Accreditations and rankings
BI is ranked as Norway’s best business school, but the brand is not equally strong abroad. Accreditations and rankings, therefore, is an important stamp of quality showing that we offer educational programmes on the same level as the best schools in the world. This is important for our reputation both at home and abroad and increases the value of a diploma from BI. It is also of great value in connection with recruitment of international faculty and students.
ACCREDITATIONS
For BI as an institution, the accreditations give international recognition and status among other universities and colleges. The accreditations are an important door opener when BI wishes to establish valuable cooperation and alliances with other institutions.
BI Norwegian Business School is the only business school in Norway with the top three international accreditations; EQUIS (European Quality Improvement Systems), AACSB (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) and AMBA (The Association of MBAs). Schools with all three accreditations are called Triple Crown schools. On a global basis, only one per cent of all business schools have been able to achieve triple accreditation.
BI has had EQUIS accreditation since 1999, AMBA accreditation since 2013, AACSB accreditation since 2014. In 2018 BI was reaccredited by AMBA for another five years. In June, the school was reaccredited by AACSB, also for another five years. In the spring of 2019 EQUIS started its reaccreditation process, which will culminate in a visit by the committee at BI in March 2020.
BI has had EQUIS accreditation since 1999, AMBA accreditation since 2013, AACSB accreditation since 2014. In 2018 BI was reaccredited by AMBA for another five years. In June, the school was reaccredited by AACSB, also for another five years. In the spring of 2019 EQUIS started its reaccreditation process, which will culminate in a visit by the committee at BI in March 2020.
Earning and keeping accreditations requires systematic work on quality of education and research, and all aspects of BI’s organization. The requirements for reaccreditation are steadily getting tougher, and the accreditation agencies thoroughly assess BI’s ability to maintain and improve its standards.
Because of the very tough competition in the EMBA market, the AMBA accreditation, together with Triple Crown, are particularly important in connection with the recruitment activities related to our Executive MBA.
In 2016, BI became one of the world’s first educational institutions to receive the new certification EFMD Online Course Certification System (EOCCS). EOCCS is awarded on the basis of the quality of online-based courses to schools that are successful in utilizing the future’s teaching methods. This certification was renewed by EFMD 2019.
In 2008 BI was accredited as a specialized university institution by NOKUT. In 2017 NOKUT established a new supervision model, and BI was subject to an audit in 2017 as part of the pilot where four specialized university institutions participated. The feedback from NOKUT showed that a lot of good work on quality is being done, but at the same time systematization of several processes are necessary to meet the requirements of the new supervision model. BI’s project work on a new and revised quality assurance system has been carried out throughout 2019 on the basis of this feedback. The system will be implemented in 2020.
RANKINGS
The Financial Times ranking consists of a total of nine sub-rankings that are aimed at specific educational programmes. BI participates in five of the sub-rankings, as well as in the overall school ranking. The most important performance indicators are linked to former students’ salary level, career development and goal achievement, as well as customer satisfaction. In 2019, BI Norwegian Business School placed 36th in the annual Financial Times European Business Schools Ranking 2019, up from 35th in 2018. This placed the school as the best school in Norway and number four in the Nordic countries.
In 2019, BI Norwegian Business School placed 36th in the annual Financial Times European Business Schools Ranking 2019, up from 37th in 2018.
In the sub-ranking for Executive MBA programmes, BI-Fudan MBA placed 27th, up from 29th in 2018. BI EMBA was ranked 89th after falling out of the top 100 list in 2018. In the sub-ranking Masters in Management, BI’s MSc in Business is ranked 88th on the list of the best programmes in Europe, down one place from 2018. The sub-ranking Executive Education covers tailored and open courses and programmes aimed at the continuing or post-graduate education market. BI’s tailored programmes were ranked 66th in 2019, the same place as in 2018 while the programmes in the category Open Enrolment were ranked 75th, down two places from 2018.