University of Exeter Business School retains status as one of the world’s elite institutions

The School has been placed in the top 1 per cent of business schools worldwide by international assessors EQUIS, achieving the highest level of accreditation. EQUIS is a leading international system of quality assessment, improvement and accreditation of higher education institutions in management and business administration.

The School has been awarded accreditation for five years, one of only 15 institutions within the UK to have gained this level of endorsement. An international review team visited in September to interview students, staff and partners of the School, following which a jury of experts then awarded the accreditation.

To gain this prestigious status institutions must demonstrate the highest quality in all their activities. EQUIS assessors look at all the activities of an institution, including research, e-learning units, student engagement, alumni and corporate connections and also community outreach. They accredit institutions which are innovative and have an international focus.

The University of Exeter Business School was given three year EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System) accreditation in 2013. The review team were impressed by the progress made by the School since the last visit, the strong engagement with its corporate and alumni community and the work and study spaces.

EQUIS is run by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD). It is the largest international network association in the field of management development, the EFMD network includes almost 800 institutional members and reaches over 25,000 management development professionals from academia, business, public service and consultancy across 80 countries worldwide.

Pro-Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean of the Business School, Professor David Allen said: “We are extremely pleased to have been granted the coveted 5 year accreditation from EFMD. This award certifies the quality of our institution and is testament to the talented and dedicated staff that makes this place an exceptional place to work and study.

This accolade adds weight to the Schools plans as we enter the New Year with ambitious aspirations to build on our reputation as a world-class institution”

The University of Exeter Business School, based in Exeter and Penryn in Cornwall, has approximately 3,900 students, studying courses in Management, Economics, Accounting and Finance and the world leading One Planet MBA. Students represent over 150 countries worldwide.

In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework 73 per cent of published work by academics was ranked as world-leading or internationally excellent. In the past five years academics have attracted more than £6m of research grant funding.

The School is also accredited by the Association of Masters in Business Administration (AMBA), the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Institute for Fiscal Studies, Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, Chartered Institute of Professional Development (CIPD), Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). Work is underway to also achieve AACSB accreditation in the very near future.

The University of Exeter Business School’s partners include multinational organisations such as SAP, IBM, Ernst & Young and Thompson Reuters.

The School’s International Advisory Board has members from BASF, Rothschild, Fujitsu, British Airways and Credit Suisse.