The business and accountancy programs at Wichita State University’s W. Frank Barton School of Business have earned a reaffirmation of accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International.

AACSB accreditation is the hallmark of excellence in business education and has been earned by fewer than 5 percent of the world’s business schools.

There are 567 business schools in 33 countries that maintain AACSB accreditation. Similarly, 171 institutions now maintain an additional specialized AACSB accreditation for their accounting programs.

Achieving initial accreditation is a process of rigorous internal review, evaluation and adjustment and can take several years to complete. The Barton School has now held the business accreditation since 1968 and the accounting accreditation since 1999.

To maintain accreditation, a school of business must continue to meet the 21 rigorous AACSB standards requiring a high quality teaching environment, a commitment to continuous improvement and curricula responsive to the needs of business.

AACSB International is the longest-serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in business and accounting.

Gary Miller, provost and vice president for academic affairs and research, said he’s proud of the great work of the business school’s faculty.

“This reaccreditation affirms the stature of the W. Frank Barton School of Business as one of the finest business schools in the country,” he said. “The school is key to our urban mission.”