The College of Business Administration at Belmont University is proud to announce maintenance of business and specialized accounting accreditation by AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees in business and accounting.
Dean of the College of Business Administration Dr. Pat Raines said, “Belmont’s AACSB International accreditation sends a message to students, parents, faculty, employers and other schools that Belmont has one of the best business schools in the world. Only 178 institutions worldwide have earned AACSB accreditation for both their business and accounting programs. Maintaining this accreditation demonstrates that Belmont’s business and accounting programs are performing at the highest levels of quality, rigor and relevance.”
Belmont is part of an elite group of institutions—less than five percent of the world’s business schools—to have achieved business accreditation from AACSB International. Even more impressive, less than one percent of institutions have achieved both business and accounting accreditation. To realize accounting accreditation an institution must first earn or maintain AACSB Business Accreditation, which requires an institution to undergo 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 an additional set of 15 standards that are specific to the discipline and profession of accounting. (For information on the global distribution of accredited programs, visit www.aacsb.edu/accreditation/accreditedmembers.asp)
“It takes a great deal of self-evaluation and determination to earn and maintain AACSB Accreditation,” 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 continued delivery of high-quality education to students.”
Notably, Belmont is one of only three private universities in the southeast (along with Wake Forest and Stetson) to have earned AACSB accreditation for business and accounting. Belmont also has the only private undergraduate business program in Tennessee accredited by AACSB International.
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 and most widely sought after by business schools—less than five percent worldwide have earned the achievement. As the premier accreditation body for institutions offering bachelors, masters, and doctorate degrees in business and accounting, the association also conducts a wide array of conferences and seminar programs at locations throughout the world. AACSB’s global headquarters is located in Tampa, Florida, USA and its Asia Pacific Headquarters is located in Singapore. For more information, please visit: www.aacsb.edu.
