Compliance with the standards
The AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate School of Business) accreditation is awarded to business schools around the world, which operate strategically successfully and comply with ambitious quality standards in all their fields of activity.
Critical factors are a report which is examined by a committee of 20 people and an on-site visit by three peer reviewers. The committee and the peer reviewers consist of directors and deans of other business school which have already been awarded the accreditation. They are all familiar with higher education institutions and compare the performance of staff and students of the applicant school with comparable schools abroad.
The peer reviewer mentioned the following in their report:
- The quality of the degree programmes is high. Motivated students will find excellent support for their academic success at the Lucerne School of Business. The peer review team was impressed by the quality of support and engagement our lecturers provide to our students for their academic development through study guidance, individual coaching, and additional make-up modules for our students.
- The content of the degree programmes and the final skills of our graduates surpass by far the minimum standards expected by business schools around the world.
- The broad offer of further education programmes is in accordance with our mission and strategy. Our up-to-date programmes and teaching quality are constantly evaluated and refined. There is a constant information and innovation flow between our degree and further education programmes and topics which come up among participants in our further education programmes often lead to research projects.
- The reciprocal relationship between our university and the economy are essential to our mission and our various fields of activity. This is reflected in the large number of lecturers who have up-to-date and immediate sectoral expertise at their disposal because of their roles in industry and company boards as well as non-for-profit organizations. Many lecturers are regularly engaged in giving speeches and presentations for practitioners.
- The focus on applied research projects and the resulting publications is completely in line with our mission.
Why is the AACSB-accreditation so highly regarded?
The AACSB-accreditation is highly internationally regarded because accredited schools need to fulfil a set of challenging criteria in their degree and further education programmes, their research and consultancy services. Only six percent of the business schools worldwide are awarded this seal of quality. The perennial process started off with a self-evaluation and involved all members of staff. For example, lecturers needed to prove with peer-reviewed publications and other recognized activities that they support the further development of research and practice in their area of expertise. Students needed to be made aware of application and examination conditions as well as possible future occupational fields and earning opportunities even before they start their studies. Measuring whether the skills goals aspired to by the programmes are met is essential; if the level decreases, appropriate steps need to be taken in order to counteract such a trend.
The Lucerne School of Business fulfilled two thirds of the standards to start with because of its permanent obligation towards quality enhancement. In order to fulfil the other standards, the Lucerne School of Business developed a plan and presented it to the internationally composed first accreditation committee. It was considered feasible, and the Lucerne School of Business tackled its implementation.
Excellent Prospects
With the AACSB accreditation the Lucerne School of Business faces even better development prospects, especially on the international market. Graduates have an even better chance of finding a job on the international job-market with the quality label on their diplomas. Further, contact with possible partner universities all over the world will be easier, as renowned universities very often ask for an accreditation label like the AACSB-label during a first meeting.
