NEWS
University of Bahrain’s College of Business Administration Earns Prestigious International Accreditation
The College of Business Administration at the University of Bahrain has received international academic accreditation from one of the world’s most prestigious business school accrediting bodies—the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). With this achievement, the college joins the elite 5% of business schools worldwide that hold this distinguished accreditation.
President of the University of Bahrain, Prof. Riyad Yousif Hamzah, congratulated the college’s dean, faculty, and administrative staff for this milestone, noting that all six undergraduate and graduate programs at the college—Bachelor’s in Accounting, Banking and Finance, Business Management, Marketing, Islamic Banking and Finance, and the MBA—have been internationally accredited.
He stated, “For decades, the College of Business Administration has graduated generations who have uplifted administrative, financial, and banking sectors—both Islamic and conventional—and produced leaders at home and abroad. Today, the college proves its programs are worthy of global recognition and among the best business schools worldwide.”
Prof. Hamzah emphasized the college’s significance, being the largest at the university and one of its founding faculties, attracting large numbers of students due to the strength of its academic offerings. “Today, its international accreditation stands as a source of pride and further establishes its academic standing,” he said. He added that expanding the number of internationally accredited programs is a strategic objective, contributing to enhancing graduate quality and supporting Bahrain’s development goals.
Dean of the college, Prof. Minwar Mlouh Al-Shammari, described the accreditation as the result of six years of continuous effort, during which the college implemented major changes to meet international standards. These included revising its mission, goals, and strategic plan, enhancing outcomes, and reforming policies related to teaching, research, promotions, governance, academic advising, community service, and curriculum development. A minor specialization system was also introduced to help students increase their job market opportunities.
The college responded to the growing demand for graduates in Islamic banking by launching a new program in that field. It also made efforts to recruit internationally qualified faculty, encouraged scientific research, hosted international conferences and workshops, and invested in training Bahraini teaching assistants by sending them to top universities worldwide to prepare them for future academic positions. Additionally, the college enhanced student guidance systems to support skill development and academic success.
The AACSB review team, composed of deans from business schools across Europe, America, and Asia, visited the college from March 13–16, 2016, reviewing documents and meeting with faculty, students, and administrators. Following this visit, the final report recommended accreditation, which was officially approved by the accreditation committee on April 5, 2016, and confirmed by the AACSB Board on April 15, 2016.
With this, the University of Bahrain becomes a member of the AACSB, joining a group of only 13 accredited institutions across the Middle East and North Africa, including universities in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt, and Lebanon.
This accomplishment aligns with the University of Bahrain’s strategic plan and marks a significant step forward for higher education in the Kingdom. It also contributes to Bahrain’s vision of providing a globally competitive education system as part of Bahrain Vision 2030, positioning the nation among 50 leading countries in business education. The accreditation will allow graduates to access more competitive job opportunities locally, regionally, and internationally.
