The ACBSP Baccalaureate/Graduate Degree Board of Commissioners formally approved the accreditation following its April 2026 meeting. The designation includes Catawba’s MBA program and graduate concentrations in General Management, Healthcare Administration, and Sustainability Leadership, as well as graduate certificates in each of those areas.
The accreditation marks an important milestone for the Ketner School and builds on its undergraduate ACBSP accreditation, first earned in 2017. It also provides external accreditation for the MBA program, which launched in 2020, and its related graduate offerings.
“This accreditation reflects the commitment of our faculty and staff to building an MBA experience that is academically rigorous, relevant, and responsive to the needs of today’s students and employers,” said Dr. Imran Chowdhury, dean of the Ralph W. Ketner School of Business. “It affirms the quality of our graduate business programs and provides students with additional confidence that their education meets recognized standards for excellence in business education.”
ACBSP accredits business programs that demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement and high-quality teaching and learning. Its standards are modeled on the Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence and assess areas including leadership, strategic planning, student and stakeholder focus, student learning assessment, faculty, curriculum, and business unit performance.
The Ketner School’s accreditation follows a 10-year reaffirmation cycle that began with its initial accreditation in 2017. The school’s next reaffirmation self-study is scheduled for February 2027, followed by a campus site visit in September 2027. That review will include the MBA program and graduate certificates alongside the school’s undergraduate business programs.
Catawba’s MBA is offered fully online in flexible eight-week terms, providing working professionals and other graduate students with multiple pathways to complete the degree. Students may finish the program in as little as 12 months through an accelerated track or complete it part time over approximately 20 to 24 months. The program does not require the GRE or GMAT for admission.
Students may choose concentrations in General Management, Healthcare Administration, or Sustainability Leadership. Each area is also available as a standalone graduate certificate, allowing students to pursue focused graduate-level study without initially enrolling in the full MBA program. Credits earned through the certificates can be applied toward the MBA, creating a flexible pathway for students who later choose to continue their graduate education.
The expanded ACBSP accreditation reinforces the Ketner School’s commitment to providing graduate business education grounded in academic quality, practical application, and continuous improvement while creating flexible opportunities for students to advance their professional goals.
