Cal State Fullerton’s continued excellence in business education has again resulted in prestigious dual accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the premier global accrediting body for business schools and colleges.
Through 2029, the college, the largest business school on the West Coast, will be fully accredited both for business administration studies and accounting, an accolade for which the CSUF College of Business and Economics has stood alone in Orange County since 1997.
“The college’s commitment to a high-quality, affordable, accessible and innovative business education sets us apart, and this recognition underscores our commitment once again to changing lives, organizations and our community,” says Sri Sundaram, dean of the College of Business and Economics. “My sincere gratitude to our faculty, our hardworking staff, our engaged alumni and friends in our business network, and our achieving student body.”
This international accrediting body took into account the college’s progress toward student success outcomes such as career readiness, the thought leadership of faculty researchers resulting in more than 1,200 intellectual contributions, and our impact on the surrounding community and beyond.
It’s a high bar, but it’s one that the Cal State Fullerton Division of Business and Economics — the predecessor of today’s college — began meeting in 1965, when the business program was only four years old, making it the youngest new college to receive accreditation in AACSB history.
Said Vivek Mande, director of the Cal State Fullerton School of Accountancy, on that program’s particular recognition: “We stand apart on providing a tech-focused accounting education with the input of top industry minds at only the fraction of the cost of other institutions. Young professionals are more than prepared to enter the high-tech world of 21st century accountancy through an education here.”
Excellence in a New Era of Change and Growth
Since the College of Business and Economics last maintained accreditation in February 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic brought the challenges and opportunities of a remote and then hybrid work and study environment and clarified the need for adaptability and resilience.
The continued expansion of signature programs such as the student-run investment portfolio Titan Capital Management; plans for Landmark Hall, the new home for the Giles-O’Malley Center for Leadership; and the revitalization of family business and nonprofit/social enterprise education have demonstrated that the College of Business and Economics has not only survived, but thrived.
The changes have been myriad in the past half decade, but the ability to reach higher through it all makes the college positive as it looks to the future to continue its impact on Orange County, Southern California and the global economic landscape.