Prospective Students | Why UWO
AACSB Accreditation
The College of Business Administration at UW Oshkosh is the only business program in Northeast and Central Wisconsin (offering both undergraduate and graduate degrees) that is accredited by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. AACSB International is the premier accrediting body for Business Schools; AACSB means quality. |
 |
Don't be misled -- A number of business programs in our area, as well as online programs, are telling prospective students that they have the same accreditation as the UW System and schools like Marquette University and the University of Chicago -- this is true for the University or College as a whole but not for the business program. This is very confusing when you are looking for the best business schools. It is always appropriate to ask a school specifically what type of accreditation they have -- the most important accreditation for business programs is AACSB. There are three distinct types of accreditation:
AACSB International (the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), is the oldest and most prestigious international accrediting body specifically for Schools/Colleges of Business. AACSB accreditation is difficult to achieve and difficult to maintain. Fewer than 20% of all business schools in the U.S. have achieved AACSB accreditation. The UW Oshkosh College of Business has been accredited by AACSB since 1970.
NCA (North Central Association of Colleges and Schools) -- NCA is a regional agency that confers institution-wide accreditation. Virtually all post-secondary schools in the Midwest are accredited by NCA. NCA accreditation merely assures that a college/university/technical college meets minimum standards for curriculum, staffing, services, finances, and instructional resources. UW Oshkosh is fully-accredited by NCA and has been for many years.
ACBSP (the Association of College Business Schools and Programs) -- you may occasionally run into a business program accredited by ACBSP. ACBSP generally accredits smaller, often private, two-year and four-year colleges which do not have the faculty and other resources that are common in larger institutions.
Therefore, there are SIGNIFICANT differences between AACSB International, ACBSP, and NCA accreditation.
Only eight Business Schools in Wisconsin have achieved accreditation by AACSB International:
University of Wisconsin Eau Claire
University of Wisconsin LaCrosse
University of Wisconsin Madison
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
University of Wisconsin Parkside
University of Wisconsin Whitewater
Marquette University
So, what does AACSB accreditation mean for you? It means that at UW Oshkosh you will:
1) be taught by full-time, Ph.D.-qualified faculty who have strong academic credentials and who are professionally active in consulting, applied research, and service on boards of corporate and non-profit organizations.
2) be exposed to a curriculum that is comprehensive, that blends theory with practice, and meets the highest business education standards--some schools have curricula that are "accelerated" and give you significantly less than that at UW Oshkosh.
3) have easy access to state-of-the-art computer and library resources.
There is no doubt that the College of Business at UW Oshkosh provides the best undergraduate and graduate education in Northeast and Central Wisconsin -- just ask one of our alumni!!