UW-River Falls business program reaffirms distinguished accreditation 

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business distinction helps graduates find jobs 

Feb. 16, 2023 - Students attending business classes at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls have a leg up compared to many of their peers when seeking employment after graduation, thanks to a prestigious accreditation of the university’s business school.

The UW-River Falls College of Business and Economics has attained Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation, the most-recognized specialized accreditation that university business schools can attain. AACSB accreditation was reaffirmed for the accounting, business administration, finance, management, and marketing (strategic and sales) majors along with the MBA graduate program at UW-River Falls on January 25. The business school has had that accreditation since 2007.

The designation of UWRF’s business program as an AACSB school is a definite positive when UWRF graduates of the program seek jobs after graduating. Some employers only hire graduates from AACSB institutions, as they recognize the benefits employees of colleges with that ranking bring to their workplaces, said Dawn Hukai, interim dean of the College of Business and Economics and the College of Education and Professional Studies. 

“Schools that have earned AACSB business accreditation demonstrate an ongoing commitment to excellence in teaching, research, curriculum development, and learner success,” Hukai said, noting that the accreditation helps attract students to UW-River Falls. “Accredited members share a common purpose – preparing learners for meaningful lives.”

Matt Ihli graduated from UW-River Falls in 2017 with a degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing and professional sales. He said he decided to attend UW-River Falls in part because it is accredited as an AACSB school.

“I hadn’t really even heard of UW-River Falls,” said Ihli, who grew up in the Twin Cities suburb of Maple Grove, Minn. “Then I realized they were an AACSB accredited school, and that led me to go to school there.”

After Ihli graduated, he said the fact he attended an AACSB school helped him land a job. Today he works as a proposal strategist at Burns & McDonnel, an engineering and construction firm in Bloomington, Minn.   

“The (AACSB) accreditation really got my foot in the door when I was interviewing for jobs,” Ihli said. “UWRF is not as well known as some of the bigger schools, but having that accreditation made me stand out to employers.”
Only 5% of business schools worldwide meet the rigorous standards to attain the AACSB standard. Globally, 965 institutions have earned AACSB accreditation in business; 190 of those are in the U.S.    

Accreditation is a voluntary, nongovernmental process that includes a rigorous external review of a school's mission, faculty qualifications, curriculum, and a business program’s ability to provide highest-quality programs. The purpose of AACSB accreditation is to encourage business schools to hold themselves accountable for improving business practices through a commitment to strategic management, learner success, leadership and societal impact.