AACSB International Accreditation

Achieving accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) is a clear indicator not only of quality, but of instructional commitment to a philosophy of continuous improvement. AACSB International, the premier accrediting agency for bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs in business administration and accounting, is committed to excellence in management education.

What is Accreditation?

AACSB accreditation assures quality, promoting excellence and continuous improvement in undergraduate and graduate education for business administration and accounting. Its accreditation is a process of voluntary, non-governmental review of educational institutions and programs, with demanding standards that challenge schools to pursue continuous improvement. The AACSB accreditation process focuses on the quality of educational activities through self-evaluation and peer review. In the self-evaluation process, a school assesses its accomplishments in relation to its mission and objectives, as well as on the criteria in the accreditation standards. The peer review is an external analysis of a school's processes for achieving its mission, assessing educational outcomes and planning for continuous improvement.

AACSB recently extended its focus to include business programs worldwide. All have affirmed their commitment to educational quality through the achievement of accreditation. Of the accredited institutions, more than 140 have achieved additional accreditation for their accounting programs.

The AACSB accreditation process benefits all constituents in a wide variety of ways:

Benefits to Students

• The school/program has an appropriate mission achieved through relevant curricula, qualified faculty, and effective policies and practices.
• The degree program offered has completed a rigorous self-evaluation and peer review.
  
• The degree program offered satisfied criteria established and accepted by the management education community.

Benefits to Schools/Programs

• Participation in the AACSB accreditation process affirms the school's responsibility for the quality of education offered, and demonstrates its commitment to continuous improvement.
  
• By undergoing the self-evaluation, a school assesses planning and goal-setting processes, and measures accomplishments against objectives.
  
• The peer review process includes a review of the program's strengths, limitations and opportunities, with the ultimate purpose of improving educational effectiveness.
  
• The peer review process includes a review of the program's strengths, limitations and opportunities, with the ultimate purpose of improving educational effectiveness.
  
• Peer review provides advice and counsel, and offers new perspectives on the program's operation.
• The accreditation process contributes to the harmony of the business administration disciplines by bringing together all constituents in continuous improvement.
  

  Benefits to Employers

  • Accreditation assures prospective employers that graduates come from a program where the content and quality have been evaluated, satisfying established standards.
    
  • The employer can be confident that the graduate's course of study includes an understanding of today's complex business environment.
    

    The program offered is current, reflecting changes in knowledge and practices generally accepted in the management education community.

    Benefits to the Public

    • Accredited status represents a commitment of the program and the institution to quality and continuous improvement.
      
    • The school/program has a clearly defined mission and educationally appropriate objectives.
      
    • The school/program has voluntarily undertaken a self-evaluation and peer review.

      Philosophy of Accreditation

      AACSB accreditation promotes excellence and continuous improvement in undergraduate and graduate education for business administration and accounting. The review process is linked to each school's stated mission and objectives. Self-evaluation and peer review assures performance consistent with the school's mission and AACSB accreditation. The process endorses and supports diverse paths to achieving high-quality education, providing guidance for continuous improvement in educational programs.

      AACSB Educational Institutions

      All AACSB educational institutions, including accredited and non-accredited schools, are linked on the AACSB website: http://www.aacsb.edu.
      
      Author
      Sharon Barber
      AACSB International
      http://www.aacsb.edu.