Deciding to enrol in a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) program is a significant investment; one where you are investing your time, finances, and future. With any investment, research is essential in ensuring you get the most out of the school and the programme you choose. Accreditation can be the first sign that a school is recognized internationally and is making the commitment to ensure that they are meeting the highest educational standards and continuously advancing the quality of their programs. 

However, if you are looking to get your MBA degree in Canada, it can be challenging to find a triple-accredited business school. A triple-accredited school will ensure that your online MBA courses are of the utmost quality and recognized internationally. With the option of pursuing your MBA online, you have the flexibility to complete a distance MBA in Canada, while graduating with a degree recognized by employers internationally. 

Programs such as Aston University's Online MBA make it easy to enrol from Canada while completing your degree from one of the very few triple-accredited universities. Read on to understand what triple accreditation means and what standards a school has to comply with to become accredited. 

What Does Triple Accreditation Mean? 

Accreditation is critical because it means that the quality standards of a school's teaching, faculty, services, and students are adequately evaluated. There are three international accreditations for MBA programs which are awarded by AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS. If a school is accredited by all three, then it is triple-accredited or referred to as having the "triple crown" accreditation. 

What is the AACSB Accreditation?

According to The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), AACSB Business Accreditation shows that a school has met a set of rigoros standards and schools with this accreditation commit to upholding and advancing the quality of their programs. Currently, 862 business institutions have earned AACSB Accreditation. 

How long does it take for a school to earn AACSB Accreditation?

It can take schools between four and five years to earn AACSB Accreditation, as the school has to align closely with AACSB standards. 

What are the standards a school has to comply with to earn AACSB Accreditation?

According to the AACSB, 15 standards are organized into four categories: 

• strategic management and innovation; 
• participants—students, faculty, and professional staff; 
• learning and teaching; and
• academic and professional engagement. 

However, these standards are revised throughout the years, so schools need to be up-to-date with the latest changes and make continuous improvements. 

What is AMBA Accreditation?

According to The Association of MBAs (AMBA), AMBA accreditation is awarded to the best programs internationally and denotes the highest standard of achievement in postgraduate education. It is recognized as a gold standard by schools, graduates, students, and employers. AMBA is currently accrediting programs from the top 2% of business schools in more than 75 countries. 

What are the standards a school has to comply with to earn AACSB Accreditation?

AMBA's accreditation is designed to provide quality assurance and enhance business schools and MBA programmes worldwide. There are ten critical principles outlined, which include: 

• faculty quality and sufficiency; 
• programme design and leadership; and 
• student cohort experience; among others. 

What is EQUIS Accreditation?

According to the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS), EQUIS Accreditation is the most comprehensive institutional accreditation system for business and management schools and is acknowledged worldwide. Currently, 189 schools are recognised as being EQUIS Accredited. 

What are the standards a school has to comply with to earn EQUIS Accreditation?

The EQUIS process is based on a conceptual framework of quality criteria which are reviewed by an international committee of EFMD members. Standards have been developed for several components which include:

• context; 
• governance and strategy;
• programmes; 
• students; and
• research and development; among others. 

What does it mean if a school does not have triple accreditation? 

Accreditation and pursuing multiple accreditations can involve high costs and time commitments from schools requesting accreditation. MBA Today states that "seeking the triple accreditation requires an initial investment of at least $100,000." 

With these organizational costs, many schools will not go through the effort of having their schools accredited or pursuing multiple accreditations. In North America alone, only 3% of business schools are triple-accredited. However, 68.2% of triple-accredited business schools are in Europe, which makes distance MBA programs a smart choice for North Americans. 

Triple-accreditation ensures that your MBA online program is of the utmost quality and will be recognized by employers internationally. It also requires schools to comply with standards ranging from academic and professional engagement to diversity and community involvement. 

I am from Canada and want to enrol in an MBA online program from a triple-accredited school, what are my options? 

If you are from North America and wish to enrol in a program from a triple-accredited school, you may have to expand your research to international schools and programmes, as only 3% of business schools in North America are triple-accredited. However, there are many options for online MBAs in Canada which you can pursue from the comforts of home. 

Aston University has an online MBA program that is tailored to someone who is looking for a distance MBA in Canada and from a triple-accredited business school. With the option to complete your MBA degree in Canada online, you no longer have to restrict your research to schools in North America. You can graduate with an online MBA in Canada from a triple-accredited school, knowing your MBA will be recognized internationally and that you are investing in the highest-quality education. 

Resources

Americas. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.aacsb.edu/accreditation/standards/business.

Become an accredited business school. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.mbaworld.com/accreditation/become-an-accredited-business-school.

Equis, Bajeux-BesnainouDean, I., Bajeux-Besnainou, I., Dean, Desautels Faculty of Management, & Newsweek. (n.d.). EQUIS. Retrieved from https://efmdglobal.org/accreditations/business-schools/equis/.

MBA Accreditation: Why is it Important? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://find-mba.com/mba-faq/mba-accreditation-why-is-it-important.

The Triple Accredited Business Schools (AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.mba.today/guide/triple-accreditation-business-schools.