Candidacy Status Process

For the business programs of an academic business unit to be considered for Candidacy Status by the IACBE, the academic business unit must follow the process summarized below:

Be an Educational Member in Good Standing
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Hold nationally recognized accreditation
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Attend the IACBE Accreditation Institute
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Submit Application Materials for Candidacy Status
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Undergo Candidacy Visit
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Receive and Respond to Candidacy Visit Report
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Undergo Candidacy Review by Board of Commissioners
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Board of Commissioners Determines Candidacy Status of Academic Business Unit
If candidacy status is granted, the Academic Business Unit representative will receive a letter detailing any required actions

 

Candidacy Requirements

The purpose of becoming a candidate for accreditation (also referred to as candidacy status) is to provide the academic business unit with an opportunity to prepare itself to be in compliance with the IACBE’s Accreditation Principles, to develop a comprehensive self-study, and to undergo a site visit conducted by a team of professional peer reviewers from the members of the IACBE.

In order for an academic business unit to be considered for candidacy status and for its business programs to be eligible for accreditation by the IACBE, the academic business unit must:

  1. Be an educational member in good standing of the IACBE.
  2. Provide evidence that its parent institution has institutional accreditation from an appropriate nationally-recognized institutional accrediting organization. Institutions located outside of the United States must provide evidence of equivalent recognized institutional accreditation from an appropriate organization in the relevant country or region, or approvals or authorizations to award degrees from an appropriate governing, legal, or similar body. This evidence should take the form of a copy of the most recent letter from an appropriate nationally-recognized accrediting organization affirming or reaffirming institutional accreditation or recognition to award degrees. In cases where this documentation is in a language other than English, the academic business unit must submit a copy of the original non-English version of the document and an English translation of the document.
  3. Have at least one group of graduates from each business program to be considered for accreditation eligibility.
  4. Attend the IACBE Accreditation Institute which must be completed within one year immediately prior to the submission of the application for candidacy status.
  5. Submit a current and complete outcomes assessment plan. The assessment plan must encompass all business programs for which the academic business unit is seeking accreditation, must conform to IACBE expectations and requirements as outlined in the IACBE handbook entitled “Guidelines for Preparing an Outcomes Assessment Plan,” and must be prepared using the assessment plan template developed by the IACBE.
  6. Submit an application for candidacy status, an application supplement containing programmatic information, and pay its application fee. Applications for IACBE candidacy status must be approved and signed by the institution’s chief executive officer (i.e., president, chancellor, director general), affirming the academic business unit’s commitment to abide by the accreditation policies and procedures of the IACBE and to attaining and maintaining excellence in business education. 
  7. Undergo a candidacy visit by an IACBE representative.
  8. Be reviewed by the IACBE Board of Commissioners.

If two or more institutions have the same parent institution or if an institution provides business programs under different institutional names, separate membership may be required. Contact the IACBE office to discuss the options that are available.

The completed candidacy application and all supporting materials must be submitted to IACBE headquarters at least 60 days prior to the candidacy visit. No candidacy visit travel arrangements will be made  until the IACBE has received a complete set of candidacy materials.

The purposes of the candidacy visit are (i) to provide assistance to the academic business unit as it prepares to enter the candidacy phase of the accreditation process, (ii) to determine whether there are issues of concern pertaining to the resources, processes, business programs, or other aspects of the academic business unit’s operations that need to be addressed prior to beginning the self-study process, and (iii) to evaluate the readiness of the academic business unit to pursue IACBE accreditation.

If candidacy status is granted, it will cover a time period not to exceed five years.

A candidate for accreditation is not allowed to claim or imply accreditation by the IACBE until accreditation has been granted. Once an academic business unit has been granted candidacy status in the IACBE, the institution may provide a link on the academic business unit's home page to their Member Status Page. A link to the page will be sent to the academic business unit along with the letter notifying them othat they have been granted candidacy status.

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