AACSB Background

AACSB International advances quality management education worldwide through accreditation, thought leadership, and value-added services.

Founded in 1916, AACSB is the longest-serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees in business and accounting. As of April 18th, 2016, there are a total of 764 institutions across 52 countries and territories that have earned AACSB Accreditation in business. Similarly, 182 institutions maintain an additional specialized AACSB Accreditation for their accounting programs.

AACSB’s accreditation standards are designed to help schools discover and deliver on their differentiated mission, then foster meaningful change through engagement, innovation, and impact.

Achieving AACSB accreditation is a process of rigorous internal review, engagement with an AACSB assigned mentor, and peer review. During the multi-year process, the school focuses on developing and implementing a plan to align with AACSB’s accreditation standards. These standards require excellence in areas relating to strategic management and innovation; student, faculty, and staff as active participants; learning and teaching; and academic and professional engagement.

AACSB Accreditation is a globally recognized standard for the highest-quality in business education. Across this multi-year review process, schools must not only meet the initial standards of excellence, but they must demonstrate their on-going commitment to quality and distinction by participating a continuous improvement review process every five years.