The Leavey Difference: Flexible Business Degrees Built for Your Life

Key Takeaways

• Flexibility is a core design principle at Leavey, ensuring your education fits your schedule—not the other way around.
• From Evening MBA and MS programs to hybrid and online options, we have a path that helps you keep your career momentum.
• You get the same renowned faculty, cohort connections, and academic rigor, regardless of the format you choose.

In Silicon Valley, time is one of your most valuable resources. For ambitious professionals, stepping away from a career to pursue a graduate degree isn’t always realistic.

At Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business, we recognize that today’s graduate students are balancing demanding careers, personal commitments, and long-term goals. That’s why flexibility isn’t an add-on—it’s a core part of how our programs are designed.

Whether you’re looking to pivot industries or accelerate your climb up the corporate ladder, we’ve designed a degree that fits your reality.

Why Flexibility Matters

The traditional, one-size-fits-all model of graduate education no longer reflects the realities of today’s professionals. Students need programs that integrate immediately into their lives and careers—not ones that require them to put progress on hold.

At Leavey, what you learn in the classroom can be applied directly to your work, allowing you to grow professionally while earning your degree. 

Formats That Fit Your Schedule

To actually serve working professionals, we offer more than just a few night classes. We offer a portfolio of formats designed to meet you where you are.

Evening MBA and MS Programs

If you’re local to the Bay Area, our evening programs are the perfect blend of in-person collaboration and scheduling freedom.

• Evening MBA: Designed for professionals based in the Bay Area, our evening programs combine in-person collaboration with schedules that accommodate full-time work.
• Specialized MS Programs: Our MS degrees (like Business Analytics, Finance, and Information Systems) are also evening-friendly. They’re great for early-career pros who don’t want to choose between gaining work experience and getting a degree.

Hybrid and Online Options

For students who need additional flexibility, Leavey also offers hybrid and online program formats.

• Executive MBA (EMBA): Built for seasoned leaders, this hybrid format lets you balance high-level job demands with rigorous coursework–meeting on weekends, primarily online.
• Online MBA and MS: For maximum freedom, check out our fully online MBA and MS programs (Business Analytics, Finance, Marketing). Note that we value face time, so programs still include impactful in-person residencies to build your network.
• MS in Sports Business: This hybrid program mixes online flexibility with the networking power of in-person engagements—perfect for the global sports industry.

Your Degree, Your Way

Flexibility at Leavey extends beyond scheduling to the structure of your curriculum. Through electives and concentrations, students can tailor their coursework to align with specific career goals.

Whether that means integrating analytics-focused electives into an MBA or adjusting course pace during a particularly demanding quarter at work, Leavey programs are designed to support thoughtful customization without sacrificing academic coherence.

"Flexible" Doesn't Mean "Easy"

Flexibility shouldn’t be mistaken for reduced academic rigor.

Whether you’re in a classroom or logging in from home, you’re learning from the same world-class faculty and industry experts. You’re still engaging in deep cohort-based learning and tackling real-world Silicon Valley business challenges. You’re just accessing it differently.

Who This Is For

Leavey’s flexible programs are designed for motivated professionals who are committed to advancing their careers while balancing existing responsibilities.

• The Career Climbers: You love your industry but need the strategy and leadership skills to reach the C-suite.
• The Career Switchers: You’re ready to pivot—maybe from humanities to tech marketing, or sales to big data.

Move Your Career Forward

Earning a graduate business degree is a significant investment. At Leavey, we respect that commitment by offering programs designed to support your professional momentum—not interrupt it.

Ready to see how it fits? Check out our flexible programs or chat with our admissions team to figure out which format is right for you.