The Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics at the University of Delaware has maintained its business and accounting accreditations by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). 

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.

AACSB accreditation is the hallmark of excellence in business education, and has been earned by less than five percent of the world's business programs. Today, there are 761 business schools in 52 countries and territories that maintain AACSB accreditation. Similarly, 183 institutions maintain an additional specialized AACSB accreditation for their accounting programs.

“It takes a great deal of commitment and determination to earn and maintain AACSB accreditation,” said Robert D. Reid, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB International. “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.”

This year marks the Lerner College’s 50th anniversary of AACSB business accreditation, with the college receiving its initial business accreditation in 1966. 

Lerner also received its initial accounting accreditation in 1984, with this year marking 32 years of accounting accreditation.

“AACSB accreditation ensures that the Lerner College maintains the academic and professional qualifications of our faculty and that student learning outcomes are being achieved,” said Rick Andrews, Lerner professor of business administration, who spearheaded this year’s reaccreditation effort.

“This highest-possible accreditation for a business school demonstrates that the Lerner College is moving forward with great enthusiasm to meet the challenges of the ever-changing and increasingly global economy and to engage closely with the critical business and economic issues of the day,” Andrews said.

“Strong, innovative business programs, utilizing cutting-edge technology and delivered by outstanding professors to a high-quality student body, will continue to distinguish the Lerner College as a prominent business school on an upward trajectory.”

Lerner professor and chairperson of accounting Scott Jones said, “Separate accreditation for the accounting degree programs put us in an elite group of less than 200 schools that maintain separate accreditation. This means that we meet higher standards for faculty accomplishment and quality opportunities for students.”

Jones described the thorough process of earning reaccreditation, which happens every five years.

“Faculty, student and program resources undergo rigorous qualification assessments, and a detailed report describing how the program deploys resources towards achieving objectives is submitted to AACSB International,” he said. “An on-site follow-up visit by the Peer Review Team verifies the report, offers suggestions for improvement, and ultimately makes a recommendation to the accrediting board.”

In the end, Jones added, “The student benefits because they have assurances of graduating from the highest-quality program, which translates into better career opportunities.”

To learn more about AACSB International accreditation, visit the accreditation section of the AACSB International website.

About AACSB International

AACSB's mission is to advance quality management education worldwide through accreditation, thought leadership, and value-added services. As the premier accreditation body for institutions offering undergraduate, master's 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, and its Asia Pacific headquarters is located in Singapore.

For more information, visit the AACSB International website.