KENNESAW, Ga. | Feb 3, 2016

Kennesaw State University’s Michael J. Coles College of Business has earned accolades for creating an environment where out-of-the-box thinking flourishes. AACSB International, the global accrediting body and membership association for business schools, has recognized the College’s innovative Doctor of Business Administration program (DBA).

Celebrated as part of AACSB’s Centennial Anniversary and upcoming Visioning Initiative, the inaugural Innovations That Inspire awards shine a spotlight on a variety of ways that AACSB member schools are working to innovate and diversify the business education environment.

“It is my pleasure to recognize the Coles College of Business for its role in spearheading ingenuity within the business education landscape,” said Thomas R. Robinson, president and chief executive officer of AACSB International. “As AACSB celebrates 100 years of improving quality management education worldwide, it is important for those within and outside of the industry to be reminded of the vision, leadership, and innovative thinking business schools bring to the table. Through our Innovations That Inspire recognition, the Coles DBA stands as a testament to how business schools are driving positive impact within their communities and society at large, through their groundbreaking practices and continuous focus on excellence.”

From their approaches to research and learning, to their engagements with stakeholders and oversight of their management and operations, business schools are redefining the way that academic institutions of all kinds create, teach, connect and lead.

Launched in 2009, Kennesaw State University’s DBA was the first AACSB-accredited doctoral program designed to provide a research doctorate specifically for busy professionals. The program delivers the rigor of a traditional doctoral program in a non-traditional format, with classes taught on weekends.

More than 80 percent of KSU DBA graduates pursue positions in academia, proving how the program aids in filling the doctoral faculty gap in universities.

“The launch of our DBA program in 2009 was an innovative response to the international shortage of business faculty that was felt then and continues to be experienced today,” said Kathy Schwaig, dean of the Coles College of Business. “We created a unique delivery model that allows experienced business professionals to receive an intense research education that prepares them for a career in higher education, or allows them to continue their business career with doctoral credentials.”

For a detailed overview of the featured innovations, visit www.AACSB.edu/Innovations-That-Inspire.

For more information about Kennesaw State University’s DBA program, visit Coles Doctor of Business Administration.

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Kennesaw State University is the third-largest university in Georgia, offering nearly 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees. A member of the University System of Georgia, Kennesaw State is a comprehensive university with more than 33,000 students from over 130 countries. In January 2015, Kennesaw State and Southern Polytechnic State University consolidated to create one of the 50 largest public universities in the country.

About AACSB International

Founded in 1916, AACSB is an association of more than 1,450 educational institutions, businesses, and other organizations in 90 countries and territories. AACSB's mission is to advance quality management education worldwide through accreditation, thought leadership, and value-added services. As the premier accreditation body for institutions offering undergraduate, master's, and doctorate degrees in business and accounting, AACSB offers a wide array of services to the management education industry. AACSB's global headquarters is located in Tampa, Florida, USA; its Asia Pacific headquarters is located in Singapore; and its Europe, Middle East, and Africa headquarters is located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

-News at KSU