Project Management Methods Applied to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) Initial Accreditation Process

Accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) exemplifies a widely accepted commitment to business school differentiation both in terms of both value and quality. Business schools embarking on the initial accreditation journey must invest significant human and capital resources to achieve this goal. Given this, institutions should employ practices designed to optimize their potential for success. Well-established project management processes can do just that. This paper summarizes the scope of AACSB initial accreditation, reviews applicable project management development approaches, and summarizes the project management methods and artifacts most appropriate for each phase of the accreditation process.