TAMPA, FL (December 22, 2008) – AACSB International announced today that SUNY Institute of Technology (SUNYIT) has earned international accreditation for its business school. Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees in business and accounting.

AACSB International also announced that China Europe International Business School – CEIBS (China), Griffith University (Australia), Southeastern Oklahoma State University (USA) and Yonsei University (South Korea) earned initial accreditation in business. Additionally, 45 institutions have maintained their accreditation in business and 14 have maintained their accreditation in accounting. As required by AACSB standards, all accredited schools must go through a peer review every five years in order to maintain their accreditation.

“AACSB warmly congratulates SUNY Institute of Technology and Dean Stephen Havlovic, and welcomes them into the AACSB family of internationally accredited business schools,” said John J. Fernandes, president and chief executive officer of AACSB International. “AACSB accreditation represents the highest achievement for an educational institution that awards business degrees. The faculties, deans, directors, and administrative staffs of our newly accredited schools are to be commended for their role in earning initial accreditation.”

In earning initial accreditation, SUNY Institute of Technology joins an elite few which make up less than 5 percent of the world’s business schools to have achieved business accreditation from AACSB International. In total, the newest accreditations raise the number of institutions which hold business accreditation to 559, with 460 institutions based in the United States and 99 based outside of the United States.

“It takes a great deal of self evaluation and determination to earn AACSB accreditation,” said Jerry Trapnell, chief accreditation officer of AACSB International. “Schools not only must meet specific standards of excellence, but their deans, faculties and staffs make a commitment to ongoing improvement to ensure that the institution will continue to deliver high quality education to students.”

About AACSB International

 AACSB International is an association of more than 1,100 educational institutions, business and other organizations in 70 countries that are dedicated to the advancement of management education worldwide. In addition to service as the premier accreditation body for institutions offering undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in business and accounting, the association also conducts a wide array of conferences and seminar programs at various location around the world. Through BestBizSchools.com, AACSB provides a global resource center for prospective business students. www.aacsb.edu

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