Sep 04, 2014 05:34 AM EDT By Staff Reporter, UniversityHerald Reporter

The National Football League Players Association is partnering with the Indiana University Kelley School of Business to offer tailored graduate programs to current and former players.

The School will help guide the players through initial career development, professional and certificate programs and a Master of Business Administration degree.

"For more than a quarter century, the Kelley School has provided customized programs that have met the needs of many students within a variety of corporate and educational settings," said Idalene Kesner, dean of the Kelley School and the Frank P. Popoff Chair of Strategic Management, in a statement.

"Our leadership and innovation in delivering online programs provides the flexibility to design a winning experience for these accomplished athletes, many of whom will one day transition to new careers away from the football field," Kesner said.

The first stage in the partnership is the "Initial Career Development" that includes Kelley School's acclaimed Me Inc. program. The program allows participants to better understand their goals and devise a structured path to achieve them through career coaching and services.

After completion of the initial career development program, players can enrol in online, non-credit programs like personal finance, real estate, wealth management and entrepreneurship. Upon completion of these noncredit professional programs, interested players can further build their expertise by enrolling in certificate programs.

Credits earned through certificate programs can be transferable toward a 30-credit Master of Science degree or a 45-credit MBA. The master programs will be delivered through a combination of in-residence and online components.

Some of the key features of the NFLPA-Kelley MBA program include Kelley Capstone Experience and a chance to participate in the school's global immersion course. These features will present an opportunity to apply skills and knowledge learnt in the MBA program to understand and address problems in an emerging business market.

"We are excited about the new opportunity the Indiana University Kelley School of Business is OFFERING our players. We pride ourselves in helping our members be knowledgeable about the business of football and putting them on the right path to succeed off the field. This relationship will achieve both," said NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith.

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