Dordt University to Launch Faith-Based Online MBA Program

• Dordt University in Iowa will launch an online master of business administration (MBA) program in fall 2024.
• The private Christian university said the new program will offer a "faith-based" approach to an MBA.
• The 36-credit program can be finished in two years and will feature training in a broad variety of areas, including project management, business law, and more.
• The program is designed to be flexible for working students.

Another small university will launch an online master of business administration (MBA) program, with school officials underscoring flexibility for working students and a "faith-based approach" in announcing the new business leadership degree.

Dordt University, a private Christian university in Iowa, will launch its online MBA program in fall 2024, according to a press release from the school. That fully online program is built to be accessible for working students and will require 36 credits over roughly two years.

The online MBA program is also built to be accessible for students who didn't major in business as undergraduates, Leah Zuidema, Dordt University vice president for academic affairs, said in the release.

"For someone who has an undergraduate business degree, this is a rigorous MBA program," Zuidema said. "For those who earned an undergraduate degree in programs like engineering or computer science and would like more knowledge related to organization leadership and principles, this program is a great option."

Dordt's MBA program will cover a broad variety of business areas to prepare students for leadership positions, including marketing, project management, business law, human resource management, and more.

School officials also underscore a "faith-based" approach to the business leadership degree in announcing the MBA.

"There is a lack of faith-based MBA programs in existence," Tim Klein, Dordt professor of business, said in the release.

"And what the business world really needs right now is Christian leaders to step in and make a difference. In the last few decades, we have seen a growing number of cases of unethical and illegal behavior that has rocked the American business world. Greed and a decreasing regard for fellow humans demonstrate the need for a new kind of business leader who can firmly stand on biblical principles when it comes to pursuing business interest."

A growing number of small universities, including private Christian universities, have rolled out online MBA programs for working students over the past year. Grace College in Indiana plans to launch a specialized orthopedic MBA program in May 2024, taking advantage of the local orthopedic technology hub in Warsaw, Indiana.

The University of Jamestown in North Dakota also recently announced an online MBA program to debut in fall 2024. That program will feature high-demand credentials and will allow students to customize their degree.

Central Methodist University in Missouri, Ursuline College in Ohio, and Voorhees University in South Carolina all announced online MBA programs last year. An online, flexible MBA program often runs at a lower cost than a full-time, in-person degree, allowing students both the ability to continue their jobs and earn a degree that could gain them a hefty return on their investment.

Small schools aren't the only ones rolling out online MBA programs: Texas A&M's Mays Business School also plans to launch an online MBA program in August 2024 featuring asynchronous learning geared toward working professionals.