IACBE: Global Leaders in Outcomes-Based Business Accreditation
At the IACBE, we believe that academic quality and excellence in business education should be measured in terms of the educational outcomes of an academic business unit relative to its mission rather than by prescriptive standards relating to academic resources.
We work together with you as partners on your journey. Throughout your accreditation journey we are here to provide guidance and support to help you understand the accreditation process and requirements. In addition, we act as a liaison between your institution and the IACBE Board of Commissioners, who will determine your accreditation status.
But our partnership doesn’t end with your certificate of accreditation – at the IACBE we are dedicated to helping you to move your business programs to the forefront in today’s competitive landscape. We provide opportunities to develop as a leader, to engage in professional development, to network with your colleagues, and to share best practices in business education.
Mission
Vision
Core Values
Collegiality: A culture of collaboration and cooperation in advancing academic quality in business education.
Developmental Philosophy: An emphasis on continuous improvement and a shared journey toward excellence in business education.
Responsiveness: An unwavering focus on service to our members.
Broad-Based Goals
The IACBE pursues a set of broad strategic goals that are instrumental in the accomplishment of its mission and vision. These goals are to:
- provide a forum for promoting excellence in business education in institutions of higher education throughout the world;
- develop and promulgate accreditation principles and processes for advancing academic quality and excellence in business education;
- promote continuous improvement in business programs through outcomes assessment and other quality assurance processes, thereby benefiting our members, higher education, and the public;
- establish continuing relationships with individuals and groups who are interested in promoting excellence in business education, including business and industry, government agencies, professional associations, and other organizations throughout the world;
- promote innovation and creativity in teaching and learning through sharing of best practices in business education and assisting in the professional development of business educators;
- serve as a resource for members and the public regarding issues in business education and accreditation;
- provide beneficial services to members;
- assist academic business units in benchmarking through sharing best practices in business education, and providing research and information;
- facilitate the globalization of business education by promoting awareness, understanding, and cooperation among academic business units worldwide;
promote ethical practices in business and business education.
Statement on Diversity and Inclusion: IACBE supports and encourages the diverse attributes of each of our member institutions as evidenced by their faculty, students, administration, and communities. We believe that excellence in business education requires respecting and valuing the unique characteristics, attributes, and perspectives of all stakeholders in the educational process and results in graduates who possess the knowledge and skills to meet the needs of the future business environment. It is our goal to work together with each of our member institutions to build a unique educational model that reflects the institution’s mission and vision, while advancing academic quality.
Brief History of the IACBE
- 2011 (January), the Board of Directors of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) granted recognition to the IACBE
- 2016, the IACBE membership approved extending accreditation to associate degree business programs offered by community colleges and other two-year institutions
- 2016, the first institutions with IACBE accredited business programs earned special accounting accreditation for their accounting programs
- 2017, the IACBE held its 20th anniversary celebration at the annual conference in San Francisco
- 2017, the IACBE changed its name to the International Accreditation Council for Business Education to more accurately reflect its accreditation services
- 2019, the CHEA Committee on Recognition approved a change to the scope statement that added accounting programs and removed the statement that excluded institutions of higher education that offer only associate degrees in business from the IACBE’s approved scope.
- 2021,CHEA reaffirmed recognition of IACBE’s scope of accreditation for an additional seven year period.
CHEA Recognition
The IACBE is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). CHEA’s purpose is to scrutinize and affirm the quality of regional, faith-based, private career, and programmatic accrediting organizations.
The IACBE accredits business, accounting, and business-related degree programs at the associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels in institutions of higher education worldwide.
Global Impact
IACBE stands as a leading force in business education accreditation, with a vibrant global network spanning across continents. Our influence extends to over 230+ member institutions worldwide, each committed to excellence in business education through outcomes-based quality assurance.
Regional Assemblies
Our global impact goes beyond numbers. IACBE’s outcomes-based approach has revolutionized business education across diverse cultural and economic contexts.
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.
Global Quality Assurance
IACBE’s recognition by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) underscores our commitment to maintaining rigorous standards worldwide. Our accreditation process ensures:
- Consistent quality across borders
- International best practices implementation
- Cross-cultural educational excellence
- Global benchmarking standards
Member Success Stories
The process has improved over the past several years and the more streamlined process provides even more benefits to the school.
I am familiar with several accrediting bodies and I feel like many border on punitive, but IACBE’s formative process is supportive and collegial and greatly benefits the member schools, their programs, faculty, and students.
Thanks to IACBE accreditation, The American Business School of Paris-Groupe IGS has developed its attractiveness all around the world. Our community (Students, Alumni, Faculty, Staff members and partners) relies a lot on the quality insurance provided by IACBE. We are definitely grateful towards IACBE for its input and continuous support.
Last year we sent a team of seniors to participate in the Spring Student Case Competition. They didn’t win, but in an exit survey we use to evaluate students’ experience of all four years in college, all the students that participated in the competition mentioned it was a highlight of their entire college career.
As someone who had been working with them for four years, it was a little disheartening! But the competition was an amazing experience for them, and they remember it forever.
I have been working with IACBE as my institution’s programmatic accreditor for the past seven years, after working with other programmatic accreditors at my prior institutions for nearly two decades. I can say without equivocation that my relationship with IACBE has been a rewarding experience for two important reasons: 1) a culture focusing on continuous improvement that is both informative and supportive, and 2) the people with whom I have had the pleasure to work, both staff at IACBE and academic colleagues at other member schools.
I am now a site visitor and wholeheartedly recommend embracing the opportunity to contribute at this level toward furthering the achievement of IACBE’s mission. This collaborative process not only assists institutions and their Academic Business Units with advancing academic quality through evidence-based reflection but also provides site visitors with a collegial and rewarding site visit experience. It has sincerely been my pleasure to work with IACBE and other member schools, and I look forward to many more rewarding years to come.
Business Partners
Strategic Partnerships Enhancing Educational Excellence Through Innovation and Practice
Peregrine Global Services provides educational services, particularly in the areas of assessment and accreditation for higher education institutions. Their primary focus is on business education programs. The organization’s mission is to make a difference in the world by fostering innovation, growing and developing leaders who can solve the world’s complex problems, and improving the quality of higher education. Peregrine strives to be the academic partner of choice in higher education by helping their partners solve accreditation challenges with customized academic solutions to improve the quality of higher education in the USA and throughout the world. They provide a wide variety of solutions which are accessed through an online platform that allows learners to reach their full potential any time and from anywhere. Their modules provide solutions for Academic Leveling, Academic Writing, Assessments to include Soft Skills, Career Readiness, Classroom-Read News Content, Filling Curriculum Gaps, Experiential Learning, Critical Thinking, and Leadership Development.
For the past 7 years, CapSource has served as IACBE’s trusted partner for experiential learning. We’ve been working together to provide IACBE member and non-member institutions with a way to challenge their students through a Live Case Competition. This approach allows our shared network of schools to test out our high-impact experiential learning technology while enabling IACBE to incorporate students into the annual conference in a way that helps them develop professionally. The “Live Case” experiential learning format provides students with the training, exposure, and reference-worthy experience that they need to set themselves apart upon entering the workforce. Please click the link below or visit the student case competition page of our website to learn more about the spring 2024 competition.
