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Time and again throughout your pursuit of an MBA, you would come across terms like AACSB, EQUIS, MSCHE, etc. This post is meant for students who are curious about accreditation and how it can play a significant role in choosing a university or b-school for MBA and allied courses.

Accreditation is an evaluation process arranged to diagnose colleges and universities that meet specific academic standards based on the school’s teaching, faculty, services, and students. It also means that these schools have been reviewed and credited by experts to offer degree courses.

The voluntary process of examination does not ensure that an accredited school is better than a non-accredited one. It merely states that the school has been processed and examined to meet the organization’s standards that grant certification.

Also, accreditation confirms quality and assurance of the school that you are enrolling in for higher studies. And it is one of the reasons why accreditation matters.

Remember, when you choose a business school and an MBA program, there are a couple of things that you should look for. First, you should check to see if the school is accredited or not. Second, you should find out whether the MBA accreditation carries any value in the industry.

Types of Accreditation

Broadly speaking, the two types of accreditation are Regional and Business accreditation.

Regional Accreditation

If you are researching for MBA programs in the United States, you should look into regional accreditations. These accreditations are usually for state and non-profit schools. And the statistics show that approximately 80% of the universities and colleges in the States have regional accreditation. The table below shows the different regional accreditations you can find along with their states and cities.

Acronym Accreditation States
MSCHE Middle States Commission on Higher Education Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York.
NECHE New England Commission of Higher Education

 

 Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
 HLC Higher Learning Commission

 

 Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
NWCCU Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
SACSCOC Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

 

 Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
WSCUC Western Association of Schools and Colleges University Commission California, Hawaii, and multiples islands and territories in the Pacific Basin.

Business Accreditation

There are five primary business accreditations that you should know about. We have listed and explained in detail each of these below.

Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)

ACBSP has been accrediting business programs since the 1980s. It is one of the most highly regarded business accreditation, and it is mainly focused on teaching excellence and post-graduation student outcomes. The accreditation’s core values and ideas are continuous improvements, design quality, faculty, development, fast response, leadership, management by fact, partnership development, public responsibility, and results orientation. Business schools with ACBSP accredited MBA programs include David B. O’Maley College of Business, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the Jack Welch Management Institute.

Association of MBAs (AMBA)

AMBA has accredited over 240 MBA programs in 70 different countries. It is mostly active in the UK with over 40 programs, China-32 programs, France-21 programs, and India-13 programs. Reports state that AMBA-accredited programs only rank the nation’s top 2 per cent. Schools with AMBA accreditation include Hult International Business School and the Olin Business School, Washington University, St. Louis.

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)

One of the oldest business accreditations, AACSB, has been accrediting business programs since 1920. For schools to attain this accreditation, they must have strategic management and innovation, learner success, and societal impact. Some of the top business schools with AACSB accreditation are W.P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University and the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University.

European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS)

EQUIS is an institutional accreditation system of the European Foundation of Management Development (EFMD). Similar to AMBA, it is focused on accrediting MBA programs outside the States. It also emphasizes quality control and continuous improvement. Business schools with EQUIS accreditation include FW Olin Graduate School of Business, Babson College,  McCallum Graduate School of Business, Bentley University and Hult International Business School.

International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE)

IACBE was designed to counteract AACSB’s emphasis on research and development. This accreditation has strong influences on MBA student outcomes. It has accredited over 140 US business schools and is also active in the United Kingdom. Schools with IACBE accreditation include Nathan M. Bisk College of Business, Florida Institute of Technology and School of Arts, Science, and Business at Chatham University.

Accreditation has real value when it comes to MBA programs. It gives the institution quality, creditability, status and influence to reach international standards. Hence, the higher the accreditation, the more highly regarded the school becomes.

At Jamboree we can help you with GMAT prep, applications, admissions roadmap, education loans, insurance, student accommodation and more. Schedule a 15 minute free counseling session with our experts and get to know all about pursuing your MBA abroad.

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