Distinguish the title from the content
A BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration), a BCom (Bachelor of Commerce) or a licence in management may refer to three- or four-year programs with similar content: accounting, finance, marketing, operations management and human resources. The differences mainly reflect the traditions of the country or institution. At many Commonwealth universities, BCom is the usual title. In the United States, BBA is widespread. In France and other European countries, the terms licence, bachelor or school diploma are more commonly used.
The degree name does not indicate the level of mathematics required, the proportion of required courses or whether internships are included. Two programs with the same title can therefore differ considerably. To compare them, the course outlines for the first two years and the list of specializations are more reliable than the label.
This caution also applies to duration. In the European Higher Education Area, the first cycle generally comprises 180 to 240 ECTS credits and lasts about three years, according to the official Bologna Process website; in North America, a bachelor's degree more often takes four years. A three-year program and a four-year program are therefore not automatically equivalent, but neither are they mutually exclusive.
Compare degree titles in a table
The following table describes common usage. These are trends, not rules: each institution sets its own programs.
| Degree title | Common usage | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| BBA | Common in North America and Asia | Proportion of mathematics and general management courses |
| BCom | Common in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and India | Opportunities for specialization and internships |
| Licence in management | Common in France and several European countries | Length of the degree cycle and progression to master's studies |
| Bachelor (business school) | Common at European business schools | State recognition of the degree |
One point deserves particular attention: whether the degree or qualification is recognized by the state. In some countries, a business school diploma may be officially approved or recognized; in others, it may not. Recognition determines access to further studies and certain public-sector jobs.
Understand what accreditation is
Accreditation is an external assessment of an institution or program, conducted by an independent organization according to published criteria. It is neither mandatory for teaching nor a degree. It indicates that a school has agreed to be assessed and meets certain conditions at a given point in time.
Accreditation does not guarantee the quality of every course, student satisfaction or employment after graduation. Nor does it indicate how much the school costs. It mainly serves as a filter: an accredited school has undergone a formal assessment, which is not the case for every school.
It is also important to distinguish school accreditation from program accreditation. Some organizations accredit the entire school, while others accredit a specific program, and a school may have one without the other.
Read what AACSB says about itself
AACSB International describes itself as the world's largest business education network and as the organization that sets the global standard in this field. Its accreditation page states that only 6% of institutions worldwide that offer business degrees are accredited by AACSB.
The page consulted provides neither the total number of accredited schools nor the number of countries. Counts reported elsewhere do not always agree, depending on the sources and dates. It is therefore best to avoid citing a precise figure without a date and an official source.
The page also presents the benefits that accreditation is said to offer schools: increased enrolment, greater competitiveness and more research grants. These are claims made by the organization itself, which has an interest in promoting its accreditation.
Read what EFMD says about EQUIS
EQUIS is the accreditation system of EFMD, a management education association. Its page describes it as a comprehensive quality review based on peer assessment, conducted by an international team that includes a corporate executive. It covers ten components: context, governance and strategy; programs; students; faculty; research; executive education; resources and administration; internationalization; ethics, responsibility and sustainability; connections with practice.
The page specifies a minimum of 25 full-time equivalent permanent faculty members. It states that accreditation “is often a condition for entry into rankings.” It does not publish a total number of accredited schools, but refers readers to a list.
The page consulted does not compare EQUIS with AACSB. Schools that hold both are sometimes described as “dual-accredited,” but this status must be checked on both organizations' pages.
Verify accreditation before relying on the logo
A school may display a logo on its website even if its accreditation is not up to date. Verification takes little time:
- look for the school on the accrediting organization's official list;
- note the date accreditation was granted or renewed;
- check whether the accreditation covers the entire school or a specific program;
- check that the program you are considering falls within the scope of the accreditation;
- compare it with other indicators of quality: national approval, position in rankings and published employment rates.
A discrepancy between the displayed logo and the official list is a warning sign. A reputable school provides the dates and scope of its accreditations itself. If in doubt, an email to the accrediting organization can provide written confirmation, which you can keep with your application file.
Avoid common interpretation errors
Three errors recur frequently. The first is assuming that international accreditation replaces national recognition of the degree: the two are independent. The second is comparing schools based on the number of logos displayed, even though each organization has its own criteria. The third is ignoring program content in favour of the brand.
Another pitfall involves rankings. EFMD itself notes that accreditation is often a condition for inclusion in rankings: an unaccredited school may therefore be absent from a ranking without this saying anything about the quality of its teaching.
Ultimately, accreditation provides one point of reference among others. It sheds no light on cost, atmosphere or actual career outcomes. These factors can be checked through alumni and published employment statistics, as well as through a careful reading of the conditions for degree recognition in the country where you wish to pursue further studies or work.
What about Canada?
In Canada, several universities offer undergraduate business programs under various titles: B.Com., B.A.A., B.B.A. Business schools may hold one or more international accreditations, which each institution displays on its page; McGill's B.Com. page, for example, mentions neither AACSB nor EQUIS and describes a flexible structure combining majors, concentrations and minors. Degree recognition in Canada rests on the authority of the institution, which in the vast majority of cases is a public university, rather than on private accreditation.
StudyCanada features business programs at McGill University, The University of British Columbia and the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa / Université d’Ottawa, as well as the Accounting and Financial Management program at the University of Waterloo. International student admission requirements can be found on each program's page.