Belk College maintains prestigious AACSB accreditation in business and accounting programs

The Belk College of Business at UNC Charlotte has maintained its business and accounting accreditation by AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Only 649 schools of business, or less than five percent worldwide, have earned this distinguished hallmark of excellence in management education. Of these, only 178 institutions have earned specialized accreditation for their accounting programs.

To maintain AACSB accreditation, a business program must undergo a rigorous internal review every five years. The program must demonstrate its commitment to a series of quality standards, including faculty qualifications, strategic management of resources, interactions of faculty and students, and a commitment to continuous improvement and achievement of learning goals in degree programs.

In addition to developing and implementing a mission-driven plan to satisfy AACSB’s 21 business quality standards, accounting accreditation requires the satisfaction of an additional set of 15 standards that are specific to the discipline and profession of accounting.

The Belk College, which received its initial accreditation from AACSB in 1984, was the first business school in the Charlotte region to earn this distinction. This most recent confirmation of accreditation was ratified by AACSB’s Board of Directors on April 10.

“I’m very proud of the efforts of the Belk College’s dedicated faculty and staff in achieving this important recognition for the college,” said Belk College Dean Steven Ott. “They have worked hard to maintain the high standards required by AACSB in teaching, research and service. This focus on excellence is a great benefit to our students and to the university.”

The Belk College enrolls more than 2,700 undergraduate students and nearly 700 graduate students. The college offers master’s degree programs in Accounting, Business Administration, Economics and Mathematical Finance and will launch a new graduate degree in Real Estate in the fall. Active in doctoral education, the college offers a Ph.D. in Business Administration (Finance major) and partners with other colleges at UNC Charlotte to offer Ph.D.s in Organizational Science and Public Policy. In addition to these programs based in Charlotte, the college currently offers academic programs in Mexico, Denmark, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer bachelors, masters, and doctorate degrees in business and accounting. “It takes a great deal of self-evaluation and determination to earn and maintain AACSB Accreditation,” said Jerry Trapnell, vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB International. “Schools not only must meet specific standards of excellence, but their deans, faculty, and staff must make a commitment to ongoing improvement to ensure continued delivery of high-quality education to students.”

To learn more about the Belk College, visit Belk College of Business. For more information about AACSB Accreditation, visit: www.aacsb.edu/accreditation.