Established in 1970 and accredited by AACSB since 1976, the Walker College of Business has a long history of providing in-person business degree programs to students at Appalachian State University. The college's offerings were expanded to offer business programs online in the early 2000s, and today, the college is part of an initiative to meet the needs of adult learners online in a new way: Flight Path.
App State Flight Path programs (programs developed in partnership with Project Kitty Hawk, an ed tech nonprofit funded by the North Carolina General Assembly and offered in coordination with App State Online) are streamlined, in-demand degree programs that provide student support solutions tailored to nontraditional learners, typically students ages 25–44.
App State's BSBA in Supply Chain Management and BSBA in Accounting are two of five Flight Path programs at App State and 14 in the UNC System, as detailed in a recent post, Project Kitty Hawk surpasses 1,000 students served; UNC partner universities earn accolades for online programs.
Project Kitty Hawk is a nonprofit affiliate of the UNC System that helps North Carolina’s public universities develop and launch online degree programs specifically designed for adults. The degree programs powered by Project Kitty Hawk, called “Flight Path” programs, focus on in-demand fields like cybersecurity, nursing and accounting. There are 14 Flight Path programs live right now.
App State Interim Chancellor Heather Norris said: “Appalachian State University was founded with a mission of increasing access to education, and we are proud to join Project Kitty Hawk in this partnership. To ensure North Carolina’s bright future, it is essential to create clear pathways for all students — those beginning and those continuing their educational journeys — to succeed in their professional and personal endeavors. Our partnership with Project Kitty Hawk — under a year old — is helping us deliver on that promise.”
The three UNC System schools with current Flight Path programs — App State, North Carolina Central University, and East Carolina University — earned high marks from U.S. News and World Report for their online degree programs. App State jumped 24 spots in the 2025 U.S. News and World Report rankings and is now in the top 16% of U.S. colleges and universities for best online bachelor’s programs.
Project Kitty Hawk “Flight Path” Programs
Appalachian State University: BS Health Care Management; BSBA Supply Chain Management; BSBA Accounting; BS Criminal Justice; BS Organizational Leadership and Learning
East Carolina University: BA Psychology; BS Info & Cybersecurity Technology; BS Multidisciplinary Studies: Security Studies; BS Criminal Justice
North Carolina Central University: RN to BSN; BS Information Technology; Bachelor of Business Administration; BS Health Administration; BS Public Health Education
App State leaders and faculty meet with the Project Kitty Hawk team on the Boone campus in February to discuss App State Online degree programs to be supported by Project Kitty Hawk. In the 2024–25 academic year, the university will launch five App State Online undergraduate degree programs supported by the project, all designed to serve adult learners.
Photo by Chase Reynolds