Balancing Academics and Athletics: Football Captain Talks 3+1 MBA Success

For students like Tyler Lutz ’20, M’21, a third-year student enrolled in the accelerated Accounting/MBA 3+1 program, the flexibility of online coursework has been a life saver. Lutz is a linebacker and co-captain of the football team who trains hard during the school year.

“Our coaches are very concerned about making sure that we get all our credits and good grades. They prioritize academics first,” Lutz explained.

He takes early morning classes before a long day of study and football practice.

“Coffee keeps me going in the morning,” Lutz said with a laugh. “That’s my secret weapon.”

Summer courses, which help students in the Accounting/ MBA 3+1 track earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in just four years, have also helped Lutz achieve a healthier balance between athletics and academics, he said.

“I took a couple of online classes each of the past two summers,” Lutz said, “which meant I didn’t have to overschedule during football season.”

The result? Better grades. “I can soak in the content instead of scraping by.”

Lutz recently completed a six-week internship with Simon Lever, an accounting firm in Lititz, as part of his degree. The firm offered Lutz a full-time position upon his graduation in 2021.

“It gave me a good understanding of what public accounting is like and is guiding me toward the accounting career that I want,” he  said of the experience. “I wanted to set myself apart from my coworkers and move up the ladder a little faster.”