AACSB Accreditation – Why is it Important?
Whether you choose to study at online colleges or brick-and-mortar conventional colleges, accreditation is important. Students are repeatedly advised that you need to choose a college that is on the list of recognized online colleges released by the U.S. Department of Education. However, when it comes to business and accounting degrees, is a simple accreditation enough? If you want to be a cut above the rest what you need to be looking for is an online college with AACSB accreditation.
What is the AACSB Accreditation?
AACSB stands for The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business which is an institution created in 1916 with the sole purpose of accrediting schools of business. AACSB accreditation is internationally recognized and is a special status sought by business and accounting programs at doctoral, master’s and bachelor’s levels.
An AACSB accredited business school is the gold standard in business education. Business, accounting and combination business and accounting colleges apply for accreditation to regional or national accrediting authorities. An AACSB accredited college is one that is already recognized by national or regional authorities and which has then sought accreditation from AACSB. In effect, these colleges are twice inspected and evaluated.
As per AACSB, less than 5 percent of business programs from all over the world have earned the right to be called AACSB accredited! When you consider that there are more than 13,000 business programs all over the world, you will be able to understand the elite nature of this evaluation.
Why Choose AACSB Accredited Online Schools?
In the world of business and accounting, AACSB accredited degrees are placed on a higher pedestal as compared to any other college degree. There are many benefits for opting for such an online business degree:
• High Standards: AACSB accredited institutes are present in over 50 countries all over the world. But the total number of such colleges was just 672 in 2012! This institution is not one to court stagnancy either. It has “recast its standards for business school accreditation” in 2013 and the new changes have made the evaluation process more stringent and competitive. The process of accreditation may take as long as 2 years and reviews are conducted every 5 years. The result is consistent and decidedly high standards in curriculum, faculty and academics. Employers respect the high standards maintained by AACSB recognized schools and students can rest easy that your business and/or accounting degree will be held in high esteem. • Top Notch Faculty: Online students often worry about the faculty of online schools. It is a stereotype that online schools don’t generally have a good faculty in place. Business colleges offering online MBA programs and business accounting degrees hire top notch faculty – professors and research professionals – to maintain the high standards required by the AACSB recognition board. It’s one less thing for you to worry about. • Global Education: The world we are living in is a global village. As a business and/or accounting professional, you need to be able to understand the global perspective. Studying at online colleges with AACSB accreditation can help you achieve this goal. The course curriculum is created with a global student in mind and case-studies as well as projects include examples from economies all over the globe.AACSB Accredited Colleges
Colleges like Morehead State University in Kentucky and Pennsylvania State University World Campus offer online business and accounting programs. They also hold the honor of being AACSB accredited courses. As compared to other courses, recognized ones might be more expensive but there are federal financial aid plans and several corporations offer reimbursement for AACSB accredited courses.
You can get an edge over other business/accounting graduates by opting to study at an online school that is awarded a prestigious AACSB accreditation.
About The Author: Stephanie Colaco is a freelance writer, editor and former HR professional. An Honors college graduate, she spends her free time helping students/professionals achieve their academic goals by publishing articles and creating blog posts that answer their many questions on sites like OnlineDegreeReviews.org and CollegesAndUniversities.org. Connect with her on Google+.