AACSB Mission-Linked Standards: Effects on the Accreditation Process

This study describes the changing nature of graduate business programs that are being newly accredited by the AACSB. The adoption of “mission-related” standards, by itself, has not resulted in a change in either the number or character of schools being accredited. Rather, the number of newly accredited schools has remained constant over time, and the change in character has been a gradual one that began well before the standards revision. Nevertheless, the AACSB has become a more inclusive institution, extending accreditation to more schools that are teaching rather than research oriented, namely, those without doctoral programs, with lower enrollments, and with more part-time faculty. The trend has also been to accredit schools with more women and minority students and lower GMAT scores.