AACSB

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) is a not-for-profit corporation of business schools, accounting programs, corporations, and other organizations devoted to the worldwide promotion and improvement of higher education in business administration and management.

As an advocate for management education, AACSB represents a combined influence of more than 1,500 educational institutions, businesses and organizations in 83 countries, representing more than 40,000 faculty members and over 1 million students. AACSB-accredited schools have the highest quality faculty, relevant and challenging curriculum, and provide educational and career opportunities that are not found at other business schools. Less than 5% of the world's 13,000 business programs have earned AACSB Accreditation.

High-quality standards in business education

Founded in 1916, AACSB has sought for nearly 100 years to advance the quality of management education worldwide through accreditation and thought leadership, and serve its stakeholders in the academic, business and non-profit communities. Within this development, AACSB International established the first set of accreditation standards for business schools.

One of the most essential criteria is the establishment of a well-defined strategic management. Each quality business school has a clear mission, acts on that mission, translates that mission into expected outcomes, and develops strategies for achieving those outcomes. It addresses three critical and related components: mission and strategy; scholarship and intellectual contributions; and financial strategies. AACSB believes that a wide range of missions can be consistent with high quality, positive impact, and innovation.

Participants (the students, faculty, and professional staff of a school) are critical to the achievement of a school’s mission. Professional staff members facilitate and support learning and provide essential services for students and faculty. Faculty resources develop and manage curricula and teach students, as well as produce intellectual contributions that advance the knowledge, practice, and teaching of business and management. Processes are established for determining for each degree program learning goals that are relevant and appropriate, as well as for designing and delivering curricula to maximize the potential for achieving the expected outcomes. The success of the students, who are matched to the expectations of the degree programs, will reflect the successful performance of these educational programs. Furthermore, accreditation encourages an appropriate balance and integration of academic study and professional engagement consistent with quality in the context of a school's mission.

Methodological, achieving accreditation is a process of rigorous internal review, evaluation, and adjustment and can take several years to complete. During these years, the school develops and implements a plan to meet these AACSB Accreditation standards which require a high quality teaching environment, a commitment to continuous improvement, and curricula responsive to the needs of businesses.

Please find further information on the AACSB website.