What Degree Programs and Study Formats Does Maranatha Baptist University Offer?
Updated
Maranatha Baptist University (mbu.edu) offers three main credential levels—undergraduate programs, graduate programs, and graduate certificates—and delivers them both on campus and online. If you are a high school upperclassman, a current college student, or someone seeking a master's degree or certificate in business, education, or ministry, the site organizes its entry points around exactly those stages. The main caveat: the site describes program levels and formats, but does not publish tuition figures or state whether online study carries any price difference, so cost questions need to be directed to the university.
The three credential levels
The homepage groups its offerings under a single heading: "Grad Programs. Undergrad Programs. Grad Certificates." That three-part structure is the clearest summary of what the university awards.
- Undergraduate programs — associate and bachelor's degrees. The site describes these as accredited and available to students who want to "complete an accredited associate or bachelor's degree," with coursework available online or on campus.
- Graduate programs — master's degrees in business, education, or ministry. A dedicated online graduate section ("ONLINE GRAD DEGREES START HERE") signals that graduate study is a major online offering.
- Graduate certificates — short-form credentials in the same three fields, positioned alongside master's degrees for people who want to "advance my opportunities by earning a master's degree or certificate."
On-campus versus online
The site consistently presents both formats side by side. Program listings are tagged "Offered On-Campus" and "Offered Online," and the homepage speaks directly to several audiences:
| Your situation | What the site points you toward |
|---|---|
| High school junior or senior | Taking college courses now to save on tuition |
| Current college student | Taking some coursework online |
| Student with prior college credits | Finishing a degree online |
| Seeking advancement | Master's degree or certificate in business, education, or ministry |
| Preparing for ministry | Ministry and service preparation pathways |
One practical detail worth noting: the university states it has been approved to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), which matters if you plan to study online from another state.
Specific programs and new additions
Beyond the general levels, the site names several concrete programs and recent changes:
- MA in Ministry: Church Music Track — introduced this fall within the Master of Arts in Ministry degree, per a university announcement dated October 23, 2026.
- Two new concentrations in Art and Music — announced July 2, 2026, described as a response to "widespread student interest." The announcement notes that concentrations typically require a certain credit load, so prospective students should confirm the requirements for these new options.
- Global Encounters 2026 — a co-curricular program framed around Great-Commission involvement, relevant if you are comparing schools on ministry experience rather than academics alone.
How to judge fit
The site's own framing is explicitly faith-driven: the university exists "to develop leaders for ministry in the local church and the world," and it cites figures such as 95% of alumni serving in a local church and 75 partnering local churches. Those numbers are the university's own claims, not independent data, but they indicate the institution's emphasis.
If your priority is a secular credential or a field outside business, education, and ministry, the graduate offerings here are narrow by design. If you want a Christian college where online completion is a real option at both the undergraduate and graduate level, the structure above maps directly onto the decision. The next step is to request information or transcripts through the site's admissions links, since specific program requirements, credit loads, and costs are not published on the homepage.