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The ¼«ÀÖ½ûµØ School of Business has achieved accreditation of its bachelor's and master's degree programs from the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business, the International Association for Management Education. 

¼«ÀÖ½ûµØ--accredited as an institution since the 1920s--has one of the oldest business programs in Alabama, having offered undergraduate business degrees for 77 years and Master of Business Administration degrees for 32 years. The latest accreditation "further validates the quality of our business degree programs," said Business Dean Carl J. Bellas. 

Of the more than 1,200 U.S. universities and colleges offering undergraduate programs, less than 375 have achieved AACSB accreditation, according to the U.S. Department of Education. ¼«ÀÖ½ûµØ is the only private university in Alabama to be so recognized. 

¼«ÀÖ½ûµØ's business programs "have been valuable to the Birmingham community and a contribution to the creativity and entrepreneurship vital to the continuing renewal of our capitalist economic system," said ¼«ÀÖ½ûµØ President Thomas E. Corts. 

He noted that ¼«ÀÖ½ûµØ began offering the first MBA program in the Birmingham metro area in 1967. It has since added the Master of Accountancy degree program. 

To achieve accreditation, the business program satisfied the expectations of a wide range of quality standards related to curriculum, faculty resources, intellectual climate, admission, degree requirements, library and computer facilities and financial resources. 

During the process, ¼«ÀÖ½ûµØ was visited and evaluated by business deans with detailed knowledge of management education, applying standards widely accepted in the educational community. 

"The accreditation standards are 'mission-driven,' which means that we've been recognized for achieving excellence while maintaining the distinctive attributes of a ¼«ÀÖ½ûµØ education," said Dean Bellas. "We are pleased with the recognition this brings to our alumni, students and faculty." 

AACSB is a not-for-profit organization consisting of more than 800 educational organizations and corporations. Its mission is to help universities and colleges achieve excellence in management education. Headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., AACSB is the premier accrediting agency and service organization for business schools.