04/12/2021—
The Michigan Technological University College of Business (COB) has been approved for an accreditation extension to 2026 by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
AACSB is the longest-serving global association dedicated to advancing management education. The association is synonymous with the highest standards in business education and its accreditation has been earned by only 5% of the world's schools offering business degrees at the bachelor's level or higher.
Dean Johnson, dean of the Michigan Tech College of Business, says the renewal is an affirmation of the job the College is doing.
“It’s a reflection of our ability to fulfill AACSB’s mission with our uniquely tech-focused curriculum and premiere faculty research and teaching ability,” he said.
To maintain accreditation, a school is put through a rigorous review every five years, demonstrating quality standards relating to faculty qualifications, strategic use of resources, faculty and student interaction and a commitment to continuous improvement and achievement of learning goals in degree programs.
Why Accreditation Matters
Johnson explains why AACSB accreditation is vital. “The AACSB has strict standards for curriculum development and faculty qualifications, research and teaching. Accreditation also documents that our program innovatively responds to the ever-changing demands of the business world. The output of this excellence is seen in our students.”
Measured against peers, Michigan Tech accounting students earn the second-highest CPA pass rates in the nation and achieve the highest average score. AACSB is an internationally recognized seal employers know and trust. “Our students land paid internships after their very first semester. Top firms and corporations need our skilled thinkers who are highly adaptable and ready for any challenge,” Johnson added.
Advancing the Future of Business
In their peer review, AACSB’s Continuous Improvement Review Committee commended COB’s Husky Investment Tournament designed for high school business classrooms. The stock-trading simulation takes pre-college students through a semester-long hands-on stock trading experience while infusing principles of the business world and introducing students to the people and opportunities in business at Michigan Tech. The outreach program provides high school business educators with easily implementable tools and resources, including video modules created by MTU students and faculty.
In return for their participation, high school students receive a scholarship to Michigan Tech. Since its inception, the Husky Investment Tournament has reached more than 1,000 students from nine states and two countries.
Additionally in their report, COB was lauded for its demonstrated commitment to developing curriculum centered on technology and analytics. At the undergraduate level, new offerings include a concentration in data analytics in accounting, a minor in business and the state’s first minor in financial technology (FinTech). At the graduate level, updates include a master’s degree in engineering management and graduate certificates in accounting analytics and forensic accounting.
The College of Business offers undergraduate majors in accounting, construction management, economics, engineering management, finance, management, management information systems and marketing, as well as a general business option. Graduate degrees include the Tech MBA®, a Master of Engineering Management, a Master of Science in Accounting and a Master of Science in Applied Natural Resource Economics.
Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.