AMBAAccre itation The Criteria, Eligibility and Process Joseph - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

AMBAAccre itation

The Criteria, Eligibility and Process

Joseph Pilkington Msc

Accreditation Manager, AMBA

What is AMBA?

• Founded in the UK in 1967 as the Business Graduates Association

(more on the rebirth of that brand later this morning);

• Working promote, protect, enhance and enable MBAs;
• Our membership proposition (the AMBA Community) continues to

this day);

• Embarked on accreditation activity in the 1980s;
• The
• nly

programme-specific accreditation body in the internationally recognised 'triple crown' (AMBA, EFMD EQUIS, and

AACSB);

• A global organisation that happens to be located in London.

What does AMBA do?

• Accreditation of three types of postgraduate management

education programmes:

• MBA programmes (post-experience);
• MBM programmes (generalist, pre-experience Master's level, often

referred to as MSc or MiM);

• DBA programmes {as distinct f

ram PhDs).

• The AMBA community: a powerful force for good;
• Thought leadership (AMBITION);
• World class events.

MBA Accreditation

• MBA programmes must be accredited as a portfolio.
• Every MBA awarded by the degree-awarding institution must be submitted

for accreditation.

• A Business School cannot pick and choose which MBAs are submitted for

accreditation.

• If a School has an MBA programme(s), it must be part of its AMBA-

accredited portfolio.

• A School cannot seek MBM-only accreditation if it already awards an MBA

programme.

• All MBA programmes must meet the AMBA criteria (more to come
• n these).
• If one programme does not, the entire portfolio will not be accredited.

MBM & DBA Accreditation

• No requirement to submit all pre-experience MSc programmes

for MBM accreditation;

• Only generalist MSc Management {e.g. MiM} programmes

accepted for MBM accreditation;

• Shorter criteria for both MBM and DBA accreditation;
• If a School has an MBA, it cannot seek MBM-only or OBA-only

accreditation.

• Weare the Association of MBAs!
• Schools without an MBA programme can apply for MBM-only or

DBA-only accreditation.

The AMBA MBA Criteria

• Largely qualitative, embracing

the diversity of international postgraduate management education delivery.

• These cover governance,

strategy, programme management, careers support, alumni relations, purpose and

• utcomes, graduate attributes,

curriculum and assessment, amongst others (these are important!)

• 1. Demonstrating viability
• "An institution must have been graduating MBA students for a

minimum of three years in order to be eligible for accreditation."

(AMBA MBA aiteria,

p3)

• AMBA needs to know that the institution can demonstrate being

able to maintain sustainable numbers of students on its MBA programmes, and that those students complete.

• Note that the requirement is for three years, rather than three intakes

(important for School's with multiple annual entry points).

• Note that the requirement is for graduating rather than recruiting.
• For example, if a School seeks accreditation in Autumn 2020, and

recruits once a year to its 24-month P-art-time MBA programme, this programme will need to recruited its first cohort in 2016.

• 2. Faculty: The 50% and 75% Rules
• "Faculty teaching at MBA level must be appropriately qualified and
• credible. Therefore at least 75% of the institution's teaching staff

should have a relevant postgraduate degree. It is expected that the

majority of faculty will hold a Doctorate." {AMBA MBA aitsrion

3,4)

• In other words, 50% of the entire School faculty must hold a PhD.

Note that this is the whole School faculty as a pool from which MBA teachers may be drawn, rather than a School's current MBA teaching team.

• Also note that it is not mandatory for faculty to be research-

active, and provided that more than 50% of the School faculty has a PhD, AMBA welcomes the use of practitioner, professional, visiting and adjunct faculty in the delivery of an MBA.

• 3a. Students: Quality
• "Students are expected to have a minimum of three years

appropriate and relevant postgraduate work experience upon entry and the student body as a whole should average at least five years of such experience." (AMBAMBAcrit on5.3)

• An AMBA-accredited MBA is a post-experience MBA.
• "The MBA is intended for a variety of able candidates, primarily

graduates from any discipline; and/or, holders of an equivalent professional qualification.

Exceptionally,

mature and experienced managers with the potential to meet the learning requirements of the MBA may also be considered as

d.d ,,

Can I ates.

(AMBA MBA criterion 5.2)

• Exceptionally= maximum of 10%.

• 3b. Students: Quantity
• "To achieve adequate group interaction and diversity, the expected

intake on each accreaited programme would be a cohort size {distinct learning group) of at reas{ 20 students." (M1BAMBAcriterion5.3)

• This is generally viewed as the most critical criter(a, rooted in AMBA's

missiqn to ensure n MBA is an appropriate, 1viasters-level, post- experience academic programme.

• Emphasis on core curriculum classes.
• Must maintain this

number of students (implications for withdrawals, deferrals etc).

• In other words: if a School cannot demonstrate it has at leasft 20

ppropriately qualified and experienced students in all o its MBA core curriculum classes, it 1s not accreditable.

• This criterion is the reason

behind the vast majority of withdrawals of AMBA accreditation.

• 4. Exemptions: 20:20
• "Cohesion and integrity of the student cohort is a key

component of the MBA in order to maximise the learning

• experience. As such, admission with credit, advanced standing

and/or exemptions in any form is not encouraged, and, exceptionally, should be limited to no more than 20 percent of the course of study. This can be increased to 33 percent for students from an accredited MBM programme. Additionally, no more than 20 percent of a student cohort may be admitted with any level of credit, advanced standing and exemptions." (AMBAMBA

criterion 5,5)

• This has implications for School's that draw a large number of

students from one industry or trade.

• - - - -

5r;

• - - - -

:u: -----

2(;

• - - - -

Remainder of cohort Maximum % of cohort granted an exemption Remaining mandatory curriculum Maximum% of curriculum exempted for any individual student

• Sa. Contact Hours
• "The total number of contact hours is expected to be at least

500.

11 (AMBAMBAcriterion9.4)

• "Contact hours are defined as compulsory interaction between

the learning group and faculty, which in traditional delivery modes would be delivered completely synchronously." !AMBAMBA

criterion 9.4)

• "This does not normally include one-to-one interaction, or

student group work without faculty support. One contact hour is expected to be 60 minutes." (AMBAMBAaiteriap12)

• Sb. Synchronous vs
• AMBA defines synchronous delivery as "real-time interaction,

traditionally face-to-face but can be enabled through the use of

appropriate technology.

11

(AMBA MBA criteria p12)

• AMBA defines asynchronous delivery as "interaction that is not

in real-time. This can be enabled through effectively managed and monitored interaction through discussion boards, for

I I I

examp e.

(AMBAMBAcriteriap12)

• If any of the MBA programme curriculum is delivered using

distance or blended learning technology, it must conform to the AMBA definitions

• f

both contact hours, and either synchronous or asynchronous.

• Sc. Total Learning Hours
• "An MBA programme will correspond to the equivalent of t least

1,800 hours learning effort<-whicli should incorporate suitable time

for faculty - cohort 1nteract1on (contact time), group work, individual

reading and preparation, and reflection." (AMBAMBAcriterion9.3)

• This total should include the 500 contact hours.
• This will largely be determined by an institution's own calculation of

contact:additional hours.

• "The design of the programme must ensure that this can be

achieved within the stanaard set duration, accounting for other responsibiliti p that students will have outside of the study

envtrOnment.

(AMBAMBAaiterion9.3)

• Generally_ speaking, a programme that claims to require >1,800

hours' effort in less than 12 months' full-time study or 24 months' part-time study is unlikely to be seen as realistic or credible.

A Generalist Curriculum

• 13 topics (see AMBA MBA criterion 7.3);
• Must be covered an assessed in an MBA core curriculum;
• No requirement for each topic to have its own module (course);
• MBA graduates are rounded leaders, not specialised experts;
• "Specialised" MBAs OK if catered to by a range of specialised

elective modules additional to a generalist core curriculum;

• For those Schools wishing to provide an accredited,

"specialised" MBA, the "Core-with-Electives", "Pathway", or "Track" model is most likely to lead to successful accreditation.

Seeking AMBA Accreditation

• Multiple-stage process;
• Paper-based in the first instance;
• Successful accreditation requires a visit by an AMBA assessment

team;

• Maintenance of accredited status requires both periodic visits,

adherence to the AMBA criteria and conditions set by visiting panels, and a commitment to continual improvement.

Step One: Application

• Initial exploratory conversations with AMBA to establish

compliance with the main quantitative criteria;

• Letter of intent from the School Dean to AM BA;
• Payment of 2,000 GBP registration fee.
• Completion of Application Form
• The School will be assigned a specific AMBA Accreditation

Director with whom it will liaise throughout the process;

• The Application Form is reviewed, and eligibility is confirmed
• fficially up to four weeks later.

Step Two: Pre-Assessment

• Payment of a non-refundable 5,000 GBP fee;
• Completion of a Self-Assessment Form (SAF);
• SAF reviewed by the AMBA International Accreditation

Advisory Board (IAAB) to confirm whether the application can proceed.

Step Three: Assessment

• Work with AMBA to set a mutually agreeable date for an assessment

visit by an AMBA panel;

• Completion of a Self-Audit Report
• Generally 100 pages (guide), narrative-driven document;
• Tells the School's story;
• Template provided;
• Must be submitted along with the existing SAF to the visiting panel members

no later than three weel<s prior to the visit.

• Composition of Base Room;
• Logistical arrangements (travel, accommodation etc).
• Payment of a non-refundable 15,000 GBP fee before the visit takes

place.

• Panel expenses to be invoiced to the School following the visit.

An AM BA Assessment Visit

• Collaborative, developmental, peer-review mentality;
• 1.5 day agenda for an MBA or MBA & MBM assessment visit;
• Panel of four people:
• Chair, usually a current or former Dean of an AM BA-accredited School;
• Two other faculty or staff of current AMBA accredited Schools;
• An AMBA representative (guardian of the criteria/precedent etc);
• Competition taken into account;
• Where needed, speakers of specific languages appointed to panels.
• Decision and feedback given at the end of the visit.

The Base Room

• Safe haven for the panel {Wi-Fi, printer, tea/coffee);
• Separate to rooms used for discussions between the panel and

the Business School;

• No requirement to provide hard copy materials;
• The focal point of Day One;
• Used to triangulate and address queries raised following

reading of the SAR and SAF documents;

• For the use of the panel only for the duration of the visit.

Step Four: Post-Assessment

• ebI feedback gven to te School at the conclusion of the

v1s1t incorporated into a written report;

• Report fact-checked by the School;
• Endorsed by the AMBA IAAB;
• Completion letter and certificate;
• Assistance with communications, branding, PR;
• Eligibility to attend AMBA events;
• All current students and alumni of accredited programmes

eligible to enrol as AMBA Community members;

• Continual improvement and maintenance of accreditation.

A cautionary note:

If you are representing a Business School today that: 1. Does not have 20 MBA students in each individual MBA core curriculum classroom session; and/or 2. Does not have an MBA portfolio where every MBA programme is comprised of at least 500 contact hours that meet AMBA's definition; and/or 3. Does not have a work experience requirement of at least three years for MBA entrants; ... then I encourage you to pay attention to the presentation that will shortly be delivered by my colleague, Victor Hedenberg.

Please capture these links:

AMBA Accreditation: A Guide

The AM BA MBA criteria:

https:/ /bit. ly /20tzhfb https:/ /bit ly/2XcxAo T

The AMBA MBM criteria: The AMBA DBA criteria:

https:/ /bit.ly/30NDJdp https:/ /bit. ly/30QF9n u

For information or enquiries:

accreditati on@associ ati o nofm bas.com