One of the most important criteria for prospective students to consider in selecting an MBA program is the accreditation of the business school. Accreditation provides you with assurance that a business school has undergone a rigorous independent assessment of the quality of its coursework, faculty, services, and academic qualifications of students.
If you are going to invest your time and financial resources into earning an MBA, you have the right to expect a business school to ensure the highest quality of education possible. You also have the right to expect that your degree will be valued by employers.
Accreditation Standards
For business school accreditation standards, the three main accrediting agencies are:
- AACSB—Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
- ACBSP—Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs
- IACBE—International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education
The AACSB accreditation standard is held in particularly high regard by the academic and business communities. “AACSB Accreditation is the hallmark of excellence in business education, and has been earned by less than five percent of the world’s business schools,” according to the agency’s website. Since 2002, the School of Business at Emporia State University (ESU) has been among these select institutions.
The comprehensive and demanding review process that culminates in AACSB accreditation includes:
- Assessment of curriculum and coursework.
- Peer and committee reviews.
- Development of strategic plans.
- Scrutiny of faculty qualifications.
- Faculty and administrators’ self-evaluations.
Because of the continuous work necessary for an educational institution to maintain its accreditation, prospective students should be thorough in their research. You can learn about a business school’s AACSB accreditation status by visiting their website and looking for the agency seal. Once you have a few schools in your consideration set, verify their accreditation status by checking the list of schools supplied on the AACSB website.
The ESU School of Business Is AACSB-Accredited
The School of Business at Emporia State University is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. AACSB Accreditation is the most recognized form of specialized and professional accreditation an institution and its business programs can earn. The AACSB first adopted its standards a century ago and has continually updated them to preserve the highest quality and most advanced curriculums available in collegiate business education.
What Does the AACSB Organization Provide?
Synonymous with the highest standards of excellence, the mission of AACSB is to foster engagement, accelerate innovation, and amplify impact in business education. With the goal of aligning business education with business practices, AACSB strives to improve engagement among business, faculty, institutions, and students on an ongoing basis. As a result, more than 1,600 member organizations and over 800 accredited business schools worldwide benefit from the quality assurance, business education intelligence, and professional development services AACSB provides.
What Does This Mean to Students and Graduates?
As a prospective student of an AACSB-accredited school, you can be confident that your curriculum will be up to date and that your professors will be highly qualified. Accreditation tends to attract the best faculty members, because they know they will be challenged to continually update their knowledge to meet current business demands.
This accreditation is especially important to people with aspirations to succeed in business across the globe, in every industry and in businesses of all sizes, because of these reasons:
- Most leaders in your industry are MBAs from AACSB-accredited institutions.
- Your company’s tuition plan requires AACSB accreditation.
- You are considering working on the faculty of a business college.
- Employers in your industry show a preference for academic prestige.
The rigor of the AACSB accreditation process enhances and protects the value of your Master of Business Administration degree, especially in the esteem of potential employers. Upon graduation, your degree from an accredited institution tells recruiters and hiring managers that your education meets the standards that best correlate with professional achievement.
Learn more about Emporia State University’s online MBA programs.
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