What is the AACSB business school accreditation and why is it important?

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Attending an AACSB accredited business school can improve your career prospects and ensure you receive the highest quality teaching. You may have noticed that some business schools are AACSB accredited, but you might be wondering what this means.

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International was founded in 1916, making it the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools.

An AACSB accreditation marks a school with a standard of excellence. It is one of the most recognised forms of specialised accreditations a business school can earn and less than six percent of business schools worldwide have been accredited with AACSB.

How do business schools earn the AACSB business school accreditation?

Gaining an AACSB accreditation is not an easy task, and business schools have to go through a rigorous process, which involves a mentoring process to ensure alignment with the accreditation standards and a peer review visit by a panel of accredited schools. 

Sunway University has become the first non-government linked, private Malaysian university to successfully gain this AACSB International accreditation. 

“The process of becoming AACSB accredited is one of the most rigorous I have ever seen, taking several years to complete. The achievement of AACSB accreditation adds another feather to the cap for Sunway University,” said Sunway University President Professor Sibrandes Poppema.

Why should you look for business schools with the AACSB accreditation?

Attending an AACSB accredited business school may benefit you both during and after your studies. Here are just a few benefits of attending an AACSB-accredited business school:

Enjoy a high standard of education

The AACSB accreditation serves as a quality standard so you can be assured that the business school’s programmes are of the highest quality. 

“The AACSB accreditation that Sunway Business School receives is a world-renowned recognition of the school’s robust credentials, mission-driven investment and unwavering commitment to continuous quality improvement across the spheres of innovative education, professional engagement and research with impact,” said Sunway Business School Dean Professor Lim Weng Marc. 

Not only are Sunway University’s programmes accredited by AACSB, they are delivered by credentialed faculty who are respected for being experts across disciplines such as accounting, business analytics, entrepreneurship, finance, global supply chain, international business, management and marketing. 

As a result, students studying at an AACSB accredited business school, such as Sunway Business School, can expect to experience world-class undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

Recognised by top graduate employers

The AACSB accreditation means that the school’s degrees will be highly regarded by graduate employers and other universities.

This will give students who have studied an AACSB accredited programme a competitive edge for a successful career and will receive better opportunities for graduate education.

“This achievement also recognises the world-class leadership and support from the university’s distinguished board of directors and senior management group, the Sunway Education Group’s dedicated support services, as well as the school’s highly-qualified and multi-talented academic and professional staff. 

“When taken collectively, this empowers the delivery of future-ready business education and cutting-edge business research that drive employability, innovation and impact in the real world,” said Sunway University’s Professor Lim.

Strives for improvement and advancement

To encourage business schools to strive for improvement, AACSB reviews the accreditation every five years.

Sunway University’s accreditation will be reviewed in 2027, and the school is aiming to strive for continuous advancement and innovation in their teaching, research and practice, aligning to the latest AACSB standards.

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