The AACSB International Board of Directors has confirmed that the University of Tennessee at Martin will maintain AACSB accreditation for all business programs for the next six years. Accredited programs include marketing, management, information systems, accounting, economics and finance at the undergraduate level and the Master of Business Administration degree for graduate students.
Commonly referenced by its acronym, AACSB is the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. AACSB International was founded in 1916 and is the longest-serving global accrediting body for institutions offering undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in business and accounting. AACSB accreditation is considered by many the mark of excellence in business education and has been earned by 6% of the world’s business programs.
This news follows Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s funding recommendation in the state budget for a new UT Martin College of Business and Global Affairs building. The governor’s announcement came Monday as part of his annual State of the State address.
UT Martin Chancellor Yancy Freeman said the accreditation news from AACSB and Gov. Bill Lee’s announcement about the new business building represent major milestones for the university.
“Maintaining AACSB accreditation is an outstanding accomplishment in itself, but the announcement from Gov. Lee signals that even greater days are ahead with a new home for the accredited business programs taught in the College of Business and Global Affairs,” Freeman said. “We’re grateful to the governor for his support of a college with a long history of graduating outstanding business and industry leaders who will continue to impact West Tennessee and beyond.”
“Our college earned its initial accreditation in 1995, and as difficult as it is to earn the initial accreditation from AACSB, it is equally challenging to stay on the course, show evidence of continuous improvement, and earn reaffirmation of the accreditation,” said Dr. Ahmed Tootoonchi, UT Martin College of Business and Global Affairs dean.Tootoonchi also credited the college’s faculty, staff and students for their roles maintaining AACSB accreditation and added his appreciation for the university’s leadership and the external involvement that led to the successful accreditation review.
“We would not have been able to earn this without the support from the institutional leadership and our amazing advisory board members’ commitment, dedication and continued support,” he said.
“AACSB accreditation is the gold standard of quality for business education,” said Dr. Philip Cavalier, UT Martin provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs. “Prospective students, business graduates and employers can be confident that we have high-quality faculty, curricula is relevant and up to date, and those who earn degrees are graduating fully equipped to succeed in the global economy.”
UT Martin ranked among the best schools in the state of Tennessee and in the South region in several online-program categories in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 rankings for colleges and universities. The university’s online business programs listed in the latest rankings were:
• Master of Business Administration: ranked highest among colleges and universities in Tennessee, tied for 46th place nationwide.
• Master of Business Administration programs for veterans: ranked highest among colleges and universities in Tennessee, 28th nationwide.
Accredited business courses in many subjects are also available at the UT Martin regional centers in Jackson, Parsons, Ripley, Selmer and Somerville. Some degree programs can be completed entirely at the regional-center locations through a combination of in-person and online courses, while other programs require time at the main campus to finish required coursework. The MBA degree program is offered completely online.
For more information about UT Martin’s business-degree programs, visit www.utm.edu/departments/cbga or www.utm.edu/onlinestudies.
For information about AACSB International accreditation, visit www.aacsb.edu.
PHOTO: The AACSB International Board of Directors has confirmed that UT Martin will maintain AACSB accreditation for all business programs for the next six years. In this December 2024 file photo, participants in the UT Martin-TVA Investment Challenge Program gather to present the students’ end-of-the-semester performance report in the Kelly Murray Investment Management Room located in the university’s Business Administration Building.
