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Accreditation>Resources for Schools>Frequently Asked Questions>General Accreditation

General Accreditation

Where can I find out if a school is accredited?

A complete listing of accredited members is available at aacsb.edu/accredited-business-schools. It is our policy not to disclose the names of schools currently in the process of seeking accreditation. A complete list of member institutions may be found at aacsb.edu/membership/listings. Membership is open to educational institutions, business organizations, foundations, professional associations, and non-profit organizations with an interest in management education. Please see our membership pages for an overview of AACSB membership.

Membership, however, does not denote AACSB Accreditation and should not be interpreted as achieving accreditation. Accreditation is granted only to those institutions which have undergone a lengthy peer review process and been found to satisfy the Eligibility Procedures and Standards for accreditation.


My school is accredited, how can we promote it? Can we use the accreditation seal?

AACSB does not require prior permission to use the seal, nor do we require a review of your marketing materials. As an AACSB-accredited institution, we encourage you to use the accreditation seal, which you can request through our website. We do ask that you only use the seal provided and do not alter the seal's structure or color in anyway.

Earning AACSB Accreditation is a significant accomplishment, and we encourage you to promote your achievement—in print, on your institution's website, and around campus.

As you think about other ways to promote your accreditation, perhaps in a unique, fun, or interesting way, we want to hear from you! Since you are already using the seal, perhaps you want to share a success story? AACSB is collecting examples of schools from around the world that are promoting their accreditation. Share your story with us by sending your photos, stories, and videos to Sarah Ham at sarah.ham@aacsb.edu.


Does accreditation cover the whole institution or just the business school?

By default, AACSB Accreditation is granted to the entire institution. This means that all of the institution’s business and management programs are a part of the AACSB review, regardless of whether the programs are housed in the business school or other units of the university. It is possible, in the case of institutional accreditation, to request the exclusion of certain degree programs. A form must be completed for each program a school wishes to exclude, and the school must demonstrate that they meet three criteria for exclusion:

1. Participation—the degree to which the school participates in the program. If more than 25 percent of the curriculum of an undergraduate program is in business subjects, then it must be included. At the graduate level, this percentage increases to 50 percent.

2. Distinctiveness—the ability for the public to clearly distinguish the program from the AACSB-accredited business programs.

3. Control—the amount of administrative control that the business school has over the degree program in question.

AACSB staff members have the authority to approve common exclusion requests. However, questionable program exclusion requests will be forwarded to the appropriate operating committee (IAC, CIRC, AAC).


What is the difference between Initial Accreditation Committees Y and Z?

There is no substantive difference in the IAC-Y and IAC-Z committees. You can submit your reports to either group. However, it is suggested that when you submit to either the Y or Z committee, you remain with that committee for the duration of the initial accreditation process.


As a student, where can I find a school or program that is right for me?

For information on AACSB-accredited schools and degree programs, we encourage you to visit our Best Business Schools website to explore programs that might fit your needs and goals.


Does AACSB accredit fully online programs and hybrid/blended programs? What are the criteria for these programs?

Many of the institutions accredited by AACSB offer blended and online programs. Criteria E in the standards provides the following guidance:

The school must be structured to ensure proper oversight, accountability, and responsibility for the school’s operations; must be supported by continuing resources (human, financial, infrastructure, and physical); and must have policies and processes for continuous improvement. [OVERSIGHT, SUSTAINABILITY, AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT]

Basic for Judgement

  • This criterion does not require a particular administrative structure or set of practices; however, the structure must be appropriate to sustain excellence and continuous improvement in business education within the context of a collegiate institution, as described in the preamble to these standards.
  • The organizational structure must provide proper oversight and accountability for the components of the school’s mission that are related to business and management education.
  • The school must have policies and processes in place to support continuous improvement and accountability.
  • The school must demonstrate sufficient and sustained resources (financial, human, physical, infrastructural, etc.) to support the business academic unit (or units) seeking AACSB Accreditation in its efforts to fulfill its mission, strategies, and expected outcomes.

Can you provide sample degree curriculum plans that satisfy AACSB requirements?

AACSB's standards are not prescriptive in terms of specific courses that a certain degree program should include. Curriculum content is addressed in Standard 9. This standard specifies a number of general skill areas and general business and management skill areas that all degree programs should include, in addition to the types of learning experiences AACSB expects to see in certain programs. AACSB does not have a standard curriculum to which we expect schools to adhere; schools have the latitude to formulate a program that is best for the mission of their school and the student population it serves.


Does AACSB verify or evaluate foreign transcripts for students wishing to study in the United States?

AACSB does not evaluate transcripts. However, the appraisal organizations below are used by some schools to evaluate foreign transcripts to establish their equivalence in U.S. schools:

Educational Credential Evaluators
260 East Highland Avenue, Suite 300
Milwaukee, WI 53202 USA
+1 414 289-3400
ece.org

World Education Services, Inc. (WES)
Locations in New York, Chicago, Miami, Washington, DC and San Francisco
Chicago office: midwest@wes.org
+1 312 222-0882
wes.org

Center for Educational Documentation, Inc.
The Center for Educational Documentation assists international students with the admission process into U.S. universities as well as for the CPA examination in Massachusetts by evaluating their foreign credentials in terms of U.S. educational standards.
cedevaluations.com


Why does AACSB ask for a list of peer, competitive and aspirant schools? How can I define that list?

From the Initial Accreditation Committee handbook, "Processes to support the accreditation review include the selection of comparison groups to form a relevant context for judgments, inform strategic planning activities, and assist in the selection of Peer Review Team members. Reviewers from comparable institutions are better prepared to make evaluative judgments about the School, to understand the School and its aspirations, and to offer suggestions for the School’s improvement."

Schools can identify these groups themselves or use DataDirect to assist in their efforts. You can find DataDirect FAQs and online tutorials at aacsb.edu/datadirect.

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