Staff Reports
The Moultrie Observer
THOMASVILLE —
The Thomas University Bachelor of Science in Business Administration programs and the Master of Business Administration program have been granted accreditation by the International Assembly of Collegiate Business Education.
“Professional accreditation is a tremendous achievement, and the recognition by IACBE adds to TU’s reputation for providing rigorous programs,” said Dr. Ann Landis, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
According to its website, IACBE, which was founded in 1997, is the leader in mission-driven and outcomes-based programmatic accreditation in business for student-centered colleges and universities throughout the world. IACBE’s mission is to promote and recognize excellence in business education in institutions of higher education worldwide, at the undergraduate and graduate levels, through specialized accreditation of business programs.
“The IACBE is an outcomes-based accreditation agency which allows the division to continuously assess the effectiveness of our business program,” said Dr. Jenny Swearingen, Coordinator of the MBA Program and Chair of the Division of Business during the accreditation process. “I am fortunate to work with an outstanding business faculty and to be supported by an administration that continually seeks out ways to improve our programmatic offerings so that our undergraduate and MBA student can graduate with business knowledge and marketable degrees.”
At Thomas University, undergraduate students who major in business administration can choose a concentration in management, marketing or accounting. MBA students may choose a concentration in accounting. The Division of Business along with the Division of Nursing offer a dual degree, the MSN-MBA (Master of Science in Nursing/Master of Business Administration).
“The Business Division faculty worked extremely hard on the rigorous accreditation process over the last couple of years, and their efforts paid off in a tremendous way for the university,” said Ann Marie Emmons, current Chair of the Division of Business. “This is a very prestigious accomplishment, and they deserve the recognition.”
Dr. Alison Riley, an associate professor in the Division of Business, said, “We made sure to be very thorough and exhaustive in leaving the IACBE no doubt that the TU Business Division truly deserves to be awarded accreditation. We must have done a good job because they agreed unequivocally.”
In addition to the Business Administration degree programs, several of Thomas University’s other individual programs are accredited by the applicable professional organizations. Thomas University as a whole is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award associate, bachelor and master degrees.
The world headquarters of IACBE are located in Lenexa, Kansas. IACBE has more than 200 members and 800 accredited programs in the United States, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Central America and South America.
