Together with the EQUIS and AMBA accreditations, WU now holds the full triple accreditation for business universities, a rare and sought-after distinction. Places among the top 15 institutions listed in the Financial Times and Handelsblatt rankings have further cemented WU’s reputation as a leading international university.

There are three major accreditations for internationally renowned business and economics universities and business schools: EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System), AACSB (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), and AMBA (Association of MBAs), a program-specific accreditation. After its initial EQUIS accreditation in 2007, WU was awarded the maximum five-year EQUIS re-accreditation in 2013. As the first and only MBA provider in Austria, the WU Executive Academy received the global AMBA accreditation in 2010. This accreditation was renewed for a term of five years in 2014. In 2015, WU also received an AACSB accreditation, completing its triple accreditation. This means that now all of WU’s 27 academic programs have been certified to meet strict international standards.

Member of an Elite Circle

WU now belongs to an elite circle of some of the world’s leading business schools: Only 73 business schools and universities around the world – fewer than 1% – can claim triple accreditation by EQUIS, AACSB, and AMBA. What does this success mean for WU? “The awarding of the AACSB accreditation confirms the success of WU’s long-term internationalization strategy and it shows that we are well on our way to fully living up to our role as one of Europe’s leading universities of economics and business,” says Oliver Vettori, WU’s Dean for Accreditation and Quality Management. The triple accreditation confirms that WU fulfills the highest international academic quality standards, but it also requires WU to constantly evaluate and further improve the quality of its activities. The AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA accreditations are extraordinary achievements for WU, especially with regard to the difficult political situation in the context of higher education in Austria.

EQUIS and AMBA play an important role especially in Europe and Asia, while AACSB is highly respected in the Anglo-American region. The triple accreditation not only strengthens WU’s reputation in the academic community, but it also gives WU a significant edge over other universities with regard to faculty recruitment and offers a number of specific advantages for WU students and graduates.

Place 13 Worldwide, Place 4 in Europe

Recent ranking results further underline WU’s steady development into a leading university of world renown. With the Master’s Degree Program in International Management, its English-taught flagship program, WU moved up nine spots in the Financial Times Global Masters in Management 2015 ranking, coming in on place 13. This is the first time that WU places among the top 15 out of the 80 European business schools ranked. The annual Financial Times ranking of the world’s best academic programs in management is based on 16 differently weighted criteria in three categories: alumni career progress, diversity (percentages of female and international students and personnel), and international exposure and research. Excellent results in the individual rankings testify to the great international success of the Master’s Degree Program in International Management: 95% of graduates found employment within three months of graduation. They praised the high extent to which they had achieved their aims.

Another aspect that was rated very positively are the numerous opportunities the WU Master’s Program in International Management offers its students to study abroad at renowned partner universities, to complete international internships, and to get in touch with leading companies. With the Master’s Program in International Management, WU offers one of the top-rated programs in Europe and has achieved a place among the four top-ranked universities in the German-speaking area.