Accounting Standards

The fundamental purpose of AACSB accreditation is to encourage leading business schools and accounting academic units to hold themselves accountable for improving business and accounting practice through scholarly education, engagement, innovation, and impactful intellectual contributions. AACSB achieves this purpose by defining a set of criteria and standards, coordinating peer review and consultation, and recognizing high-quality business schools and accounting academic units that align with the accreditation standards and participate in the accreditation process. 
The Accounting Accreditation Task Force developed the current accounting standards, which were adopted by the AACSB Accounting Accreditation Council in April 2018. The six standards are organized into three categories: strategic management and innovation, learning and teaching, and academic and professional engagement. The standards are built on the three themes of engagement, innovation, and impact. These themes are integrated to achieve continuous quality improvement.

As of July 1, 2020, all schools holding supplemental accounting accreditation will be reviewed under the 2018 accounting standards during their next regularly scheduled visit. 

Since AACSB accounting accreditation is supplemental to AACSB’s business accreditation process, the standards for AACSB accounting accreditation build on the business standards and follow a similar structure as the business standards. Therefore, the accounting report and documentation does not duplicate information included in the business report. The business report and documentation are the foundation on which the accounting report and documentation is added.
 

Download the 2018 Accounting
Accreditation Standards