London School of Business & Finance / Grenoble Ecole de Management accreditation

I ran across an online MBA program offered by the London School of Business and Finance.
In trying to figure out their accreditation I need some help.
They seem to be partnered with Grenoble Ecole de Management, which is accredited, in some way.

I found a press release from 2007 where AASCB announced the partnership which would lead me to believe it is recognized. It says the courses are taught by Grenoble instructors while LSBF handles the admin part. One catch is that the release mentioned the Masters in International Business, not the MBA.

Can anyone help me in understanding if or how their accreditation works?

Thanks

 

So you are talking about the following place:

http://www.lsbf.org.uk/

Not to be confused with London Business School is an international business school and a constituent college of the University of London.

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/recognisedukdegrees/index.cfm?fuseaction=institutes.list&InstituteCategoryID=1

LSBF is not listed as UK recognized university.

Grenoble Ecole de Management is one of the few business schools (1% of schools worldwide) to possess the three accreditations that distinguish the leading international business schools: EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System), AACSB (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) and AMBA (The Association of MBAs)

If one earns a dual degree i.e. the LSBF and GEM then the degree GEM awards is Professionally / Specialty accredited for business type degrees..

AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) - Programmatic Accrediting Organization
Web: www.aacsb.edu
Recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, January 2002

CHEA Recognized Scope of Accreditation
AACSB International accredits degree programs in business administration and accounting at undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels. This accreditation is available globally. (2002)

GEM appears to be private school in France and it is not awarding French national format degrees. This could be a problem if one is trying to establish equivalency to US RA degree. - I'm not 100% sure about this statement, correct me if I'm wrong about the GEM.

The LSBF has no Royal Charter in UK and also no Privy council so it is also has no Institutional Accreditation.

 

GEM is ranked between 10 top business school in Europe, it has excellent reputation. The more I read about it the more I appreciate this school.
On their web site they state that they have also national programs, I wander if their national programs allow to award national format degrees.

Their degrees are definitely accredited and recognized in USA and around the world. Seems like awesome business school.

 

After a search on the RNCP (Type the name of the school after "Autorite responsable") it appears that GEM has at least 4 programs "accredited" by the state.

2 programs at level I (roughly equiv. to master's level and higher)
2 programs at level II (Bachelor's to Graduate diploma)

You should have no problems regarding international recognition of your degree.

 

I would recommend to run the statement of LBSF that they can award dual degrees by GEM.

If this is correct then GEM degree will provide worldwide recognition.
Contact GEM for clarification don't just take the LSBF word.

 

Lsbf

LSBF is Accrredited by the British Accreditation Council (BAC) according to the BAC website.

 

As far as I know BAC accreditation is not viewed in US and other countries as
equal to institutional accreditation such as RA in USA.
People with degrees from BAC accredited universities couldn't evaluate them
as equivalent RA accredited in US by NACES member services unless BAC is one of accreditations and th college holds another more recognized accreditation.

I'm sure BAC may have some value but it is from what I'm told even limited in UK and more so outside UK.

The British Accreditation Council (BAC) is an iindependent body, established in 1984.
private company limited by guarantee (Registered in England No. 1828990). - No Royal charter.

 

I think BAC is mentioned here:

http://www.degreediscussion.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7252

 

I read on another site the following:

LSBF M.Sc. Finance program, as an example: The awarding body for the LSBF MSc in Finance is University of Wales (Prifysgol Cymru in Welsh)

ALL the LSBF degrees are under Uni. of Wales or Grenoble Here's the quote from the LSBF site:

"...the LSBF MBA/MSc programme is quality-assured and accredited by the BAC, the University of Wales and LSBF's institutional accreditations..."

LSBF does not confer degrees of its own, in contravention of British law.

 

I'm taking MBA online acreddited by the University of Wales at LSBF. As far as I know they have MBA program accredited by Grenoble too. I think you should write to them and ask an official representative you questions.

 

Some order in all this confusion

LSBF is a fully accredited and legally certified educational instituion with campuses in London, Manchester and Birmingham as well as numerous international offices around the world.

The school has academic partnerships with Grenoble Graduate School of Business (GGSB) and the University of Wales, which means that all the programs are taught locally by the LSBF faculty while the graduates enjoy a degree from Grenoble or UofWales.

The online MBA program you're looking at has been actually ranked 19th globally by the Financial Times, and you'd be lucky to get admitted.

Good luck!!

 

So color me stupid but I need to ask.

UofWales and Grenoble have distance programs. Why would one go to LSBF if you get the same degree as UofWales or Grenoble?

 

Is that an opinion or a statement of fact?

BAC appears to accredit only internation students (or individual students). British Accreditation Council - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. BAC's authority doesn't include institutional accreditation.

 

It's not a stupid question at all and I was confused myself until I did some research and contacted the university.

UofWales' primary function is to act as a degree-awarding authority (2nd largest in the UK) and so it does for more than 120 higher education institutions in the UK and around the world (encompassing about 70,000 students).
The programmes at LSBF are unique to LSBF and it gives students (most of whom are international) the opportunity to study under a top-notch faculty in London.

Same goes for Grenoble. You get your education in the financial hub of the world, make connections and build you network in the city, and then graduate with a top European degree that is recognised globally. This kind of internationalization together with the double award degrees make LSBF a popular and attractive choice.

 

@Ike - Those are facts.

Why go to the wikipedia page when you can go to BAC's website directly and look up London School of Business and Finance from the list of accredited colleges?
British Accreditation Council

Also, you can check out the UK Border Agency's list of licensed sponsors: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/employersandsponsors/pointsbasedsystem/registerofsponsorseducation

Finally, you can try and get hold of His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent GCVO, who is the school's royal patron, and ask him if he was well received at the school's latest campus opening: YouTube - New Campus Openning for LSBF

 

It's not a stupid question at all and I was confused myself until I did some research and contacted the university.

UofWales' primary function is to act as a degree-awarding authority (2nd largest in the UK) and so it does for more than 120 higher education institutions in the UK and around the world (encompassing about 70,000 students).
The programmes at LSBF are unique to LSBF and it gives students (most of whom are international) the opportunity to study under a top-notch faculty in London.

Same goes for Grenoble. You get your education in the financial hub of the world, make connections and build you network in the city, and then graduate with a top European degree that is recognised globally. This kind of internationalization together with the double award degrees makes LSBF a popular and attractive choice.

 

From my understanding, it is the institution that grants the degree to say whether it is accredited.

 

I am thinking of starting in February the MBA online accredited by the Univ of Wales, but I have lots of doubts! Anyone from UK around here that could provide further information? How come some of their MBA programs are accredited by the Univ of Wales and some by Grenoble? Is it a well known univ in UK?

And since you (sindbad) posted a while ago, I was wondering if you can help me. How was the MBA program? Your experience with LSBF? Did you graduate already? Was it useful?
Thank very much and good luck

 

The UK government is closing the University of Wales after a scandal involving Visas and the University accrediting substandard degrees abroad.

University of Wales abolished after visa scandal - Telegraph

Also see:

BBC News - University of Wales effectively abolished in merger

Here is a thread on this forum concerning the subject:

http://www.degreeinfo.com/general-distance-learning-discussions/40067-university-wales-abolished-after-visa-scandal.html

 

Lsbf

Liar, liar. pants on fire.

Here's the Financial Time ranking of business schools. The LSBF is not even in the top 100.

There is a listing of Online MBA programs in which LSBF appears but it is obviously not a ranking.

Business school rankings from the Financial Times - Online MBA 2011 Listing