Columbia Southern University


Columbia Southern University is a private, for-profit, online university with its headquarters in Orange Beach, Alabama.

History

Columbia Southern University was founded in 1993 by Robert G. Mayes, Sr. The university developed its first degree programs in Environmental Engineering and Occupational Safety and Health in 1994.
By 1996 additional degree programs were developed and offered: The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, followed by Computer Science, Criminal Justice Administration, and Health Administration.
Mayes headed the institution until his death in 2005, when his son, Robert Mayes, Jr., assumed the presidency. Effective May 1, 2018, Ken Styron assumed Presidency of Columbia Southern University.

Accreditation

Columbia Southern has been accredited by the Distance Education Accreditation Commission, formerly the Distance Education and Training Council, since 2001.

Faculty and agreements with other institutions

Currently, Columbia Southern has more than 1,000 full-time faculty and staff. It enrolls and graduates thousands of students annually on both national and international level. Columbia Southern also offers online degrees through partnerships with Waldorf University. The university is one of approximately 140 schools approved to offer up-front tuition assistance through the U.S. Army's centralized tuition assistance portal, GoArmyEd.

Academics

Columbia Southern University consists of three colleges, offering a total of 26 degrees at the associate, bachelor's and master's levels, as well as 21 certificate programs online. CSU also offers a Doctor of Business Administration.