A Brief History of the IACBE
Advancing Academic Quality in
Business Education Worldwide
The International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE) was founded in 1997 in response to the expressed needs of presidents, chief academic officers, and business deans and chairs who wanted an accreditation process that was not driven by prescriptive standards relating to inputs and resources, but was mission-driven and outcomes-based. At that time, the majority of the four-year colleges and universities in the United States that offered degrees in business were not recognized, and could not become recognized, by the existing business accrediting bodies. Similarly, hundreds of institutions of higher education located outside of the United States were unable to obtain specialized accreditation for their business programs.
Since that time, the IACBE has grown into a leading professional accreditation body for colleges and universities whose primary purpose is excellence in teaching and learning, with well over 200 members and 800 accredited programs in the United States and throughout the world.
In January 2011, the IACBE achieved a significant milestone when the Board of Directors of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) granted recognition to the IACBE.
Scope of Accreditation
The IACBE accredits business programs that lead to degrees at the associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels in institutions of higher education worldwide that grant bachelor’s and/or graduate degrees. The IACBE does not accredit business programs of institutions of higher education that offer only associate degrees in business.
Functions of the IACBE
In advancing its goals, the IACBE:
- recognizes high-quality business education by granting specialized programmatic accreditation;
- develops and promulgates sound educational principles and practices for the accreditation of business programs;
- maintains regional and international centers to represent the Assembly and its members worldwide;
- collects and disseminates information about business education throughout the world;
- supports worthy projects and research in business education;
- sponsors meetings, conferences, workshops, and symposia that foster excellence in business education;
- engages in activities that enhance and promote the study of collegiate business education and that apprise the public of its value, scope, and character.
More About the IACBE
Learn more about the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education:
- Mission, Vision, Goals, and Values
In our shared journey with members toward excellence in business education, the IACBE is guided by a clear mission and vision, and by a set of distinctive goals and core values.
More - CHEA Recognition
The IACBE is nationally-recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
More - The IACBE's Value Proposition
The IACBE offers a unique "diamond" value proposition for academic business units worldwide.
More - Key Distinctives of the IACBE
Learn about the characteristics of the IACBE's quality assurance process that distinguish it as a leader in business accreditation for colleges and universities worldwide with teaching-oriented missions.
More - Philosophy of Accreditation
It is the philosophy of the IACBE that academic quality and excellence in business education should be measured in terms of the performance of an academic business unit relative to its mission.
More - Excellence in Business Education
In order to advance its accreditation mission, the IACBE has defined seventeen explicit “Characteristics of Excellence in Business Education.”
More - Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is the governing and policy-making body of the IACBE, and is responsible for the general oversight of the organization’s operations and activities.
More - Board of Commissioners
The Board of Commissioners is the independent accreditation decision-making body of the IACBE, and is responsible for determining the accreditation status of the business programs of IACBE members.
More - President's Council
The President’s Council is composed of the President of the IACBE and past chairs of the Board of Directors and Board of Commissioners.
More - President's Advisory Board
The President’s Advisory Board is composed of the President of the IACBE and the presidents of the parent institutions of up to six accredited members of the IACBE.
More - Regional Assemblies
In order to advance its mission and goals, the IACBE has established Regional Assemblies that are regional associations of the academic business unit members of the IACBE.
More - IACBE Bylaws
The Bylaws of the IACBE articulate the rules, regulations, and procedures pertaining to the organization and governance of the Assembly.
More - IACBE Awards
The IACBE presents several awards of excellence at its annual conference each year.
More - IACBE Staff
Meet the staff members of the IACBE.
More
