AACSB hallmark of excellence ensures competitive edge for Northumbria students

Newcastle Business School has secured its position among an elite group of business schools worldwide after retaining the coveted AACSB international accreditation.

The Association to Advance Collegiate Business Schools (AACSB) is widely regarded as the leading international accreditation body for business schools. Synonymous with the highest standards of excellence since 1916, AACSB connects students, schools and business practitioners to develop the next generation of business leaders. With many major companies reporting they recruit exclusively from AACSB institutions, accreditation also provides students with a career edge.

In 2014 Newcastle Business School became the first business school in Europe to gain accreditation in both its business and accounting programmes – joining an elite group of institutions worldwide. After a rigorous process of review and evaluation by an AACSB Peer Review Team, it has successfully regained the double accreditation for an additional five years, further enhancing its global reputation and appeal to students.

The AACSB Review Panel praised a “highly engaged leadership within both business and accounting units,” and it acknowledged the dedication and effort required to maintain the double accreditation. It also noted strong relationships with employers and the number of opportunities this presented for students through careers networking events, guest lectures, the Business Clinic and a mentoring programme with the accounting firm Deloitte.

The Accounting unit was also commended for having robust, well-developed learning processes which are used to continually evaluate the curriculum and the relevancy of both undergraduate and graduate degree programmes.

Professor John Wilson, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Business and Law at Northumbria University, said: “I am delighted that AACSB has agreed with the panel that visited us last month and awarded Newcastle Business School another five years of accreditation. It is especially important to note that we have AACSB accreditation for both Business and Accounting, something that no other School in Europe has achieved. This is a terrific accolade for a great team that constantly strives to improve and innovate.”

Professor Philip Shrives, Head of Accounting and Financial Management at Newcastle Business School, added: “We are extremely proud of the fact we still remain the only business school in Europe with double accreditation for both business and accounting. This represents a high level of determination and strong leadership combined with a passion to ensure our students’ experience is the very best it can be.” 

To earn and sustain business accreditation an institution must align with a set of 15 business accreditation standards that focus on mission and strategic management; support for students, faculty and staff; learning and teaching; and academic and professional engagement. In addition, to secure accounting accreditation, the school must align with a further six standards that focus on accounting curriculum, staff sufficiency and technology in teaching.