Know International MBA Accreditations: AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, ACBSP, IACBE

Know International MBA Accreditations: AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, ACBSP, IACBE

Edited By Prabha Dhavala | Updated on Feb 20, 2023 11:42 AM IST | #MBA

International MBA Accreditations like AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, ACBSP, IACBE are much touted in the media when it comes to BSchools and management education. However, what are these international accreditations namely AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, ACBSP, IACB and what do they add to any institute that offers management courses? This is one question that comes to mind when it comes to checking business schools and selecting one. In this article we check out the various accreditations like AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, ACBSP, IACB and their importance.

Know International MBA Accreditations: AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, ACBSP, IACBE
Know International MBA Accreditations: AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, ACBSP, IACBE

Before starting to understand these accreditations, it's imperative to understand what accreditation actually means, the role it plays in ascertaining the quality of education at any institute and its importance for any MBA aspirant.

MBA Accreditation - Meaning, Types

The dictionary meaning of accreditation holds true in this case. Accreditation means the action or process of officially recognizing something as being qualified to perform a particular activity. In the case of MBA accreditation, this translates to the course and by extension the institute being rated as a quality one with value in the industry.

What are the types of MBA accreditation?

MBA aspirants must look for both national and international accreditations. This is because national accreditations take the domestic factors into consideration while international MBA accreditations allow for global recognition.

Types of International MBA Accreditation

Some of the popular MBA accreditations cited by business schools across the globe are AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS, ACBSP, IACBE. Each accreditation is looked at in detail in the section below.

  • AACSB: A global nonprofit association located in the USA, Netherlands and Singapore, AACSB accreditation indicates a business school’s commitment to four major factors - strategic management, learner success, thought leadership, and societal impact. To achieve AACSB accreditation for MBA, business schools undergo a rigorous process. Performance in critical areas, such as teaching, research, curricula development, and student learning is measured. More than 950 plus schools across the world have been accredited.
    The main advantage with choosing an institute with AACSB accreditation is that it is recognized worldwide by employers and universities. Therefore studying in an AACSB accredited institute would allow more access to top recruiters, vie for competitive salaries. Such institutes also attract excellent faculty hence the quality of education provided would be the best.
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  • AMBA: Another recognised international MBA accreditation is from the Association of MBAs (AMBA). More than 260 business schools across 75 countries are part of the accredited institute list of AMBA for their MBA, DBA and Master’s Degree programmes. Programmes need to reflect the prescribed standards in teaching, learning and curriculum design, career development and employability, student, alumni and employer interaction to achieve accreditation from AMBA.
    A major advantage of the AMBA accreditation is that business schools are recognised at the international level.
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Institute having AMBA Accreditation

Goa Institute of Management

IIM Rohtak

Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai (and Gurgaon)

Indian School of Business

IMI New Delhi (and Bhubaneswar)

MDI Management Development Institute

Indian Institute of Management Calcutta

NMIMS School of Business Management

Indian Institute of Management Indore

S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research

Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode

T. A. Pai Management Institute

Indian Institute of Management Lucknow

XLRI Xavier School of Management

Indian Institute of Management Tiruchirappalli

-


  • EQUIS: This is a comprehensive review system developed by the EQUIS Accreditation Board. The review process looks at a conceptual framework of quality criteria. An international committee evaluates each component of the framework as per the standards set up in place. EQUIS is internationally acknowledged and is often a prerequisite for entry to rankings. The assessment standards are set up such that schools can improvise on their strategies for curriculum development and design, research. EQUIS accreditation opens the doors to a vibrant community where mutual learning is encouraged amongst different systems of higher education.
    Factors that form part of EQUIS accreditation include MBA programmes, students and faculty, R&D pursued by a business school, Executive Education provided, resources and administration, Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainability, Internationalisation and connections.

Institutes having EQUIS Accreditation:

IIM Ahmedabad

IIM Bangalore

IIM Calcutta

IIM Indore

Indian School of Business

IIM Kozhikode


  • ACBSP: One of the popular international MBA accreditation is by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs. Also known as ACBSP the accreditation process is modelled on the Baldrige model. The MBA accreditation process focuses on recognizing excellence in teaching, student learning outcome determination with a continuous improvement model. The learning approach with a focus on student-centered teaching is measured to ensure that students gain the right sets of skills.

Institutes having ACBSP Accreditation


  • IACBE: Recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), IACBE is an accrediting organization that accredits business, accounting, and business-related degree programs (associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels) in institutions of higher education across the globe. Some significant benefits of IACBE accreditation include external quality assurance, sharing of best practices and public accountability.

Importance of MBA accreditation

While most students don't bother with understanding accreditation and its uses, it is imperative to always pick an institution that has accreditation. International MBA accreditation is a vital factor that should always be considered by students while choosing an institute. The reason being that accredited institutes have to maintain quality in various aspects like the curriculum, practices, employ good faculty, inculcate research to name a few. Moreover, international MBA accreditation also allows for a global presence/ recognition. All these combine to give a wholesome institute that makes the MBA worthwhile.

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Questions related to MBA

Have a question related to MBA ?

Hello Aspirant,

Yes, you can do an MBA after the BPP B. com from IGNOU, provided that you meet the eligibility requirements of the university or college that runs the MBA program. The BPP (Bachelor's Preparatory Program) certificate from IGNOU, followed by the B. com degree is accepted as credentialed by most institutions, especially open universities and distance learning institutions. Programs of study that are full-time or ranked highly - generally MBA programs from reputed institutions such as IIMs or other rank recognized private B-schools - will typically require:

  • Credentialed Bachelor's degree (the B. com degree from IGNOU)
  • Entrance exam scores (examinations include, but are not limited to, CAT, MAT, XAT, and university specific tests)
  • Although not very common, some programs do ask for 10+2 qualification, so each university will have its own eligibility criteria requirements.

If you are looking for flexible or distance MBA programs, both IGNOU and some open universities like Symbiosis (SCDL), NMIMS Global, or Annamalai University, should also accept you as a student.

You're absolutely eligible to pursue an MBA in Bangalore or Mysore even if you completed your Intermediate through APOSS (Andhra Pradesh Open School Society) and your degree through regular mode.

Most MBA colleges—whether affiliated to universities like Bangalore University, VTU, or Mysore University—primarily require a recognized bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks (45% for reserved categories). Since you've completed your graduation through regular mode from a recognized university, that fulfills the key eligibility.

Your APOSS qualification is also valid as long as it’s recognized by the government and education boards, which it is. It might raise minor documentation or verification questions during admission, but it won’t disqualify you. You should carry all necessary original certificates including your APOSS pass certificate, transfer/migration certificate, and degree marksheets during admission or counselling.

Hello aspirant,
The OJEE integrated MBA cutoff is the rank range within which colleges offer admission post-counselling. For 2025, general category cutoffs varied by institute. For example, Gangadhar Meher College’s integrated MBA program opened at rank 411 and closed near 8,200. Overall expected closing ranks for general category fall roughly within 1,500 to 5,300 for popular programs and colleges. Reserved category students have a wider acceptance range based on their quotas.

These cutoffs are influenced by factors like difficulty, number of seats, and reservation. To secure a seat, aim to be within the closing rank of your target college, ideally around first 5,000–10,000 for general admission in top institutes.

Hello Aspirant

At SND College of Engineering and Research Centre Yeola Nashik the MBA program is available through its Department of Management which offers a 2 year postgraduate course with 180 seats. This institute is AICTE approved affiliated with Savitribai Phule Pune University and accredited by NAAC with B++ ensuring regulated quality standards.

Specializations offered by this college

  • Marketing Management

  • Financial Management

  • Human Resource Management

  • Operations and Supply Chain Management

  • Business Analytics

Hello Ashish,

Yes, you can get admission to MBA programs at IISWBM without a CAT score, but only for certain courses. Note that IISWBM has MBA programs under the University of Calcutta and flagship courses like MBA (Day) or MBA-HRM typically require a CAT score. Other programs like the PGDM or Executive MBA/Course may have other entrance examinations on which consideration would be made, or considerations may be based on merit, and of course work experience. Always run any eligibility detail checks with the official IISWBM (https://www.iiswbm.edu/) website or The IISWBM prospectus.

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