Barowsky School of Business Poised For Growth Following AACSB Accreditation

Dominican University of California’s Barowsky School of Business (BSB) has joined the elite network of business schools accredited by AACSB International (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business). AACSB accreditation recognizes demonstrated excellence in faculty research, curriculum development, innovative instruction, student learning, and impact.

Less than six percent of the world’s business schools are accredited by AACSB, the agency which has been setting the gold standard for business education since 1916. Accreditation ensures continuous improvement, as all AACSB-accredited schools must pass a multi-year rigorous review process by peers from business academia.

“This achievement recognizes the strength of our faculty, the commitment of our staff, the innovation of our leadership, and the dedication of our University to delivering an exceptional education,” said Dominican University of California President Mary B. Marcy. “Our students — undergraduate, graduate, local, international — are the diverse beneficiaries of this remarkable school and institution."

 AACSB accreditation will increase BSB’s national and global visibility, while also allowing the school to develop partnerships with companies providing tuition support for employees, said BSB Dean Dr. Yung-Jae Lee.

“Because the AACSB accreditation is synonymous with a high-quality business education through innovation, engagement, and impact, accreditation will help BSB in attracting outstanding students to the undergraduate and graduate programs,” Dr. Lee said.

“Accreditation will particularly help BSB to recruit more international students, as these students often only consider schools holding AACSB accreditation,” he added. “U.S. companies providing tuition support to their employees prefer to work with accredited business schools, and we look forward to developing additional partnerships with Bay Area companies and organizations now that we are accredited.”

BSB is Marin County’s largest and oldest business school. Its location in one of the country’s most entrepreneurial and socially-conscious areas – six young Marin County companies recently were named among the fastest growing in the nation – attracts students from across California, the United States, and overseas.

The undergraduate Business Administration program weaves ethics and social responsibility into the curriculum. Flexibility allows business students to double major or add minors in a wide range of academic disciplines, including coding and software design, biochemistry, communication, literature, cognitive and experimental science, psychology, environmental sciences, and global public health.

Graduate programs include a tailored one-year MBA that emphasizes strategic management, global business, leadership, negotiation, networking, team-building, and effective communication skills. A 12-month Master of Science in Business Analytics offers coursework in data visualization, programming, data security, machine learning, and cloud computing.

The BSB’s new 12-month Master of Science in Accounting features a deep dive into the growing field of accounting analytics. Small classes allow for personalized instruction as graduates prepare for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam, with many classes integrating components of the CPA exam into the curriculum.

BSB is home to the Institute for Leadership Studies, the Françoise O. Lepage Center for Global Innovation, the Marin Small Business Development Center, and the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Each year, several thousand people attend the popular Leadership Lecture Series, while intimate Business Edge Briefings led by industry experts offer outstanding in-person networking opportunities for students and professionals.

BSB’s hands-on approach extends to its career and internship services, which focuses on professional development while providing students with opportunities to network with Bay Area corporate, educational, and public sector leaders, as well as with the school’s extensive network of alumni working in finance, technology, healthcare, hospitality, and nonprofits. In recent years, undergraduate students seeking careers have earned a 100% placement rate with a variety of companies, from small Bay Area businesses to large Fortune 500 companies to start-ups in tech and social entrepreneurship.