Accreditations and recognition
What is an accreditation?
An accreditation is a certification awarded by a private or public organisation that certifies the quality of a program or school, according to the criteria (or standards) set by this organisation. The criteria most frequently used are teaching staff, research, education, professional standards of learners, international outlook and CSR. Each accreditation body gives more or less importance to the various criteria, making each accreditation specific.
In France
In France, the main accreditations are awarded by public bodies such as the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MESRI), which issues the certifications and grades for Masters and soon Bachelor’s degrees for the courses, the Ministry of Employment, which records the certifications in the National Register of Vocational Certifications (RNCP) or the Higher Council for the Evaluation of Research and Higher Education (HCERES), the independent administrative authority responsible for evaluating higher education and research organisations. Some organisations are private (registered as associations) such as the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles (CGE) which awards certifications for the courses, such as Specialist Masters (MS), Master of Science (MSc) or BAGDE.
International
There are a large number of private organisations that accredit courses or establishments all over the world. The best known organisations in France are the AACSB, EFMD, AMBA, BGA, but there are many others such as the ACBSP, ECBE, ASIC, etc.
SCBS is a member of:
Conférences des Grandes Ecoles (CGE): the CGE is a group of 235 Grandes Ecoles (engineering and management) all awarding at least a Masters Grade; it awards certifications for Specialist Masters and Masters of Science. The CGE also enables the member schools to work together on specific topics (communication, international, quality, etc.).
Union des Grandes Ecoles Indépendantes (UGEI): the UGEI (Union of Independent Grandes Ecoles) brings together 36 engineering and management schools and works to promote the interests of independent colleges in the landscape of French higher education.
European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD): The EFMD is a European accreditation body that offers an accreditation of programs or institutions. It has over 900 members in 91 countries and over 400 accredited schools. The pillars of the EFMD are internationalisation, CSR and business relations.
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB): AACSB is an American international accreditation organisation, which works to promote and improve management education at global level. It has over 1,700 members, including over 840 accredited schools. AACSB accreditation focuses on research, teaching staff and quality assurance.
And has the following certifications:
Etablissement d’Enseignement Supérieur Privé d’Intérêt Général (EESPIG): the EESPIG (private higher education establishment of general interest) certification is issued by the MESRI (Ministry of Higher Education & Research) to private institutions that support the public service missions of higher education and research. Sixty-one institutions in France have this certification.
Business School Impact System (BSIS): the international BSIS certification, created jointly by the FNEGE and the EFMD, is awarded to schools that have demonstrated their positive impact in 7 different areas: economic, educational, professional development, intellectual, regional ecosystem, society and image.
Program certifications and accreditations:
- Certified degree controlled by the State
- Level 6 certification registered with the RNCP
Commission d’Evaluation des Formations et Diplômes de Gestion (CEFDG): The CEFDG (Committee for the Evaluation of Management Training and Degrees) is a committee that reports to the MESRI (Ministry of Higher Education & Research), which evaluates management training. It awards the certifications and Master Grades for higher education courses recognised as meeting the Ministry’s criteria.
- Certified degree controlled by the State
- Level 6 certification registered with the RNCP
Commission d’Evaluation des Formations et Diplômes de Gestion (CEFDG): The CEFDG (Committee for the Evaluation of Management Training and Degrees) is a committee that reports to the MESRI (Ministry of Higher Education & Research), which evaluates management training. It awards the certifications and Master Grades for higher education courses recognised as meeting the Ministry’s criteria.
- National Masters Degree controlled by the State
- Degree conferring the Masters Grade controlled by the State
- Certified degree controlled by the State
- Level 7 certification registered with the RNCP
Commission d’Evaluation des Formations et Diplômes de Gestion (CEFDG): The CEFDG (Committee for the Evaluation of Management Training and Degrees) is a committee that reports to the MESRI (Ministry of Higher Education & Research), which evaluates management training. It awards the certifications and Master Grades for higher education courses recognised as meeting the Ministry’s criteria.
- Degree certified by the CGE (Conférences des Grandes Ecoles)
What the certifications and accreditations tell you about SCBS
The fact that we have programs certified by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MESRI) means we can ensure that our courses are not only recognised but validated by the State, which has recognised the qualities required for higher education programs.
The Masters Grade also enables SCBS – South Champagne Business School to be a member of the Conférences des Grandes Ecoles (CGE), bringing together only 39 of the 300+ management schools in France.
The registration of the courses with the RNCP and the EESPIG certification enable the school to offer work-study courses, when this is relevant, and to open them up to VAE (Validation of Acquired Experience). It also means that holders of CPF (personal training accounts) can use their training entitlement to fund part of their course.
The CGE certification guarantees compliance with certain standards regarding the format of this rather specific training.
Finally, regardless of the type of accreditation process, it is a guarantee of continuous improvement as it keeps the school and its programs within a quality assurance approach, regularly audited by accreditation bodies.
Our current strategies
Currently, SCBS is involved in various accreditation strategies:
- Renewal of the certification and filing of the request for a new Bachelor’s grade for the BBA and GBM programs
- HCERES audit for all the SCBS – South Champagne Business School courses
- Renewal of the EESPIG certification for the school’s courses
- EPAS accreditation for the Grande Ecole Program
- AACSB accreditation for SCBS – South Champagne Business School
All these processes have a number of different stages and durations (from several months for national accreditations to several years for international accreditations) and involve all the stakeholders in the school (administrative team, faculty, students).