For those spending a substantial sum on an Online MBA course, a quality check from a third party will feel reassuring. The industry is assessed by multiple accreditation bodies such as: the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD); the Association of MBAs (AMBA), in London; and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) in the US.
The aim for many top schools is the so-called triple crown of these three credentials, which only a small proportion of schools hold worldwide. Many schools that top Online MBA rankings have the triple crown, which can help distinguish them in a growing market for online education. For business schools, each quality stamp requires considerable effort and expense, but competition for students is driving the accreditations business.
The problem for prospective students is that each body assesses different things, making it confusing to know which quality checks are the most important. We have compiled a ranking of the best schools with a wide array of accreditations, to help would-be MBA candidates chose their business school place. The decision will ultimately come down to a range of factors, but accreditation is a necessary requirement for many students.
Vlerick Business School in Ghent, Belgium, has achieved the coveted triple-crown of AACSB, AMBA and EFMD’s EQUIS accreditations. This means the school is recognized in Europe, American and at a global level as offering the highest quality of business education. It’s the only school in Belgium to hold the triple crown.
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Spain’s IE Business School has the exclusive triple crown, with only 1 percent of schools worldwide achieving the feat. All three accreditations assess schools according to different criteria and scope, based on factors such as internationalization, faculty and research. So, IE has achieved excellence across a broad spectrum of touchpoints.
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Warwick Business School is one of just a handful of UK schools with the triple crown, demonstrating a balance between academic quality and practical relevance in its teaching. The accreditation agencies praised Warwick for its creation of an interactive learning environment, an important component for Online MBA courses in particular.
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ESMT Berlin in Germany was founded as recently as 2002, but it has already bears the triple crown, held since 2015. ESMT was commended for its focus on leadership, innovation, and analytics — in addition to its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion across all its degree programs, including its new Online MBA.
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Durham University Business School is one of the oldest established universities in the UK and is one of an elite group of business schools in the country to hold triple accreditation. In particular, Durham excels in bringing external business to campus for student engagement activities and connecting international students with their local potential employers.
View School ProfileHult International Business School was the first in the US to achieve triple crown status. The school has campuses around the world. The accreditation agencies have emphasized Hult’s practical, relevant curriculum that develops leadership as well as entrepreneurial skills and fosters a sense of global responsibility.
View School ProfileThe School of Management of Politecnico di Milano holds the triple crown, demonstrating its future-orientated and innovative delivery of business education. The school’s distance-learning MBA focuses on digital transformation and includes visits to leading digital companies including Amazon and Microsoft.
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The UK’s Open University Business School has retained its coveted triple crown status until 2024, following a boom in demand for its long-standing Online MBA course. A distance-learning specialist, the OU’s course is affordable, flexible and rated highly by employers.
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Aston Business School, of the UK, holds the triple crown. It runs a respected Online MBA course that focuses on leadership development and can be competed in two years. Students develop their ability to be agile and to lead with empathy. There are also specialisms on offer in finance, global business or entrepreneurship.
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