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Why is AACSB accreditation for business schools important?

With an estimated 9,000 business schools worldwide, the choices for a business education have never been greater. Among all these providers, accreditation by AACSB International distinguishes the truly high quality institutions.

Earning AACSB accreditation is a demanding process that requires a three-to-seven year commitment to become internationally accredited, followed by a continuous commitment to improvement. In short AACSB Accreditation is a detailed rigorous peer review evaluation of a business school that focuses on mission achievement, attracting quality faculty and students and assessment of student learning outcomes to assure quality.

Recently, it was reported that Intel, a manufacturer of semiconductor chips, will require employees studying business to select an AACSB-accredited school in order to be reimbursed for their tuition expenses. What does this mean for other prospective students of business education?

Intel made this decision after learning that employees who attended AACSB-accredited business schools were promoted more quickly than those who attended non-accredited schools. Many companies that reimburse employees for their educational expenses are becoming increasingly more sophisticated consumers by taking a closer look at their employee's choices of business degree and non-degree programs. These companies want to ensure a good return on their investment in employee business education.

How does AACSB accreditation help ensure that students receive the best possible education?

It really is all about the commitment that AACSB-accredited schools make to continuous improvement. A student attending an AACSB-accredited school is assured that the institution is dedicated to the same high quality global standards as the best schools in the world. It also means that students are being educated by faculty that understand the need from that perspective. Today's employers want managers who can hit the ground running and are comfortable doing business anywhere in the world.

What's the benefit of graduating from AACSB-accredited business school?

More and more companies are taking a discriminating look at business schools where they do their recruiting. When they seek out the best employees, they look at the best business schools. Graduates from AACSB-accredited institutions return full value to the companies that hire them because, beyond preparing students to make immediate contributions to the employer, they prepare students for the future, ensuring ongoing value to their organization and their communities.

How is AACSB able to offer accreditation standards that apply to such a broad range of educational institutions around the world? Some might think this is an impossible task.

Most would agree that Harvard and The Wharton School are among the world's finest business schools. Yet, Harvard and Wharton have a great deal in common with the University of South Florida, the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and The University of Tampa. Each of these four exceptional schools is accredited by AACSB. AACSB standards recognize that each business can have its own unique mission, defined in its geographical, historical, cultural and geo-political context. Within these contexts, different business schools may take different approaches to delivering a high-value, quality educational experience. AACSB standards are evaluated against a school's stated mission. That allows the association to celebrate the diversity of the 540 business schools in 30 countries that hold AACSB International Accreditation. Holding schools to a single worldwide set of standards geared toward their individual missions in perhaps the most important reason why AACSB accreditation is held in such high regard throughout the world.

How do AACSB standards keep pace with the ever-changing, rapid pace of global business - for example, corporate scandals and the teaching of ethics?

The commitment to continuous improvement within AACSB supports an outgoing review of accreditation standards and processes, ensuring that they remain relevant to the needs of today's business students. For example, in 2004, AACSB produced a report titles Ethics Education in Business Schools, which prompted our schools to invigorate their commitment to ethics education. Since then, AACSB schools have demonstrated their commitment through enhanced emphasis on ethics and corporate social responsibility in academic programs, assessment processes, research agendas and community outreach activities. AACSB schools are committed to offering courses that help business students learn how to behave ethically in a complex business environment.

If you are interested in studying a graduate business program in the US then contact

the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business

AACSB International at:

www.aacsb.edu