CBE maintains its dual accreditation

The College of Business and Economics has maintained its business accreditation and its accounting accreditation by AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Founded in 1916, AACSB is the longest-serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in business and accounting.

Only 649 schools of business, or fewer than 5 percent worldwide, have earned AACSB Business Accreditation. Of those, only 178 have earned specialized accreditation for their accounting programs – thus having dual business/accounting accreditations.

To gain accounting accreditation an institution must first earn or maintain AACSB Business Accreditation, which requires a meticulous internal review and evaluation process. In addition to developing and implementing a mission-driven plan to satisfy the 21 business quality standards, AACSB Accounting Accreditation requires the satisfaction of another 15 standards that are specific to the discipline and profession of accounting.

(For information on the global distribution of accredited programs, click here.)

“It takes a great deal of self-evaluation and determination to earn and maintain AACSB Business and Accounting Accreditations,” said Jerry Trapnell, vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB International.

“Schools not only must meet specific standards of excellence, but their deans, faculty and staff must make a commitment to ongoing improvement to ensure the continued delivery of high-quality education to students.”

Maintaining momentum

Lehigh’s business program has been accredited by AACSB since 1938 and its accounting program since 1985.

“We remain committed to providing a quality business education for all Lehigh students,” says Paul Richard Brown, dean of the College of Business and Economics. “The standards set forth by AACSB ensure quality and continuous improvement in collegiate education. This continued distinguished recognition reaffirms that we are delivering the highest-quality education to our students.”

Lehigh’s achievement will be recognized this month at the 2012 AACSB International Conference and Annual Meeting in San Diego, California.

To learn more about AACSB Accreditation, click here.

About AACSB International

AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), founded in 1916, is an association of almost 1,200 educational institutions, businesses and other organizations in 78 countries. AACSB’s mission is to advance quality management education worldwide through accreditation, thought leadership and value-added services.

AACSB Accreditation is the benchmark of quality worldwide that is most widely sought by business schools—fewer than 5 percent worldwide have earned the achievement. As the premier accreditation body for institutions offering bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in business and accounting, the association also conducts a wide array of conferences and seminars at locations throughout the world. AACSB's global headquarters is located in Tampa, Florida, and its Asia Pacific Headquarters is located in Singapore. For more information, click here.