March 18, 2020 | UHCL Staff
AACSB International has extended accreditation for the business and accounting degree programs offered by University of Houston-Clear Lake’s College of Business. Although the five-year extension of this highly coveted accreditation is welcome, says UH-Clear Lake College of Business Dean Edward R. Waller, it’s not new. “Our undergraduate and graduate programs have been accredited by AACSB since the 1980s,” he said.
Established in 1916, AACSB International is described as the world's largest business education alliance, connecting educators, learners and business to create the next generation of great leaders. The AACSB estimates there are approximately 16,000 business schools in the world, but only 874 of these institutions in 56 countries and territories have earned AACSB accreditation. Similarly, only 190 institutions worldwide hold an additional, specialized AACSB accreditation for their accounting programs. UHCL has held both for decades.
“We first received AACSB accreditation of our undergraduate programs in 1981. Then, in 1986, we received undergraduate and graduate accreditation in both business and accounting,” Waller said. “All of our programs are within the scope of accreditation except Legal Studies and Environmental Management. Those programs are offered in our College of Business but the specialized topics in these programs are beyond the scope of business and accounting accreditation.”
Waller said that AACSB’s separate accounting accreditation to qualifying schools is an additional seal of approval for the College of Business. “The accounting program has to meet additional standards and only 190 institutions hold specialized accounting accreditation, which is only about 1 percent,” he said. “We have also had that accreditation since 1986. We are one of the very few colleges in Texas with the separate accounting accreditation, and it’s notable for a school of this size.”
Accreditation extension involves an on-site visit from AACSB to determine ways in which the program continues to progress and improve. “Students should see this as a ‘quality matters’ badge,” he said. “It demonstrates that the college, as well as the faculty, staff and students have met AACSB’s eligibility criteria and standards for continuous improvement. The spirit of an accreditation visit is to demonstrate what has changed since the last time, and how we are continually evolving and improving.”
Waller added that AACSB-accredited schools have the highest-quality faculty, deliver relevant and challenging curriculum, and provide educational and career opportunities that are not found at other business schools. “AACSB accreditation ensures that the level of quality in business education is substantial,” he said. “Graduating from an AACSB-accredited program increases students’ chances at landing a coveted, and often higher paying job. Employers are more inclined to recruit students who they know have ultimately gained the necessary skills and knowledge needed to be productive and innovative in the workforce.”
Learn more online about UHCL’s College of Business.
