Accreditation

AACSB FACT SHEET

In 2002 we received AACSB International accreditation of our AGSM MBA programs in business administration.

What is AACSB International?

AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business is the premier accrediting agency for bachelors, masters, and doctoral degree programs in business administration and accounting.

Organised in 1916 and based in Tampa, Florida, USA, AACSB is a not-for-profit organisation comprised over 900 of educational institutions, corporations and other organizations devoted to the improvement and promotion of higher education in business administration and management.

Currently there are 551 accredited members (457 in North America). After extending internationally 94 institutions outside the USA have gained accreditation:

· 38 in Europe
· 17 in Canada
· 17 in Asia
· 9 in South & Central America
· 5 in the Middle East & Africa
· 5 in Australia
· 3 in New Zealand

AACSB accredited institutions are entitled to display its unique logo (above, at right) on various communication materials, such as websites and stationery, and in marketing and advertising materials.

What does AACSB International accreditation mean?

Not all MBAs are the same.

AACSB International accreditation is a hallmark of excellence in management education. It represents the highest standard of achievement for business schools, worldwide.

Accreditation is a process of voluntary, non-governmental review of educational institutions and their undergraduate and postgraduate business administration and accounting programs.

AACSB International accreditation assures stakeholders that business schools:

· Manage resources to achieve a vibrant and relevant mission.
· Advance business and management knowledge through faculty scholarship.
· Provide high-calibre teaching of quality and current curricula.
· Cultivate meaningful interaction between students and a qualified faculty.
· Produce graduates who have achieved specified learning goals.

How does an institution get accredited?

To achieve accreditation, business programs must satisfy the expectations of a wide range of quality standards relating to strategic management of resources, interactions of faculty and students in the educational process, and achievement of learning goals in degree programs.

The missions of individual institutions are a critical factor in determining accreditation standards in conjunction with a painstaking peer review process.

Why is accreditation important?

Institutions that earn accreditation confirm their commitment to quality and continuous improvement through a rigorous and comprehensive peer review.

AACSB International membership supports organisation in achieving their management education quality and continuous improvement goals.

AACSB International accreditation offers prospective and current students an assurance of:
· An international benchmark of quality programs;
· An underpinning of reputational value for the institution;
· The institution's commitment to continuous improvement;
· The institution is part of an elite group of prestigious institutions.

What is the significance of accreditation for AGSM programs?

In 2002 we became the first Australian business school to receive international accreditation from AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, for our AGSM MBA programs in business administration.

In a crowded marketplace where a postgraduate business management qualification is highly sought-after, accreditation offers a distinctive point of differentiation based on:

· Quality superiority;
· Benchmarking among peer institutions worldwide;
· Augmenting of various ranking performances surveys;
· Augmenting of reputation.

The seal is a sign that the bearer has earned a superior level of quality distinction among an elite group of peers. It allows prospective students to make quality-based decisions when choosing a business school in which to study for their higher degree. It also allows us to cooperate with prestigious international business schools for student and faculty exchange programs - an area in which we already have a good track record.

Achieving accreditation signals to the Australasian marketplace that AGSM MBA qualifications satisfy rigorous international management education standards.