Columbia Southern University history

In the spring of 1994, the college was accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools to offer its first bachelor’s degrees.

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.

Waldorf became a fully accredited bachelor’s degree granting college in February 2001.

In 2002, several approvals and affiliation agreements with state schools were achieved along with receiving Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) and Veterans Affairs approval.

In 2003, CSU expanded its international offerings by being one of the first United States universities to offer a hybrid (online and classroom) degree program in Vietnam.

Mayes headed the institution until his death in 2005, when his son, Robert Mayes, Jr., assumed the presidency.

In 2006, CSU continued to grow as CSU’s student body reached 6,700 active students.

In 2008, CSU received approval by the United States Department of Education to offer Federal Student Aid.

In the same year, CSU broke ground on a new 67,000-square-foot building which opened in 2009.

In January 2010, Waldorf leveraged its partnership with CSU to launch its first three online programs.

In 2011, CSU’s campus in Vietnam became the first distance learning program to be accredited by the Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training.

In 2012, the corporate structure of the organization was changed so that a parent company, Columbia Southern Education Group, would own Columbia Southern University and Waldorf College.

In 2014, CSU was named one of the Best Companies to Work for in Alabama by Business Alabama magazine.

In 2018, the university celebrated its 25th anniversary and 60,000th degree conferral, and it completed a brand refresh and new logo.

2, 2021, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) board of trustees granted CSU candidacy and authorized an accreditation committee in preparation for the final step for membership.