What is the value of AACSB accredited MBA

What is the value of AACSB accredited MBA?

Is there significant advantage when applying for jobs?
WHat is the trend?

Thx

 

Only in the Academia, and certain private sectors.

 

I've only seen it required in academia and once for an executive accounting position...

I have however seen "nationally accredited business program" mentioned about a 1/2 dozen times, usually with government contractors or consulting groups in North Texas. Technically that could be AACSB, ACBSP or even the IACBE.

 

Would a DETC business program also be nationally accredited?

 

Actually for a job it won't matter much, probably what will matter sometimes is the reputation of the school. Now, if you decide later to pursue a DBA or PhD like I did, for most programs if your MBA is not AACSB accredited you will need to take a buch of extra classes and that is money my friend. In my case I had a MS in Information Systems so the AACSB DBA program I got into made me take three courses from their MBA track, Managerial Finance, Managerial Statistics and Managerial Economics. Of the three I'm specially glad I had to take Stats since research requires you know how to use Excel, SPSS and other stat software.

 

A DETC business program would be from a school that has DETC (National) - Institutional (entire school) accreditation.

AACSB, ACBSP etc. are programmatic accreditors. They accredit business programs, not entire schools. In the US, most programmatic accreditors require a school to be RA, before they will consider its programs for their seal-of-approval. Consequently, I can't remember seeing a DETC school with programmatic accreditation for its business degrees.

I'm not sure if the term Friendorfoe cites - "nationally accredited business program" refers to programmatic accreditation, or just a requirement that the school be at least nationally accredited (DETC, ACICS etc.)

We'd have to see it in context, to be sure...or maybe even then, we'd still have to ask. Sometimes, in industry, requirements are so poorly written that "National" is used when the writers really mean "Regional." Some do not know the difference, or even that there are two kinds of accreditation.

Johann

 

Agreed - most likely. Lamentably common scenario: semi-literate serfs doing the hiring for heavy-lifting + master's degree + low-wage vacancies. Lowest common denominator is - unfortunately - a concept not confined to math texts, in today's world.

Johann

 

Good point by you.

 

Most reputable schools are AACSB accredited. Accreditation is just one of the variables that dictate salaries. For what I have seen, people with MBAs in more technical fields such as Finance, Operations, Accounting from strong programs tend to benefit the most from this level of education.

AACSB accreditation just guarantees that the program has met a high level of standards. However, there are many more variables that will affect your salary such as working experience, field of expertise, industry selected, extra certifications, etc.

Also, if you want to teach in the future, the AACSB accredited degree will open this option for you.

 

Accreditation is just one thing but the real value of an MBA is all the networking that you get from attending a full time on campus program. I wouldn't advice an online MBA (AACSb accredited or not) for people with little work experience or expecting huge salary increases after an MBA. The reality is that for most people, an online MBA would only benefit them if they work in a place that can provide them with opportunities of advancement because the MBA. Otherwise, it just becomes another 3 letters in your resume.

When you attend on campus, you get to network with companies because many on campus MBA programs have on campus recruitment, case study competitions, coop programs, etc.

Sometimes people think that because they finished an online MBA, this will mean an automatic salary increase. They don't understand that most MBA graduates that get this type of opportunities is because all the services that come with a traditional on campus MBA program that are not part of an online program.

In few words, if you are expecting huge salary increases, I would look for a residential program and not an online program. AACSB is a must in my opinion nowadays with so many no brand MBAs around but just part of the equation for a better salary.