Kent State’s College of Business Administration Maintains Prestigious Dual AACSB Accreditation

Kent State University’s College of Business Administration has maintained its business and accounting accreditations from 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 fewer than 5 percent of the world’s business programs. Today, only about 672 business schools in 50 countries and territories maintain AACSB accreditation.

Kent State’s College of Business Administration is in an elite group, being one of only 178 universities worldwide to achieve dual accreditation in both business and accounting.

“Kent State is committed to providing the best education possible,” said Deborah Spake, dean of Kent State’s College of Business Administration. “Our dual accreditation reflects our faculty’s dedication to delivering a rigorous, high-quality business education to help students achieve their goals and graduate as successful business leaders.”

To maintain accreditation, a business program must undergo a rigorous review every five years.  The program must demonstrate its continued commitment to AACSB’s 21 quality standards relating to faculty qualification, strategic management of resources, interactions of faculty and students, as well as a commitment to continuous improvement and achievement of learning goals. Accounting accreditation requires the satisfaction of an additional set of standards that are specific to the discipline and profession of accounting.

Spake noted that the college prides itself on being one of the distinguished AACSB-accredited programs.

“The accomplishment of dual accreditation of the college’s business and accounting programs is a validation of Kent State’s continued mission of excellence in action.” 

Kent State’s College of Business Administration provides a high-quality education in business and a foundation for lifelong learning. The college has more than 100 faculty members and 4,000 students spanning undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and executive degrees. The business curriculum is a combination of instructional, research and scholarship, experiential and outreach learning. Kent State’s College of Business Administration serves as an important resource for Northeast Ohio, and is recognized nationally and internationally. 

To learn more about Kent State’s College of Business Administration and the Department of Accounting, visit www.kent.edu/business.

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Photo Caption:
Kent State University’s College of Business Administration has maintained its business and accounting accreditations from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). Representatives from Kent State’s College of Business Administration were presented with the reaccreditation by members of the AACSB Board of Directors at a conference.

Pictured are (standing from left to right) Robert S. Sullivan, dean, Stanley and Pauline Foster Endowed Chair, Rady School of Management, University of California, San Diego, 2012-2013 vice chair-chair elect – AACSB Board of Directors; Joseph A. DiAngelo, dean, Erivan K. Haub School of Business, Saint Joseph’s University, 2012-2013 chair – AACSB Board of Directors; Robert Reid, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer, AACSB; with Kent State representatives (seated from left to right) Cathy DuBois, associate dean, College of Business Administration; Deborah Spake, dean, College of Business Administration; and Linda Zucca, chair, Department of Accounting, College of Business Administration. (Photo provided by AACSB International)

Media Contacts:
Michelle Parrish, mparris3@kent.edu, 330-672-2717
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595