ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. & DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., January 15, 2015 - Minor League Baseball today announced it named DeVry University as the Official Education and Career Development Partner of Minor League Baseball. DeVry University and its Keller Graduate School of Management will provide higher education opportunities at the undergraduate and graduate levels for players, their spouses, employees, umpires and National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues (NAPBL) employees and alumni through 2017.
DeVry University has more than 75 locations nationwide and a robust online environment for delivering quality academic instruction. The combination of onsite and online course-delivery methods will offer Minor League Baseball access to career-oriented associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. Players will have the flexibility to take advantage of parallel paths of athletic and college preparedness, so they can be ready for their post-baseball futures.
“DeVry University has proven to be a leader in postsecondary education, and we are proud to partner with them to develop a customized program to encourage our employees, league and club personnel and players to continue the pursuit of their long-term educational goals,” said Michael Hand, president of MiLB Enterprises. “We see this as a natural extension that demonstrates our support of the hard work and dedication that Minor League Baseball people put into honing their craft; we want to provide educational opportunities that offer these individuals flexibility and vast curriculum choices to further enhance their future professional considerations.”
“DeVry University is proud to partner with Minor League Baseball. For more than 80 years, DeVry has been committed to providing high-quality academic instruction with the flexible scheduling and exceptional student support services so our students can balance their academics and their personal life,” said Robert Paul, president of DeVry University. “Whether they are an athlete or an employee, we want to help prepare the entire MiLB family for what comes next in their careers by providing an opportunity to earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a high-demand career field from DeVry University or Keller Graduate School of Management. Through our programs, the MiLB family will be able to balance their education with their time on the field or on the job, so they can be ready for life after minor league baseball.”
“Our multi-year partnership with DeVry University further illustrates our commitment to building long-term relationships with industry leaders in all business sectors,” added Hand. “We ultimately want to allow for our teams to have the best resources available to them as they pursue success on the field, in the front office or in the boardroom.”
About Minor League Baseball
Minor League Baseball, headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida, is the governing body for all professional baseball teams in the United States, Canada, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic that are affiliated with Major League Baseball clubs through their farm systems. Fans are coming out in unprecedented numbers to this one-of-a-kind experience that can only be found at Minor League Baseball ballparks. In 2014, Minor League Baseball attracted 42.4 million fans to its ballparks to see the future stars of the sport hone their skills. From the electricity in the stands to the excitement on the field, Minor League Baseball has provided affordable family-friendly entertainment to people of all ages since its founding in 1901. For more information about Minor League Baseball, visit www.MiLB.com.
