Welch College of Business Maintains Prestigious AACSB Business Accreditation

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The John F. Welch College of Business (WCOB) at Sacred Heart University has maintained its business accreditation by AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees in business and accounting.

Only 643 schools of business, or less than 5 percent worldwide, have earned this distinguished hallmark of excellence in management education. To maintain accreditation a business program must undergo a rigorous internal review every five years, at which the program must demonstrate its continued commitment to the 21 quality standards relating to faculty qualification, strategic management of resources, interactions of faculty and students, as well as a commitment to continuous improvement and achievement of learning goals in degree programs.

The Welch Master of Business Administration (MBA) program provides an opportunity for individuals to prepare for leadership positions in today’s complex and dynamic business environment. The program is based on a process-based approach to learning the key quantitative and leadership competencies necessary for becoming accountable, ethical leaders.

Beyond required courses, Welch MBA students may choose to study in-depth in one of four academic concentrations: Accounting, Finance, Management or Marketing. The majority of graduate classes are conducted in the evening at the Fairfield campus. This program primarily serves professionally employed students who want to earn an advanced degree under the direction of faculty members who possess excellent academic credentials and pragmatic business expertise.

For undergraduate business students, the Welch Experience is a comprehensive approach to business education that builds on an already existing curriculum of excellence. Starting in the student’s first year, Sacred Heart faculty, administration and alumni seek to educate the students inside and outside of the classroom and inside and outside of the country. The professional network available to students in the WCOB is integrated throughout the program’s events and activities, resulting in opportunities that will build a student’s résumé, help choose a career path and develop the skills and connections that employers look for when hiring.

“It takes a great deal of self-evaluation and determination to earn and maintain AACSB accreditation,” said Jerry Trapnell, vice president and chief accreditation officer of AACSB International. “Schools not only must meet specific standards of excellence, but their deans, faculty and staff must make a commitment to ongoing improvement to ensure continued delivery of high-quality education to students.”

“Congratulations to Interim Dean Rupendra Paliwal and the entire faculty and staff for achieving this reaccreditation,” said Sacred Heart President John J. Petillo, Ph.D. “That fewer than 5 percent of business schools worldwide earn AACSB accreditation is an indication of the high standards that are required. I am very proud that our business school stands up to such rigorous inspection.”

Sacred Heart University’s achievement will be recognized later this month at the 2012 AACSB International Conference and Annual Meeting in San Diego.

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About Sacred Heart University

Sacred Heart University, the second-largest independent Catholic university in New England, offers more than 50 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs on its main campus in Fairfield, Connecticut, and satellites in Connecticut, Luxembourg and Ireland. More than 6,000 students attend the University’s five colleges: Arts & Sciences; Health Professions; University College; the AACSB-accredited John F. (Jack) Welch College of Business; and the NCATE-accredited Isabelle Farrington College of Education. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its guides “Best 376 Colleges – 2012 Edition,” “Best in the Northeast” and “Best 294 Business Schools – 2012 Edition.” U.S. News & World Report ranks SHU among the best master’s universities in the North in its annual “America’s Best Colleges” publication. As one of just 23 institutions nationally, SHU is a member of the Association of American Colleges & Universities’ (AAC&U) Core Commitments Leadership Consortium, in recognition of its core, “The Human Journey.” SHU fields 31 division I athletic teams, and has an award-winning program of community service. www.sacredheart.edu

For additional Sacred Heart University news, please visit http://www.sacredheart.edu/pressroom.cfm.

About AACSB International

AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), founded in 1916, is an association of almost 1,200 educational institutions, businesses and other organizations in 78 countries. AACSB’s mission is to advance quality management education worldwide through accreditation, thought leadership, and value-added services. AACSB Accreditation is the benchmark of quality worldwide and most widely sought after by business schools—less than 5% worldwide have earned the achievement. As the premier accreditation body for institutions offering bachelors, masters, and doctorate degrees in business and accounting, the association also conducts a wide array of conferences and seminar programs at locations throughout the world. AACSB's global headquarters is located in Tampa, Florida, USA and its Asia Pacific Headquarters is located in Singapore. For more information, please visit: www.aacsb.edu.

To learn more about AACSB Accreditation, visit: www.aacsb.edu/accreditation.