Keller Graduate School of Management - Producing Successful Graduates for 35 Years

Today, Keller Graduate School of Management is one of the largest graduate management schools in the U.S. with approximately 30,000 alumni from coast to coast. Keller began over 35 years ago with a vision, a business plan, and two founders who had the persistence and the passion to form a mission-driven educational enterprise.

1973 - The Very Beginning of Executive MBA Programs

Keller Graduate School of Management was founded as the CBA Institute in July 1973 in Chicago, Ill., by Dennis Keller and Ron Taylor. The CBA Institute originally offered a Certificate in Business Administration and became the forerunner of the 'Executive MBA' programs that emerged decades later. Their innovative practitioner approach was designed to serve the needs of working adult students and the companies that employed them, and was based on teaching practical business skills that could immediately be applied at work. This real-world approach, combined with high quality student service, provided the foundation for the Keller graduate management educational experience.

1974-78 - The Early Years

Credibility and flexibility have been hallmarks of Keller Graduate School of Management from its inception. The early years proved to be a pivotal era, during which time Keller pioneered the path by delivering the credibility students expected and the flexibility they needed.

• In 1975, the CBA Institute received regional accreditation from The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association, making it a pioneer as one of the first market-funded graduate schools to receive regional accreditation.
• Flexibility has always been a focus and making its courses more accessible has fueled growth. An evening program was launched in 1974, followed up with a Friday / Saturday program and a suburban Chicago location in 1975.
• During 1976, the school launched its flagship MBA degree program and established itself as the Keller Graduate School of Management.

1979-87 - Evolution and Expansion

Keller Graduate School of Management began to evolve and grow during the next decade, building upon its roots in downtown Chicago, and expanding its geographic footprint and program offerings.

By 1980, Keller had four suburban Chicago locations.

In 1982, six new concentrations were offered to executive MBA students, including accounting, finance, general management, human resources, information systems and marketing.

During 1984, Keller opened its Milwaukee center, as enrollments grew to more than 1,000 students.

1987-2001 - Keller Acquires DeVry to Fuel growth

2002-08 - Keller Helps Form Nationwide University Network

In February 2002, Keller Graduate School of Management and DeVry Institute of Technology merged as DeVry University, and was formally approved and recognized by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association.

In the years since the University was formed, Keller Graduate School of Management has continued to evolve in response to the changing needs of a diverse population of graduate business students. The growth has emerged from many sources:

• Our nationwide network of more than 80 University locations
• The evolution and popularity of online courses
• A curriculum that includes over 150 courses across an executive MBA program with 15 concentrations, six other managerial masters degree programs, and 14 graduate certificate options
  

2008 & Beyond - Keller Moves Forward

Whether onsite or online, Keller is on target - helping students transform their skills and power their careers forward in an ever-changing global economy.