The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) was founded in 1916 to accredit schools of business worldwide. The first accreditations took place in 1919. The stated mission is to advance quality management education worldwide through accreditation, thought leadership, and value-added services. It is regarded as the benchmark for business school quality among the academic community. In 1991, the AACSB adopted new accreditation standards that were more flexible.
For many years, only North American business schools were accredited by AACSB (at that time, AACSB stood for American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business). It was an early supporter of internationalizing business education. The first school outside North America to be accredited was the top French business school ESSEC, in 1997. In 2009, AACSB opened its first regional headquarters in Singapore. Indian School of Business is the first South Asian institute to have the accreditation.
Its founding members include Columbia University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, New York University, Northwestern University, The Ohio State University, Tulane University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Chicago, Purdue University, University of Illinois, University of Nebraska, University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, The University of Texas, University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Yale University.
As of December 2012, AACSB has accredited more than 650 institutions in nearly 50 countries and territories. An institution can be accredited in business, or in both business and accountancy.
The latest schools to receive the accredation include:
- Cardiff University (United Kingdom)
- ESC Rennes School of Business (France)
- Imperial College Business School (United Kingdom)
- Macquarie Graduate School of Management (Australia)
- Missouri University of Science and Technology (United States)
- National Institute of Development Administration (Thailand)
- Southern University at New Orleans (United States)
- The University of Liverpool (United Kingdom)
- University of Bradford (United Kingdom)
- University of Dallas (United States)
- University of Stellenbosch (South Africa)
AACSB membership should not be confused with AACSB accreditation, as the organization has more members than accredited institutions.
Famous quotes containing the words association, advance, schools and/or business:
“In this great association we know no North, no South, no East, no West. This has been our pride for all these years. We have no political party. We never have inquired what anybody’s religion is. All we ever have asked is simply, “Do you believe in perfect equality for women?” This is the one article in our creed.”
—Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906)
“No advance in wealth, no softening of manners, no reform or revolution has ever brought human equality a millimetre nearer.”
—George Orwell (1903–1950)
“Our good schools today are much better than the best schools of yesterday. When I was your age and a pupil in school, our teachers were our enemies.
Can any thing ... be more painful to a friendly mind, than a necessity of communicating disagreeable intelligence? Indeed it is sometimes difficult to determine, whether the relator or the receiver of evil tidings is most to be pitied.”
—Frances Burney (1752–1840)
“O that a man might know
The end of this day’s business ere it come!”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)