Aila Boyd
aboyd@mainstreetnewspapers.com
Roanoke College has announced is now accepting applications for its first fully online graduate degree program, a Master of Business Administration designed to provide flexibility while maintaining the college’s emphasis on personal connection and mentorship.
The asynchronous, 24-month online MBA program will allow students to begin in either August or January, with the first cohort enrolling this fall. The program is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and was approved by Roanoke College faculty in November.
The online MBA builds on the success of the college’s accelerated MBA program, which launched in 2023. Students will take five courses each year — two in the fall, two in the spring and one in the summer — completing one class at a time through seven-week course modules. Coursework will cover core areas of business, including accounting, leadership, ethics, economics, management, marketing, finance and data analysis.
“This program offers flexibility for mid-career professionals along with the personal connection and mentoring that are hallmarks of a Roanoke College education,” said Kathy Wolfe, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college.
Betsy Parkins, professor of practice and director of the online MBA program, said the goal is to bring the Roanoke College experience into an online format. Faculty will offer virtual office hours, and some will host weekly virtual coffee chats to give students opportunities to ask questions and connect with classmates. The program will also include smaller mini-cohorts within each class to encourage discussion and networking.
“A lot of online programs are really impersonal,” Parkins said. “You get the work done without ever meeting your professor, and you have no idea who’s also in the class. We don’t want that to be the experience at Roanoke.”
Students will also have the option to participate in workshops that complement their coursework. Parkins said these sessions are designed especially for working professionals seeking advancement and will focus on developing leadership and other soft skills.
“Our faculty understand that students have different needs when they’re working and going to school at the same time, and they’re dedicated to meeting those needs,” she said.
Parkins developed the program in collaboration with Sharon Gibbs, associate professor; Allie Kassens, John S. Shannon Professor of Economics and dean of the School of Business, Economics, & Analytics; and Michelle Hagadorn, professor and assistant dean of the School of Business, Economics, & Analytics.
The online MBA program does not require the Graduate Management Admission Test. Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent from any academic background. The $75 application fee is waived for Roanoke College alumni and is waived for all applicants through August 2026.
More information is available on the online MBA webpage or by contacting Parkins at parkins@roanoke.edu.
