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Maximize Your Impact During Your Career – and Beyond
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Maximize Your Impact During Your Career – and Beyond

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An Online Learning Community Created Just For You

A partnership of the Texas Rangers and Abilene Christian University, RangersU provides an accessible and advanced approach to online learning created for professional baseball players determined to pursue their education toward an accredited bachelor’s or master’s degree. 

  • Tuition discount on all professional development, undergraduate, and graduate level courses and no application fee
  • Direct bill means no up-front costs to you (for Rangers draft/signees with CEP or CSP)
  • 100% online with flexibility to work around your schedule
  • All RangersU Player Pathway courses offered in English and Spanish
  • Taught by ACU faculty, Rangers staff, and executive guest speakers, including past Rangers players 
  • Dedicated advisors to ensure credit transfers, ease of application, and course selection

Player Pathway Courses

RangersUCultivating a unique set of courses available in English or Spanish, totaling 12 credit hours during the offseason, RangersU is divided into four Player Pathway Course Blocks with classes dedicated to leadership, performance, communication, and baseball history. 

Step up to the plate.

RangersU Courses:

Player Pathway Block One

Earn the RangersU Badge in Leadership & Mental Performance

Course: Leadership Development

A one-of-a-kind approach to leadership development and personal growth, the RangersU Leadership Development course builds off the passion and perspective of our players, staff, and environment to help you drive change on an individual, organizational, and team level. Explore fresh ways of connecting, supporting, inspiring, and empowering yourself and others.

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Course: Mental Performance

Developing an understanding of what sport psychology/mental performance is, the RangersU Mental Performance course explores the impact of mental performance on athletic performance. Learn and apply habits and practices to advance your development as a person and player.

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Player Pathway Block Two

Earn the RangersU Badge in Multicultural & Social Perspectives

Course: History of Baseball

The RangersU History of Baseball course examines the history of baseball in America by studying how baseball has shaped American society and vice versa. A special unit on the history of the Texas Rangers concludes this course.

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Course: Multicultural Communication

Diving into how interpersonal interactions impact others on-and-off the field, the RangersU Multicultural Communication course will help you develop strategies for overcoming social blind spots, adapting your communication style, and gathering the tools needed to communicate effectively in a multicultural environment.

Player Pathway Block Three

Earn the RangersU Badge in Team Leadership & Human Performance

Course: Teams & Team Leadership

An analysis of the factors contributing to the success of teams in complex organizations; focusing on team selection, development, training, and evaluation. Learners will develop skills through team building, and by leading in simulations and team projects.

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Course: Human Performance

An introduction to foundational principles, concepts, and trends within health, wellness, fitness and human performance. This course focuses on the benefits, challenges, and implications of changes in behavior associated with peak human performance.

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Player Pathway Block Four

Earn the RangersU Badge in Public Speaking and Decision Making

 

Course: Introduction to Public Speaking

Introduction to the theory and practice of public speaking in a variety of contexts with an emphasis on argumentation and audience adaptation.

Course: Decision Making in Organizations

This course provides an introductory-level analysis of individual and organizational-level decision making. Students will learn how to engage skills to assist employees in the navigation of organizational change.

How it Works

Start your Educational Journey or Complete Your College Degree

RangersU allows players to take exclusive and accredited courses at their own pace alongside their teammates, without interfering with their commitments, training, or regular season calendar. Players can enroll in the Player Pathway courses or the bachelor’s or master’s degree program of their choosing. Seats fill on a first-come, first-filled basis. Early application is encouraged.

Undergraduate Programs Graduate Programs
RangersU

Affordable and Accessible

Through this immersive, online program, RangersU courses are offered with no up-front costs guaranteeing you have a simple enrollment process. Plus, all courses are offered at a 25% discount for more tax-friendly reporting.

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Newsweek Top Online Colleges 2024One of America’s Best Colleges

Recognized as one of America’s Top Online Colleges for the third consecutive year by Newsweek and Statista Inc., ACU proudly stands among the nation’s premier online institutions. Seamlessly combining a top-tier education with the flexibility of an online format, ACU Online offers you a transformative learning experience. Discover the perfect balance of academic excellence and online convenience as you chart your course to success with ACU.

 

ACU students on campus

In our more than 116 year history, Abilene Christian University’s commitment to and excellence in education has been recognized by numerous organizations and publications. ACU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Additionally, our online business programs have a second accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business – held by only 5% of business schools.

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We believe the work our students do matters. It matters to the world, it matters to God. We are committed to the vocational formation of every student helping them understand and experience their work as meaningful, life-giving, and significant.

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If you’ve already started your bachelor’s degree and want to finish it, ACU’s transfer-friendly process makes it easy. You’ll receive a customized degree completion plan, streamlined enrollment and registration, and the support and resources you need to complete your degree – 100% online. A dedicated advisor will work with you to ensure any prior courses transfer toward your degree pursuit.

Frequently Asked Questions

About the Texas Rangers and ACU Partnership

RangersU Player Pathway Courses are a set of customized courses designed to maximize your time in the offseason to propel your learning and development forward. The two session blocks last for 7 weeks, each with two courses per block. Player Pathway Courses contain customized content and instruction to integrate your learning and player development while still remaining fully online and with onsite/remote support.

With the vision of further developing and educating individuals on a both personally and professional level, the Texas Rangers and Abilene Christian University have partnered to create RangersU, a dedicated program to bring educational benefits to both Rangers players and staff members. Rangers players have access to unique, customized programs through RangersU giving individuals the opportunity to learn and advance their professional skills. Additionally, Rangers players can enroll in any of ACU’s more than 45 online degree programs.

Student Experience at ACU

Rangers players are assigned a dedicated graduation team composed of an admissions advisor, student success advisor, financial specialist, and in select courses, an academic coach, who will walk alongside them through graduation. Additionally, students have academic resources such as 24/7 tutoring, 24/7 tech support, 24/7 telehealth services (TimelyCare), subscription access to Grammarly.com, Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, RightNow Media, ACU Career Services, and more.

Students in online degree programs should expect to spend between 5 – 10 hours per week for one seven-week course. 10 – 20 hours per week for two seven-week courses. This may look different for each individual’s needs in and out of the classroom.

Students do not need to be affiliated with a specific religion or denomination to attend ACU.

Students who have existing college credits, and plan to enroll into one of ACU’s online degree programs, can have an unofficial transcript evaluation completed prior to entering the program.

Applying to ACU

The ACU Online admissions team is ready to make sure all of your questions are answered and can even walk you through the application process. Contact one of our dedicated advisors or start your student profile now.

To be considered for admission, players should complete the following steps depending on which degree pathway they would like to pursue:

For Professional Development and Continuing Education Registration:

For Single Academic Courses:

For Undergraduate Level Programs:

  • Complete the online program application.
  • Submit official high school and/or college transcripts.
  • Have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above
  • Students are not required to submit ACT or SAT scores.
  • Graduation Requirements: Students must earn a 2.0 GPA or higher to meet graduation requirements and complete at least 33 advanced hours.
  • Please see additional information for specific requirements for international admission process here.

For Masters Level Programs:

  • Complete the online program application.
  • Submit official transcripts showing earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university or the equivalent.
  • Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above; a probationary status may be granted for those with a 2.5 to 2.99 GPA.
  • Write a purpose statement addressing career goals and fit with the program
  • Submit a current resume.

Paying for ACU

  • ACU is providing the Rangers organization a 25% tuition discount on any of ACU’s more than 45 online programs as well as unique, customized programs specifically for the Texas Rangers organization.  
  • Use of MLB funds (as available) allows players to build a customized plan that minimizes direct cost and no upfront out-of-pocket costs.

For information regarding any further financial terms and conditions, players and their constituents can click here to learn any general contract details provided by the MLB. Note: You do not need to log into an account just to view the guidelines for the CSP or CEP.

MLB SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION

Each player’s individual education plan will be outlined in their contract. Click here to learn any general contract details.

Players will build a customized plan with a dedicated financial specialist and there is no upfront out-of-pocket cost.  Players will be responsible for any difference in tuition, fees, books, and course materials owed once their education benefit is maximized. Any balance will be due will have a 60-day deferment from the first day of class.

ACU will submit all required documentation for your coursework to your Benefits POC.