EFMD programme accreditation is the most thorough programme accreditation system for business and/or management degrees and courses, including face-to-face, blended and online provisions. It constitutes a benchmark for what is considered an internationally recognised and peer-reviewed programme.
By Barbara Sporn, Director, EFMD Program Accreditation
EFMD making a difference
Founded in 1972, with its headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, EFMD is a global, non-profit, membership-driven organisation dedicated to management development. It is recognised globally as an accreditation body for business schools, business school programmes, and corporate universities. EFMD’s mission is to “act as a catalyst to promote and enhance excellence in management development globally”.
EFMD is a network for schools and companies that aim to develop socially responsible leaders and managers looking for opportunities to connect. Alongside our emphasis on educational standards for management education, we firmly believe in bringing companies and academic institutions together and work towards facilitating and strengthening exchanges between the two.
Excellence is one of EFMD’s pillars. Continuous quality improvement through accreditation, certification and development services helps EFMD members meet their strategic goals and benchmark against the leading management development organisations while maintaining respect for diverse institutional frameworks and contexts.
Accreditation is only one of a wide range of services provided by EFMD. EFMD Programme Accreditation is complementary to EQUIS, EFMD’s institutional accreditation system for business schools launched in 1997. Like with EQUIS, initially it was mainly European business schools that were going through the programme accreditation process (then called EPAS). Today, however, EFMD Programme Accreditation has become increasingly global, with 20% of the accredited programmes being delivered outside Europe in 13 different countries. The proportion of accredited programmes at non-European business schools has been increasing slowly but steadily and is expected to rise significantly in the coming years. At present, 130 programmes are accredited, representing some 98 institutions across 39 countries and 5 continents.
In terms of differentiation with other accreditation agencies, there are four key principles embedded in EFMD’s accreditation systems, be it institutional or programme accreditation: respect for diversity; internationalisation; ethics, sustainability, and responsibility (ERS); and connections with practice. Also, in general our accreditation systems are based more on qualitative than quantitative assessment criteria, which differentiates them from other international accreditation processes.
Finally, regarding EFMD Programme Accreditation specifically, its wide scope covering the full range of degree programmes, from bachelor’s to Doctoral Programmes, including also Masters and (E)MBAs, is a distinctive aspect.
EFMD Program Accreditation
EFMD Programme Accreditation was introduced in September 2020 as the successor of EPAS, EFMD’s first programme accreditation system for business schools which existed since 2005. In spring 2019, the EFMD Board decided to rebrand and further develop EPAS into EFMD Accredited. EFMD Accredited replaced the EPAS brand as a recognised label for top-quality and internationally positioned academic programmes in the field of business and management.
It further expanded EFMD’s programme accreditation system as it allows schools holding EQUIS accreditation to seek accreditation for their flagship and/or innovative programmes while newly accredited EQUIS schools can retain their EFMD Accredited label when gaining EQUIS accreditation. Hence, it is now possible to combine programme and institutional accreditation from EFMD, which was not the case in the past.
Moreover, the EFMD Accredited label comes with different logos (e.g., Bachelor, BSc, Master, MBA, EMBA, PhD, DBA and so on) that allow institutions to showcase the accredited programme more specifically thereby increasing its market visibility.
One of the main distinctive features of this accreditation system is that it can assess all levels of business and/or management degree programmes, from Bachelor to Master, through MBA and Doctoral Programmes. It also considers a variety of delivery modes including face-to-face, blended and online provisions.
Essential accreditation standard
The EFMD Programme Accreditation assessment covers in a comprehensive manner all key areas of programme provision: its institutional, national, and international environment; its design, delivery, outcomes and impacts; and the institutional and programme quality assurance processes.
Furthermore, the system emphasises the four key principles mentioned above that characterise EFMD’s accreditation systems:
- Respect for diversity: accepting different models of business programmes and business schools in their particular context.
- An international dimension of business programmes: internationalisation in its various dimensions and multicultural aspects are considered key features of any programme to be accredited.
- Responsible management: ethics, sustainability and responsibility should be embedded in each programme’s policies, operations, teaching and research.
- Connections with practice: the practical relevance of programmes through practice-based learning experiences for students (e.g., through project work, internships) and the involvement of senior management and professional practitioners in governance structures, programme development, delivery and research endeavours.
A particularly distinctive and challenging feature of the EFMD Programme Accreditation system is that it requires institutions to set appropriate and consistent Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs), both at the programme and individual course levels, and to establish appropriate assessment regimes. ILOs must include the international, world of practice and ERS perspectives mentioned above. The role of ILOs is to ensure an alignment between programme objectives, content, methodology of delivery and assessment methods.
Finally, digitalisation and research are becoming increasingly important areas in the EFMD Programme Accreditation assessment process.
The main value for a business school
There are multiple benefits of EFMD Programme Accreditation for the institutions undertaking this quality improvement journey:
- Global recognition: EFMD Programme Accreditation provides business schools with international market recognition of a high-quality programme.
- Programme label: A branded label (e.g., EFMD Accredited – MBA, EFMD Accredited – BA, EFMD Accredited – PhD, etc.) offers institutions a significant point of distinction in the increasingly competitive business education landscape.
- International benchmarking: Business schools can take advantage of international comparisons and benchmarking through the process of review by an international Peer Review Team. Peer Review Team members are carefully selected for their programme expertise and prior experience. Their task is not only to assess but also to contribute relevant ideas for the ongoing development and improvement of each programme.
- Strategic advice and institutional development: EFMD Programme Accreditation has a strong focus on programme management and excellence, offering business schools strategic guidance for quality improvement and the future development of their programme(s).
- International learning community: Holding EFMD Programme Accreditation makes business schools part of a vibrant international community of mutual learning and sharing good practice with institutions from different higher education systems.
Requirements to access this accreditation
In order to start the process officially, institutions need first to be declared eligible by an international committee. The key eligibility criteria include:
- Being an EFMD member
- Offering programmes in business and/or management (or related areas) that grant a higher education degree
- Being an institution with strong national/international reputation
- Being an institution in operation for at least 5 years
- Financial sustainability
- Having a minimum student intake per cohort of 25 (for general management programmes) and 20 (for specialised programmes) for the applicant programme
- Having appropriately qualified faculty delivering the applicant programme
- Providing evidence of academic rigour at the programme level
- Providing evidence of international perspective, ERS and business/practitioner perspective at the programme level
- Likelihood to meet the EFMD Programme Accreditation Standards and Criteria within 2 years from the eligibility decision