Accreditations are certificates for universities, business Schools, and programs granted by independent institutions after an in-depth assessment process.
DBA accredited programs
One way to select a professional doctorate in business administration such as the DBA is by choosing a school that is accredited by an internationally recognized accreditation agency. Accreditations do not guarantee that the respective program is the right one for you. But they guarantee you sort of a minimum quality.
DBA university and program accreditation
Accreditations usually are conducted and re-conducted after several years by independent and often private institutions. There are three internationally recognized accreditation agencies: the Association of MBAs (AMBA), the European agency European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS), and the US-American agency Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The AMBA accredits individual programs such as the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) whereas EQUIS and AACSB accredit whole institutions - once a school is accredited it means that also its programs are accredited, including the doctoral programs.
1. The Association of MBAs (AMBA): Accreditation of Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) programs
The AMBA tradtionally accredited MBA programs and in the recent years also started to accredit Masters in Business and Management (MBM). Now the have extended their accreditation portfolio and started to include Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) programs as well. You can seach for DBA programs with the AMBA accreditation on the AMBA webpage by selecting "DBA". More DBA programs are expected to follow and it may be advisable to have a look at the AMBA website from time to time. AMBA accredited DBAs are:
- Aston Business School DBA
- Centrum Católica DBA
- Cranfield School of Management DBA
- emlyon Business School DBA
- GSCM - Graduate School of Corporate Management
- Gordon Institute of Science and Business (GIBS) DBA
- Grenoble Ecole de Management DBA
- Henley Business School, University of Reading DBA
- Kingston Business School DBA
- SDA Bocconi School of Management DBA
- Vlerick Business School DBA
2. The AACSB: Accreditation of institutions as a whole
In contrast to the AMBA, the AACSB accredits institutions as a whole. Once the accreditation is granted all programs are accredited as well, including the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) programs. The AACSB is a US-based agency and traditionally accredited institutions primarily in North America. This regional focus has changed over time, however, and most top business schools outside of North America aim at getting the AACSB accreditation meanwhile. Here is a list of AACSB-accredited schools that offer a DBA program:
- Aston University, UK
- Bradford University School of Management, UK
- Case Western University, Weatherhead, USA
- City University of Hong Kong, China
- Cleveland State University, USA
- Cranfield University, UK
- Creighton University, USA
- CUNW, Baruch College, Zicklin, USA
- DePaul University, USA
- Drexel University, LeBow, USA
- Durham University, UK
- emlyon Business School, France
- ESC Rennes School of Business, France
- Euromed Marseille Ecole de Management, France
- Florida Atlantic University, USA
- Florida International University, Chapman, USA
- Georgia State University, USA
- Grenoble Ecole de Management, France
- Hong Kong Baptist University, China
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China
- IE Business School-Spain
- Indiana University of Pennsylvania, USA
- Jacksonville University, USA
- Kennesaw State University, USA
- Louisiana Tech University, USA (this full-time program for people aiming at an academic career)
- Manchester Business School, UK
- Marshall University, USA
- Oklahoma State University, USA
- Pace University, USA
- Pepperdine University, USA
- Prairie View A&M University, USA
- Rollins College, Crummer, USA
- Sacred Heart University, John F. Welch, USA
- SDA Bocconi School of Management, Italy
- SMU Singapore Management University, Lee Kong Chain School
- Temple University Fox, USA
- Toulouse Business School, France
- United Arab Emirates University, United Arab Emirates
- University of Dallas (USA)
- Universidad del Turabo, Puerto Ric, USA
- University of Florida, Warrington, USA
- University of Liverpool, UK
- University of Minnesota, Carlson, USA
- University of Missouri-St.Louis, USA
- University of North Alabama, USA
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA
- University of Reading, Henley Business School UK
- University of Rhode Island, USA
- University of Scranton, USA
- University of South Alabama, Mitchell, USA (this full-time program is for professionals aiming at an academic career)
- University of South Florida, USA
- University of Strathclyde Business School, UK
- University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, USA
- Vlerick Business School, Belgium
- Washington University in St. Louis, USA
3. EQUIS: Accreditation of institutions as a whole
Also the European EQUIS agency grants an accreditation. It belongs to the EFMD, an international membership organization in Brussels (Belgium), and aims at raising the standards of management education similar to the AACSB. On the EQUIS homepage, it is cleary emphasized that their quality assessement focus includes all types of management programs, from the Bachelor to doctoral degrees and the EQUIS accreditation hence offers another indicator of a busines school's quality. Here are EQUIS-accredited schools that offer DBA programs:
- Aalto University School of Economics, Finnland
- Ashridge Business School, UK
- Aston Business School, UK
- Bradford University School of Management, UK
- City University of Hong Kong, China
- Cranfield School of Management-UK
- Durham University Business School, UK
- emlyon Business School, France
- ESC Rennes School of Business, France (EPAS accreditation)
- Euromed Marseille Grand Ecole, France
- Fudan University School of Management, China
- Grenoble Ecole de Management, France
- Henley Business School, University of Reading, UK
- Hong Kong Baptist University, China
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China
- IE Business School, Spain
- Maastricht University, The Netherlands
- Manchester Business School, UK
- SDA Bocconi School of Management, Italy
- Skema Business School, France
- Toulouse Business School, France
- Universidad Centrum Católica, Peru
- Université Paris-Dauphine
- University of Strathclyde Business School, UK
- Vlerick Business School, Belgium
By Thomas Graf
