Maker that allows every future first-time freshmen and currently enrolled on-campus student who maintains continuous enrollment and graduates with a 3.5 GPA the opportunity to earn a master’s degree at Bryan tuition-free.
Director of Admissions Joshua Hood, who made the announcement during chapel, said, “For 85 years our faculty and staff have been helping our students connect the dots between a classroom experience and life after college; we want you to be a difference maker. At Bryan you receive a first-class education and earn a bachelor’s degree that will equip you for your future. In this highly competitive global marketplace, a master’s degree can provide an even greater advantage.”
Vice President of Enrollment Rick Taphorn said, “We have spent the past eight months developing this revolutionary, difference-making program, and it is the first of its kind in the country.” Currently Bryan offers three master’s degrees interested and eligible students can select from: Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Master of Education (M.Ed.), and Master of Arts in Christian Studies (M.A.C.S.).
Bryan College President Stephen D. Livesay remarked, “As higher education costs continue to rise and often put graduate programs out of financial reach for many families, The Bryan Difference Maker addresses that need providing world-class curricula built on the foundations of a Christian worldview. Bryan College is delighted to offer this opportunity to our students.”
“I believe that The Bryan Difference Maker will greatly increase our academic profile,” added Dr. Kevin Clauson, the vice president of academics, “meaning it has the real potential to attract increasing numbers of highly qualified (high test scores, high GPAs, etc.) students to the traditional campus, as well as highly-motivated students to our graduate programs – especially as the master’s degree becomes to an increasing extent the new bachelor’s degree. In short, it expands our ability to ‘educate students to become servants of Christ to make a difference in today’s world.’”
Bryan College alumni can receive a 10 percent discount on their master’s program tuition.