Accreditation

Elite Accreditation at Mercer Business

Member of elite business schools worldwide, Stetson School of Business and Economics (Mercer Business) is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). A prestigious accreditation, AACSB International standards are used as the basis to evaluate a business school’s mission, operations, faculty qualifications and contributions, programs and other critical areas. Mercer Business also is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)

Awarded AACSB International accreditation in 2004 following a five-year study, Mercer Business meets quality standards related to strategic management of resources, interactions of faculty and students in the educational process and achievement of learning goals.

Following the five-year candidacy period (1999 – 2004), a team of deans from other AACSB International accredited business schools visited and evaluated all aspects of Mercer Business, talking with trustees, administrators, faculty, staff, students and alumni. The team submitted a recommendation to the Board of Directors for AACSB International, who voted to grant accreditation to Mercer Business in 2004. Among the strengths that the peer review team noted in its report was Mercer Business’ faculty, which they stated "collectively and individually demonstrates attention to continuous improvement and innovation in teaching." The report also said that "interviews with students demonstrated a high degree of satisfaction with the faculty and with faculty availability outside the classroom." Regarding the learning environment, the team stated that Mercer University provided a strong sense of "family" culture on both the Atlanta and the Macon campuses and credited its religious heritage and orientation in helping "inculcate values of respect, collegiality and mutual support."

"Achieving AACSB International accreditation means that the Stetson School of Business and Economics not only has high quality to achieve accreditation, but also that it has demonstrated over the five-year candidacy period that it has effective quality control processes that ensure we provide a high-quality education in the future," said Walt Austin, Professor of Accounting at Stetson. AACSB International accreditation ensures students and parents that the business school is providing a top-quality education. It also ensures employers that AACSB-accredited business school graduates are ready to perform on day one.

Mercer Business’ MBA program is ranked No. 3 in the nation for “Greatest Opportunity for Women” by Princeton Review’s edition of “Best 296 Business Schools.” In 2010, Mercer Business ranked among the top 15 schools in the nation for marketing and accounting by The Princeton Review’s “Student Opinion Honors for Business Schools.” MBA students cited Mercer Business’ preparation as superior, placing Mercer Business as the only Georgia-based MBA program on the review’s marketing and accounting lists. Read more about Mercer Business rankings.