MARQUETTE, Mich.—Northern Michigan University’s College of Business has maintained its business accreditation by AACSB International, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Less than 5 percent of the world’s business programs have earned AACSB accreditation, which is the hallmark of excellence in business education. Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest-serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer undergraduate, master's and doctoral degrees in business and accounting.

            “This reaffirmation of accreditation serves as a powerful testament to the excellence of our faculty, staff, students and business alumni,” said NMU President David Haynes. “To earn AASCB accreditation originally is no small feat; it is a rigorous process that not all institutions are able to complete successfully. To be recognized for maintaining that high standard is incredibly gratifying.”

            Business programs aiming for AASCB accreditation must satisfy the expectations of a wide range of quality standards relating to strategic management of resources, interactions of faculty and students in the educational process and achievement of learning goals in degree programs. During the process, NMU’s College of Business was visited and evaluated by business school deans with detailed knowledge of management education, applying standards of top-ranked business schools that are widely accepted in the educational community.

            “AACSB International accreditation offers the most prestigious academic accreditation available for business schools,” said Jamal Rashad, dean of the NMU College of Business. “This achievement is a reflection of the high-quality programs the college offers at both the undergraduate and MBA levels.”

            Robert Reid, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB International, said it takes a great deal of commitment and determination to maintain AACSB accreditation. Only about 650 business schools in 45 countries and territories have succeeded in doing so.

           “Business schools must not only meet specific standards of excellence, but their deans, faculty and professional staff must make a commitment to ongoing continuous improvement to ensure that the institution will continue to deliver the highest quality of education to students,” Reid said.

            Northern’s College of Business offers a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree and bachelor’s degrees in multiple majors. NMU claims one of only two entrepreneurial majors in Michigan. To learn more about the NMU College of Business, visit www.nmu.edu/business. Or to learn more about AACSB International accreditation, visit http://www.aacsb.edu/accreditation/.