Organization and Goals

Founded in 1916 in Tampa, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) is the most renowned accreditation association of business institutions. Its members not only include the majority of leading universities in North America but also numerous reputable companies.

The main objective of this non-profit organization is the accreditation of business-related university programs. The accreditation, which is a seal of approval for outstanding achievements in research and teaching, not only signifies an honor but also an obligation. It lays the foundation for systematic quality management, which AACSB supports providing workshops and seminars for its members. This is why institutions are only accredited for five years. During this time, they are encouraged to develop their programs continuously and to undergo a reaccreditation process after those five years have passed. AACSB requires its members to introduce a systematic quality management process for university programs, the so-called ‘Assurance of Learning’, for example, which is currently being implemented successfully at our School.

The Long Way to Accreditation

After the application was submitted, a critical self-evaluation process is to be carried out by the university whereby compliance with numerous fundamental standards must be documented. The seven cornerstones of the self-evaluation report are:

• basic data,
• strategy, objectives and goals,
• structure and development of the institution,
• contents and evaluation of courses offered,
• infrastructure and engagement of faculty members,
• student selection and career services,
• quantity and quality of publications.

This frameworks allows AACSB to not only examine the qualification of teaching staff but also to assess the equipment of libraries as well as the possibilities for students to evaluate courses, for example. In the following visit lasting several days, a peer-review team takes a closer look at the university. Among other things, the AACSB team acquaints itself with various institutions and initiatives at the university, talks to research assistants as well as students and examines the quality of courses. Based on these impressions, the peer-review team writes a report ideally recommending the accreditation which is then finalized by AACSB’s governing body.

The institution must undergo a standardized shorter version of this accreditation process every five years in order to be reaccredited.

Perspectives of Accreditation

620 educational institutions from 38 countries are currently AACSB accredited. Apart from the University of Mannheim, only two other German institutions have received this ‘seal of approval’, which not only increases the respective institution’s renown as well as its standards in research and teaching, but furthermore fosters international relations and significantly simplifies the transfer of credit points from accredited universities.