Brandeis International Business School and Heller School Receive AACSB Reaccreditation

Strengths in innovation and personalization cited by peer review committee

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) recently extended its accreditation of Brandeis University’s International Business School (IBS) and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management (Heller School).

Accreditation involves a thorough peer review based on standards related to strategic management and innovation, learning and teaching, and academic and professional engagement.

The undergraduate business major at Brandeis was also among the programs included in the extension of accreditation. It is the third most popular major among undergraduates at the university.  

“AACSB accreditation is a globally recognized mark of distinction,” said Peter Petri, interim dean of Brandeis IBS.  “In this case, our peer deans from other business schools provided very positive assessments of the excellence, rigor and outcomes of our programs.”

In its report, the AACSB highlighted “innovation and nimbleness” at both Brandeis IBS and the Heller School in their delivery of both graduate and undergraduate business programs. The team commended these institutions for “rethinking and repositioning their programs in changing environments and in launching new programs.” The report pointed to the new MS in Business Analytics at Brandeis IBS, which is closely aligned with the school’s strengths in finance and quantitative analysis, as well as the successful introduction of the Executive MBA for Physicians at the Heller School.

Heller Dean David Weil said, “I am thrilled that AACSB continues to recognize Heller’s longstanding excellence in mission-driven business education. Our niche positioning in the social impact and health care management fields empowers students to address social issues using a business model.”

The AACSB reaccreditation team also cited “the high-touch, personalized experience both IBS and Heller offer their students,” according to the report. “Students laud their faculty and course experiences … [T]he program experiences exceed their expectations” at both schools. The report cited this culture of high engagement at both graduate schools, from admissions to student services, career services, meaningful research activities with faculty and the alumni community.

About Brandeis University
As a medium-sized private research university with global reach, Brandeis University is dedicated to first-rate education while making groundbreaking discoveries. Founded by the American Jewish community as a nonsectarian institution in 1948, at a time when exclusionary practices prevented equal access to some of the nation’s best universities, Brandeis has always welcomed talented students and faculty of every ethnicity, religion and cultural background. Today, our faculty, which includes Nobel Prize recipients and Pulitzer Prize winners, are leaders in their fields, as passionate about teaching and mentorship as they are about pushing the boundaries of knowledge. Our students are motivated, compassionate, curious and open to exploring new and challenging experiences. Our 235-acre campus is located in Waltham, Massachusetts, in the suburbs of Boston, a global hub for higher education and innovation.

About AACSB International
As the world’s largest business education alliance, AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) connects educators, students, and business to achieve a common goal: to create the next generation of great leaders. Synonymous with the highest standards of excellence since 1916, AACSB provides quality assurance, business education intelligence, and professional development services to more than 1,600 member organizations and more than 800 accredited business schools worldwide. With its global headquarters in Tampa, Florida, USA; Europe, Middle East, and Africa headquarters in Amsterdam, the Netherlands; and Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore, AACSB’s mission is to foster engagement, accelerate innovation, and amplify impact in business education. For more information, visit aacsb.edu