About our accreditations

Accreditations are essential in business education. They show our teaching, research and knowledge exchange are of the highest quality.

As one of our students, you’ll learn at the cutting edge of industry standards. You’ll also benefit from exposure to the world’s leading professional bodies — most of our degree programmes carry accreditations. This will equip you for your professional life, by linking directly to employer needs.

For more information about our subject-specific accreditations and partnerships, explore our departments.

An elite business school

We hold three prestigious accreditations:

  • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
  • Association of MBAs (AMBA)
  • EFMD Quality Improvement System (EQUIS)

This places us in the top one percent of global business schools.

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business

As the world’s largest business education alliance, AACSB International connects educators, students, and businesses to create the next generation of great leaders.

We’ve been accredited by AACSB since 2016. To achieve this, AACSB rigorously assessed our educational standards.

There are currently only 45 AACSB-accredited schools in the UK, meaning the level of education you receive is of the highest quality.

Graduates from AACSB-accredited institutions hold a competitive edge in the job market and an internationally-recognised degree.

AACSB Accredited logo

The Association of MBAs

The Association of MBAs is the global kite mark for high-quality, innovative MBAs and postgraduate qualifications.

Our MBA programmes are fully accredited by AMBA, meaning they meet AMBA’s standards of excellence.

Our MBA graduates have access to the North West AMBA alumni network, providing excellent networking opportunities with other MBA alumni.

We’re also accredited by the Business Graduates Association (BGA), part of AMBA. BGA accreditation rewards commitment to responsible management practices, lifelong learning and positive impact.

The Association of MBAs (AMBA) accredited logo

EFMD Quality Improvement System (EQUIS)

We are an accredited member of EQUIS — the European Quality Improvement System. EQUIS accreditation is the most comprehensive accreditation system for business and management schools.

EQUIS accreditation means that we have gone through rigorous quality control against detailed criteria.

We’ve held EQUIS accreditation since December 2019. EQUIS business schools are recognised internationally, by potential students, faculty, employers, corporate clients and the media.

EQUIS accredited logo

Recognition for the Business School

Business School Impact System (BSIS)

Designed to determine our impact on our local environment, BSIS gives us the tools to discover the impact we have on businesses and communities.

Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME)

PRME equips students with the understanding and ability to balance economic and sustainability goals. We have been a PRME signatory since 2010.

Small Business Charter (SBC)

We were one of the first 20 UK schools to be accredited by the SBC in 2014, showing we excel in small business support and student entrepreneurship.

United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI)

UNAI aligns institutions with the goals and mandates of the United Nations. We’re proud to have been a member of UNAI since 2021.

The Network of International Business Schools (NIBS)

Supporting the incorporation of global perspective, cultural insight, and international experience into management education. We’ve been a NIBS member since 2023.