Walton M.B.A. Unveils Accelerated One-Year Program to Meet Modern Workforce Demands

The Sam M. Walton College of Business at the U of A has announced a redesign of its full-time M.B.A. program, fast-tracking the traditional 21-month format into an accelerated one-year curriculum tailored to meet the evolving needs of today’s working professionals. 

This strategic redesign addresses a growing national trend toward accelerated M.B.A. programs, with more students seeking rigorous, high-impact education that offers them a rapid return to the workforce with advanced business and leadership skills. 

Ranked #24 among public M.B.A. programs in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report rankings​, the Walton M.B.A. delivers world-class instruction, career development and unparalleled access to a robust network of alumni and corporate partners. The redesigned format maintains the program’s hallmark academic rigor and standard of excellence while enhancing accessibility for rising professionals eager to accelerate their careers without lengthy interruptions.  

"This transformation represents a strategic response to what both industry and prospective students are telling us they need," said Dr. Adam Stoverink, executive director of Walton M.B.A. programs. "We've reimagined our curriculum to eliminate traditional barriers to earning a top-ranked M.B.A. while preserving the cutting-edge business education, skill-building, networking and transformative experiences that have long defined a Walton M.B.A. Our graduates will now re-enter the market faster, prepared to hit the ground running and accelerate their careers."  

The new one-year M.B.A. program seamlessly integrates essential business fundamentals, personalized leadership training and immersive experiential learning opportunities. Students experience the same distinguished instruction, hands-on business experience and strategic corporate partnerships that have historically characterized the Walton M.B.A. — now delivered in an accelerated model that aligns with contemporary market expectations. 

“I see tremendous value in Walton's shift to this accelerated format," said Chris Nuta, Walton M.B.A. alumnus and vice president of Operations Strategy and Workforce Management at Walmart. “The marketplace needs ready-now leaders who can move fast and turn strategy into results. This redesigned format is built to meet that need, developing the strategic and executional capabilities leaders need to make an immediate impact, all without the long career pause.” 

Adding to the program’s ROI is the highly competitive, merit-based Walton College graduate assistantship program, which offers fully-funded tuition plus a monthly stipend, lowering a financial barrier that often prevents high-potential professionals from pursuing advanced business education. 

This redesigned M.B.A. is strategically positioned to attract ambitious, high-potential professionals eager to accelerate their leadership trajectory without stepping away from their careers for an extended period. With its new structure, the Walton M.B.A. offers a compelling value proposition: a top 25 public M.B.A. with proven career outcomes, in just one year, from one of the nation’s leading public business schools, with accelerated re-entry into the workforce, all without the financial burden of tuition payments. 

For more information about the program and how to apply, visit mba.uark.edu. 

About the Sam M. Walton College of Business:  Founded in 1926, the Sam M. Walton College of Business stands as one of the largest colleges at the University of Arkansas, serving over 9,800 students across undergraduate, master's and doctoral programs. The college holds AACSB accreditation and consistently ranks among the top business schools in the United States. Walton College ranks 25th for its undergraduate business program among public colleges in the U.S. News & World Report's 2025 national rankings. In addition, its undergraduate supply chain management program is recognized as the #1 program in North America by Gartner. In 2024, The Princeton Review included Walton’s M.B.A. program in its Best Business Schools list for On-Campus M.B.A. Programs. 
 
About the University of Arkansas:  As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy  through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.