Having ascended to the top tier among Schools of Business in the U.S., Woodbury’s business degree programs will remain there, now that Association to Advance Collegiate Schools (AACSB) accreditation has been renewed. Earlier this month, AACSB International the discipline’s formal accrediting body – recommended renewal for Woodbury and 37 other schools of business nationwide.

For more than a century, AACSB accreditation has been synonymous with the highest standards in business education; worldwide, it’s a status that only 5 percent of schools offering business degrees at the bachelor’s level or higher can claim.

“AACSB congratulates each institution on their achievement,” said Stephanie M. Bryant, EVP, and chief accreditation officer of AACSB. “Every AACSB-accredited school has demonstrated a focus on excellence in all areas, including teaching, research, curriculum development, and student learning. The intense peer-review process exemplifies their commitment to quality business education.”

Joan F. Marques, Ph.D., Ed.D., Dean of Woodbury’s School of Business and Professor of Management, described the renewal as “a proud accomplishment,” calling AACSB accreditation “the gold standard for teaching and research.”

“By retaining this accreditation, the School of Business has proven its commitment and accomplishment in ensuring continuous improvement in its curriculum to prepare our students for today’s and tomorrow’s business challenges,” she said. “This assures students that Woodbury’s business professors consistently research and publish in the field they teach so they are consistently advancing knowledge to help industry professionals with their problem-solving.”

Focusing on the AACSB pillars, “Engagement, Innovation, and Impact,” the School of Business continues to bring those principles to life:

• Engagement is high on the School’s radar, as conveyed through interactions among students, faculty and the community. The School of Business is home to four major student organizations: the campus CEO chapter, Business and Professional Women of Woodbury (BPWoW), the Accounting Society, and the MBA Association. Faculty members engage in professional mentorship to students, and student recognition and developmental activities ensure performance excellence. Members of the business faculty, meanwhile, present annually at a variety of academic and professional conferences, thereby expanding engagement within their specific disciplines. Optimal career preparation extends to a range of compelling guest lectures, field trips, and internships.
• Innovation is a constant within the Business School’s diverse and highly responsive environment. Conventional and digital story-telling, Virtual Reality, and myriad connections with the local business community guarantee refreshing approaches on a semester basis. The School practices “Business with a Conscience” at both the BBA and MBA levels, nurturing the next generation of socially conscious leaders to all phases of business and inspiring them to build their legacy. Programs at both levels are reevaluated regularly, to meet the requirements of an ever-changing global community.
• Impact is expressed via the professional success of individual Woodbury graduates and the School’s notable contribution to upward career mobility – one reason why Woodbury ranks in the 97th percent percentile nationwide when it comes to raising student income annually. Woodbury’s BBA and MBA graduates are active in a wide range of positions in industries from entertainment to banking, hospitality to marketing, and airlines to cosmetics and fashion. Our faculty team, consisting of prominent scholars and professionals, continues to deliver significant scholarly and professional contributions to their respective fields of expertise. Many of the Business School’s scholars have appeared in prominent peer-reviewed journals and written books through renowned academic publishers.