www.aacsb.edu/accreditation

The Benchmark of Quality for Business Education Worldwide

AACSB Accreditation is a great placeto start—for both.

AACSB Accreditation is an internationally recognized

specialized, professional designation for business and

accounting programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and

doctoral level. Established in 1916, it is the longest

standing and most sought accreditation for higher

education in business – a powerful differentiator

across the world.

There are nearly 13,000 business schools around the world today.

Because of this, prospective undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral

students are faced with a tough challenge—choosing a school

that will prepare them for the ever-changing business world and

lead to enhanced opportunities after graduation. On the business

school side, faculty and administrators also are faced with a tough

challenge—differentiating their programs from their competitors to

attract the best and brightest students.

AACSB-accredited schools must meet established,

challenging, and peer-reviewed standards of quality.

Institutions that hold AACSB Accreditation have

proven their commitment to quality and continuous

improvement through the rigorous and comprehensive

review process.

Preparing the Business Leaders of Tomorrow

Succeeding in business is about being the best.

Preparing for a career in business requires choosing

the best business school—one with top faculty,

impactful research, driven students, and the highest

standards of quality. That is where AACSB steps in.

AACSB-accredited schools are committed to delivering

the best business education in the world and preparing

their graduates to excel from day one of their careers.

To a student, AACSB Accreditation is a guarantee that

they will receive everything they need from a business

school—knowledge, skills, and opportunity—to help

them succeed.

Search AACSB-accredited schools based on

criteria important to individual students and

learn more about business degree programs.

www.BestBizSchools.com

Determining a School’s Eligibility

The AACSB Accreditation process begins with an

Eligibility Application—to ensure that a school can, in

fact, achieve the standards for quality. The application

process is managed by AACSB Accreditation staff

and a committee of high-quality peer business school

administrators and faculty.

The Path toAACSB Accreditation

Pursuing AACSB Accreditation requires commitment from both

administrators, staff, departments, and faculty at a business school.

Following the comprehensive and demanding process, all involved

will join a small group of high-quality business schools and be

rewarded with what is regarded as the worldwide gold standard

for quality business education—AACSB Accreditation.

Phase 1: The PreAccreditation Process

Once it has been determined that a school can potentially

achieve AACSB Accreditation, it enters the PreAccreditation

phase of the process. This beginning phase involves rigorous

reviews by other high-quality peer schools, mentors from other

AACSB-accredited institutions and AACSB Accreditation staff

members. This process also includes the development of an

in-depth plan that outlines how a school will align itself with

the AACSB Accreditation Standards—all in all producing a

complete road map for a school to achieve and its own strategic

objectives and AACSB Accreditation.

Phase 2: The Initial Accreditation Process

The Initial Accreditation process entails a comprehensive review

of a school’s alignment with the AACSB Accreditation Standards.

If all committees, mentors, and peer schools find the institution is

in alignment with the standards, a final decision will be made to

award accreditation by the AACSB Board of Directors (a board of

business school deans and corporations).

An Ongoing Commitment to Quality

Once a school has earned AACSB Accreditation, it is placed on a

five-year maintenance cycle. The Maintenance of Accreditation

process involves peer visits and committee involvement. The

objective of the maintenance process is to ensure that AACSB-

accredited schools continually improve and maintain their level

of quality.

Learn MoreTo learn more about the AACSB Accreditation process, visit:

www.aacsb.edu/accreditation

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A Higher Degree of Excellence for Accounting Programs

Preparing students for careers in accounting isn’t easy. And with accounting

being one of the fastest growing, highest demanded business professions,

it is more critical than ever that business schools prepare accounting students

for the challenges that lie ahead. Accounting graduates today need to be ready

for a fast-paced and global financial environment.

AACSB Accounting Accreditation is an additional specialized, professional

designation for accounting programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and

doctoral level. AACSB Accounting Accreditation was developed specifically

for schools with advanced programs in accounting—those that are the best

at educating tomorrow’s future accountants.

To apply for AACSB Accounting Accreditation, a school must either

currently hold AACSB Business Accreditation or be in process (a school

may simultaneously apply for both accreditations). The AACSB Accounting

Accreditation process follows that of the business process—and includes

the development of a thorough plan to align the school with the accounting

standards, in-depth reviews from peer schools, and committee involvement.

AACSB Accounting Accreditation

To learn more about the AACSB Accounting Accreditation, visit:

www.aacsb.edu/accreditation/accounting

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The Foundation of Quality

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Mentors, Peer Review Teams, and Committees

Critical to the AACSB Accreditation process are volunteers

from the global community of AACSB-accredited

schools. These volunteers, significantly experienced in

business education, provide individualized mentoring,

quality reviewing, and assistance in decision-making for

schools seeking AACSB Accreditation. And, they have

significant levels of experience with business education.

For business schools and students, the peer review and

mentoring aspect of AACSB Accreditation is significant.

It means that all AACSB-accredited schools have been

deemed by leaders at other high-quality business

schools as worthy of accreditation and qualified to join

the network of the best business schools in the world.

Volunteers •Contributedirectlytotheadvancementof business education

•Sharetheirexpertisebymentoringschools pursuing AACSB Accreditation

•TraveltoschoolspursuingAACSBAccreditation for real-time reviews

•Workwithteamsofvolunteerstodeterminea school’s quality

•ServeoncommitteestoensuretheAACSB Accreditation process is consistent

Learn MoreTo learn more about the volunteer process or how you can get involved, visit:

www.aacsb.edu/accreditation/volunteers

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