AACSB International extends Dhillon School of Business accreditation

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International, the longest-serving global accrediting body for business schools and the largest business education network, has extended its AACSB accreditation to the Dhillon School of Business for an additional five-year term.

The University of Lethbridge business school was initially accredited in 2018 and is among the only six per cent of business schools accredited worldwide.

“Our priorities never waver from ensuring our business students are receiving the highest caliber of education, all the while finding ways we can perpetually strive to become even better,” says Dr. Kerry Godfrey, dean of the Dhillon School of Business. “The school remains steadfast in its dedication to program quality and continuous improvement.”

AACSB holds its members accountable to nine high-quality standards which are reviewed every five years. The reaccreditation process shines a spotlight on all areas of the school, ensuring excellence in teaching, curriculum development, research and student learning. The continued expectation of maintaining quality has shown that AACSB accredited schools have more demanding hiring standards for their faculty. This translates to students being taught by leading experts in their field; undergraduate and masters students with higher overall GPAs; and the majority of alumni achieving senior-or higher-level positions five years after graduation.

Since being accredited, the Dhillon School of Business has moved ahead with multiple initiatives. These include the development of new programming like the Health Services Management graduate certificate and master’s program, a graduate pathway for business analytics in the MSc of Management, and a new finance diploma. Numerous new courses in the fields of finance and innovation and entrepreneurship have also been added, while DSB became the first business school in Canada to include an Indigenous knowledge requirement for all business students. In addition, new student experience opportunities such as DSB Edge have been added, and there has been an enhanced focus on adding more opportunities to engage in community-based learning projects in the classroom.

The next five-year accreditation cycle promises more advances.

“We are currently developing new programming, making further improvements to teaching and research and finding ways to increase societal impact in the community,” says Godfrey.

The Dhillon School of Business at the University of Lethbridge is known for its immersive experiential learning opportunities, connecting learners with industry, its supportive, personalized approach and for exposing students to emerging technology. Study options available in both Lethbridge and Calgary.