If a b-school has not received AACSB accreditation, should I even consider applying, or is that an automatic deal-killer? The specific school I have in mind is Johns Hopkins. Great brand name...they offer a lot of options for working professionals...and, in general, their program seems like a great "fit" for my profile. But I can't seem to get over the fact that AACSB hasn't put its "seal of approval" on their program. Is that a serious red-flag, or is the AACSB accreditation just a stupid formality that I shouldn't worry about?
Dear southhobart:
You pose a good question as Johns Hopkins has strong name recognition. I find it interesting the school has not received AACSB accreditation as it must be a deliberate choice on the school's part. Perhaps the business school has received accreditation from another entity? Generally speaking, you want a school with AACSB accreditation as it is viewed as the gold standard for business schools. Schools must not only meet a certain threshold in terms of curriculum and resources, but must maintain those standards with periodic audits for re-accreditation.
In this case, I think you need to look at the reputation for Johns Hopkins MBA graduates in the geographic locale you want to be in post-MBA. If you want to stay in the metro-DC area, then it might not be an issue and the program is fine. If you want to leave the metro-DC area, then look at where students have taken jobs upon graduating and even ask if they have alumni in the industries you wish to pursue. Should the school have a good placement rate (by your estimation) in this industry/geography, then the lack of accreditation might not be an issue.
Best of luck to you!
Lisa
