KENNESAW, Ga. | Mar 27, 2024

For the eighth straight year, Kennesaw State University’s Executive Master of Business Administration was ranked by CEO Magazine as the top program in Georgia and one of the top in the world, according to CEO’s 2024 Global Executive MBA rankings released this week.

The Executive MBA in the Michael J. Coles College of Business ranked first in Georgia, third in the country and No. 11 in the world, placing it among the “Tier One” programs for the tenth year in a row. 

The magazine classifies programs as Tier One or Tier Two based on factors including quality of faculty, faculty-to-student ratio, international diversity and exposure, class size, accreditation, professional development, work experience, gender parity and instruction methods. 

“With its team-based approach and emphasis on consistent mentorship, the Kennesaw State Executive MBA program continues to differentiate itself in the market,” said Robin Cheramie, dean of the Coles College. “CEO Magazine recognizing these strengths for eight years in a row is a testament to the value our program brings to our students.”

About 40 working professionals are enrolled annually in Coles College’s Executive MBA, which promotes collaboration, decision-making, resourcefulness, ingenuity and entrepreneurship.

Students meet one weekend per month for 19 months. While the program has been exclusively in-person since its inception, beginning Fall 2024, students can elect to attend the monthly meetings either on the Kennesaw campus or remotely. Called HyFlex, this new delivery model provides greater flexibility and allows professionals to better integrate the Executive MBA experience into their lives.

“Our ability to evolve and respond to students’ needs is one of the most important elements of our program,” said Executive MBA program executive director Thomas Devaney. “Every step the program takes is dedicated to enhancing the experience for our students and creating more opportunities for them to grow as professionals and as leaders.”

In addition to recognizing the Executive MBA program, CEO Magazine also named KSU’s MBA program a Tier One program and ranked the online MBA among the top 50 in the world. The magazine also named the Coles College a premier Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) provider in its global listings based on accreditation, quality of faculty, geography and international standing. 

Kennesaw State’s DBA program transitioned six years ago to a Ph.D. in Business Administration in which students can pursue concentrations in accounting, information systems, management, marketing, and risk and decision analytics.

CEO Magazine looked at business schools across the world, and ranked data from 139 schools offering 284 different programs in 24 countries — 92 online, 69 EMBA and 123 full-time and part-time MBA programs.

The Michael J. Coles College of Business is one of the largest business schools in Georgia, with more than 9,000 students and 170 faculty members. The Coles College offers bachelor’s degrees in 10 majors with 19 minors, seven graduate degree programs, dual-degree options and executive education programs.

– Patrick Harbin