Webster University's Rolla Campus location will launch an MBA program for working adults next year, school officials announced.

The program, designed for people who are looking to enhance their career opportunities, will be offered during evening classes on the Rolla Campus. Other new graduate programs also are being developed for the Rolla campus and will be introduced next year.

"Webster University was founded on the principles of meeting the educational needs of communities, and it identified the need for an on-ground MBA program in Rolla," Gregory J. Stratman, director of the Rolla campus, said in a statement. "Webster is the only institution to offer an evening general MBA program for working adults in south-central Missouri who have completed a bachelor's degree. A compelling benefit is that the classes will be taught by area business professionals who understand local business issues and dynamics, and know how best to prepare people for local business realities."

The objective of Webster's MBA program is to develop people into broadly educated business managers who understand the nature of business as a whole, with the tools and techniques applicable to a wide variety of business situations.

All courses will be taught by professionals from the world of business who bring real-world expertise and academic credentials to the classroom to better prepare Webster students for the demands of the 21st-century business environment. While all the courses will be offered in Rolla, Webster University also offers an online MBA and allows students to mix-and-match online and on-site classes to best meet the needs of the students.

The program will launch January 16.