The New York State Department of Education officially approved Houghton University to offer a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. Classes will begin this fall.

Designed distinctly for the Millennial and Generation Z student, Houghton’s innovative MBA features a distinctive interactive online instructional format allowing students to complete their degree in as little as one year. Students from anywhere in the world will meet with their professors and peers through live online sessions and online forums.

The MBA degree is distinguished by three threads that permeate the program: ethics, entrepreneurship and leadership. The 38-credit degree includes two residencies, elective course options and five unique focus areas of study, allowing students to customize their program.

Building on Houghton’s mission of providing an academically challenging Christ-centered education, the MBA integrates biblical principles with leadership and business theory, policy, and practice. Graduates will be poised to lead in their organizations and communities, grounded in a solid ethical framework.

Houghton University President Shirley Mullen expressed, “Our new MBA has been created from scratch. It is not a retooling of an old-style, legacy MBA.  Given the pace of business developments in the marketplace today, we feel it is our responsibility to urgently meet the needs of individuals who are looking to guide and lead enterprises using the latest academic understandings that are conceived and presented in a deeply ethical framework.”

The MBA curriculum begins and ends with an on-campus, four-day residency on Houghton University’s main campus in Allegany County. In addition to having the opportunity to meet classmates and professors, the initial residency will introduce a unique integrated project in which each student develops and actively pursues a detailed plan of introducing and implementing an element of organizational change in a business, non-profit organization or community.

“Houghton’s new online MBA is designed for current and emerging leaders who view their professional service as an opportunity to foster transformation that betters organizational performance, the lives of employees, the surrounding community and our global society,” said Deborah Rice, chair of the department of Business and Economics.

The addition of the MBA further strengthens Houghton’s growing department of business and economics, which currently offers 6 undergraduate majors, including 4 offered fully online.