The AACSB International Accreditation Process includes several key stages:
1. Becoming an Educational Member: The first step is to establish membership with AACSB. Schools need to complete the online membership application.
2. Submitting the Unit of Accreditation Application (if applicable): If a business academic unit within a larger institution seeks accreditation, it must submit a unit of accreditation application for review and approval by the Initial Accreditation Committee (IAC) before submitting the eligibility application.
3. Submitting the Eligibility Application and Developing the Initial Self-Evaluation Report (iSER): The applicant school submits an eligibility application, which is reviewed by AACSB staff for completeness and then by the IAC or the newly established Eligibility Review Committee (ERC) for approval. Once approved, a mentor is assigned to assist the school in developing the iSER.
4. Paying the EA Acceptance and Initial Accreditation Fee: Upon approval of the eligibility application, the school must pay the EA process acceptance fee and initial accreditation fee within one month.
5. Accreditation Standards Alignment: The mentor works with the school to assess its alignment with the accreditation standards and develop the iSER. If the mentor determines that the school cannot reasonably align with the standards within the maximum time allowed, they will advise accordingly.
6. Submitting the Final iSER and Strategic Plan: With the mentor's consent, the school submits the final iSER and strategic plan to the IAC or Accounting Accreditation Committee (AAC) for review. The review may lead to one of the following outcomes:
- Acceptance of the iSER with an invitation to develop a final Self-Evaluation Report (SER).
- Acceptance of the iSER with a recommendation to enter the implementation phase, submitting annual progress reports.
- A request for further development and resubmission of the iSER.
7. Final SER Review, Pre-Visit Analysis, and School Visit: The peer review team reviews the final SER, conducts a pre-visit analysis, and visits the school's campus. The team then provides a visit report with a recommendation for accreditation, deferral, or denial.
8. Ratification or Denial of Accreditation: The IAC or AAC reviews the team's recommendation and ratifies or denies accreditation. The decision is then forwarded to the AACSB Board of Directors for final ratification.
