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As prospective business school students weigh through their options of which school to attend, the decision-making process can be overwhelming. However, an important factor to consider can help make the decision easier and allow for an exclusive group of business schools to stand out: accreditation.

������’s College of Business Administration has undergone the rigorous process to ensure the highest standards in business education are being met. In the end, the college has emerged among an elite group.

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) has reaffirmed business and accounting accreditations for Kent State’s College of Business Administration. AACSB accreditation is considered the hallmark of excellence in education, and fewer that 5 percent of the world’s business schools have earned it.

Kent State’s College of Business Administration is one of only  to earn AACSB accreditation. In addition,  hold additional specialized AACSB accreditation for their accounting programs, placing Kent State among fewer than 1 percent of schools worldwide to hold dual accreditation.

“AACSB accreditation affirms the high-quality programs and faculty we have at Kent State in our College of Business Administration from bachelor’s through doctoral levels,” says Deborah F. Spake, Ph.D., dean of Kent State’s College of Business Administration. “This places the college in the small group of business schools worldwide that hold both business and accounting accreditation.”

AACSB accreditation standards require excellence in areas relating to strategic management and innovation; student, faculty and staff as active participants; learning and teaching; and academic and professional engagement.

To achieve accounting accreditation, an institution must first earn AACSB Business Accreditation. Then, in addition to developing and implementing a mission-driven plan to satisfy the business accreditation quality standards, accounting accreditation requires the satisfaction of an additional set of standards specific to the discipline and profession of accounting. Once accreditation is achieved, each institution participates in a five-year continuous improvement peer-review to maintain high quality and extend its accreditation.

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

Founded in 1916, AACSB is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools. It also is the largest business education network connecting students, educators, and businesses worldwide. For more information about AACSB, visit .

For more information about the Kent State College of Business Administration’s accreditation and rankings, visit www.kent.edu/business/facts.