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EFMD Quality Improvement System

The leading international system of quality assessment, improvement and accreditation of business schools

Equis accreditation

Global quality recognition

EQUIS is a comprehensive quality review system for business and management schools. Its rigorous peer-review process signals the school’s overall quality, viability and self-improvement commitment to students, employers and academic partners worldwide. The internationally acknowledged label is often a prerequisite for entry to rankings.

Strategic benchmarking process

Considering the great diversity of geographical contexts, educational systems and institutional make-ups, EQUIS helps schools strive for excellence in an ongoing improvement process following each accreditation visit. The broad and continuously updated assessment standards allow schools to challenge their strategies across curricula design, research and impact agenda.

Learning community

EQUIS offers schools strategic guidance for quality improvement and developments in the evaluation process by an international team of peers, including a senior corporate practitioner. Being accredited makes the school part of a vibrant community of mutual learning with business schools coming from different higher education systems.

EQUIS Menu
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Discover testimonials

Frederik anseel, dean, unsw business school

‘At UNSW Sydney Business School and AGSM, we’re proud to be re-accredited by EQUIS for another five years. This recognition reinforces our commitment to preparing the next generation of leaders for a world being reshaped by AI, geopolitical dynamics, climate change, and demographic shifts. The EQUIS process is more than a quality check — it’s a catalyst for strategic reflection and renewal. It challenges us to think boldly about how we evolve our research, education and engagement to stay relevant in times of profound transformation. I’m deeply grateful to our academic and professional staff, students, and alumni who make our mission real every day, and I'm excited for the journey ahead as part of the global EQUIS community.

Frederik Anseel
Dean, UNSW Business School
John skatun, dean, university of aberdeen business school

'We are delighted to be included in the EQUIS family and found the experience of being taken through by our Advisor, mock reviews and finally the peer review panel at both our Aberdeen and Qatar campuses a truly enriching improvement process. Our deep thanks and gratitude go to all the individuals for their high-quality input and discourse.
The EQUIS accreditation is good for our staff, students and alumni, enhancing the international reputation of the School and our programmes. We have already found the EQUIS improvement process helpful in developing our strategic plans, particularly to meet our mission of Powering Change for Better Businesses and Better Lives.’

John Skatun
Dean, University of Aberdeen Business School
Pengfei wang, dean, hsbc business school

'We take great pride in our accreditation by this globally recognised accrediting body. This marks a significant milestone for Peking University HSBC Business School and is a testament to the exceptional dedication of all our stakeholders, including faculty, staff, students, alumni, corporate partners, and university administrators. We will continue our commitment to elevate our standing as a leading international business school and to contribute to the global community.'

Pengfei Wang
Dean, HSBC Business School
Christoph kaserer, dean, tum school of management

The re-accreditation process has once again proven to be an invaluable opportunity for reflection, dialogue, and strategic development. In particular, the peer review process stands out as a key element in driving our continuous improvement. The international Peer Review Team provided thoughtful perspectives, posed the right questions, and challenged us in ways that will help us sharpen our strategic priorities going forward. As a School, we deeply value the opportunity to engage in such a rigorous and forward-looking process—one that not only confirms the quality of our work but also pushes us to keep evolving in a dynamic global environment.’

Christoph Kaserer
Dean, TUM School of Management
Caitlin byrne, equis testimonials

'We are honoured to receive EQUIS accreditation, a distinguished recognition which benchmarks our performance against the highest international standards.

This accreditation not only affirms the quality and relevance of our educational programmes and research but also underscores our steadfast commitment to social justice and sustainability. It is an achievement that reinforces our mission to cultivate the next generation of ethical business leaders and policymakers who are equipped to drive positive societal change. Being part of the EQUIS community enables us to exchange knowledge and best practices with the world’s leading business schools, thereby enhancing our mission.’

Caitlin Byrne
Pro-Vice Chancellor, Griffith Business School.
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Discover testimonials

'We are delighted to have been awarded EQUIS accreditation. The accreditation process was a great opportunity to benchmark our performance against rigorous international standards. EQUIS accreditation is an external validation of high quality and professional relevance of our education programs and research. This accreditation reinforces the Newcastle Business School’s mission to advance responsible and impactful business knowledge and continued commitment to develop the next generation of business leaders and policy makers.'

Abul Shamsuddin
Dean and Head of School, Newcastle Business School

'This accreditation, a hallmark of excellence in business education, demonstrates that we are on parwith the world's most highly acclaimed institutions. It strengthens our resolve to continue creating a positive impact, and making businesses healthier, especially throughout the African continent.'

Morris Mthombeni
Interim-Dean, Gordon Institute of Business Science - GIBS

'EQUIS confers worldwide recognition and an international benchmark, which is in line with our objective of being a reference for business leadership in Latin America with a global perspective. It also offers us guidelines to permanently improve our strategy and makes us members of a vibrant community of learning and exchange among the best business schools in the world.'

Juan Pablo Medina
Interim-Dean, UAI Business School

'The whole EQUIS process has been a great learning opportunity for our School and an exceptional time to improve our teamwork. We see this award not as a decoration but as the beginning of a new challenge to continue to serve our students and our community.'

Massimo Bergami
Dean, Bologna University Business School

EQUIS ACCREDITED SCHOOLS

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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EQUIS FRAMEWORK

Equis accreditation framework

  • PROCESS

    The EQUIS process is based upon a conceptual framework of quality criteria which are reviewed continuously by an international committee of EFMD members.

  • EVALUATION

    The EQUIS evaluation considers each component of the framework and the inter-relationships between them. Standards have been developed for each component (see below).

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Context, Governance & Strategy

This standard serves to describe the school and its position in the regulatory and competitive environment in which it operates.

The school’s overall strategic agenda is also assessed.

Context, Governance & Strategy

This standard serves to describe the school and its position in the regulatory and competitive environment in which it operates.

The school’s overall strategic agenda is also assessed.

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Programmes

The programmes should be well-designed with clear learning outcomes and an appropriate balance between knowledge acquisition and skills acquisition.

STUDENTS

The school should ensure the quality of its students through appropriate selection processes, through the management of student progression in its programmes, and through the provision of appropriate student services. The school should actively help students to define their future professional orientation.

FACULTY

The Faculty should be well-qualified and should be active in both research, and learning and teaching. Sufficient core faculty is needed to cover the major disciplines and constitute a viable body of distinctive expertise (i.e. a minimum of 25 FTE).

2019-01-01

Programmes

The programmes should be well-designed with clear learning outcomes and an appropriate balance between knowledge acquisition and skills acquisition.

2019-01-01

STUDENTS

The school should ensure the quality of its students through appropriate selection processes, through the management of student progression in its programmes, and through the provision of appropriate student services. The school should actively help students to define their future professional orientation.

2019-01-01

FACULTY

The Faculty should be well-qualified and should be active in both research, and learning and teaching. Sufficient core faculty is needed to cover the major disciplines and constitute a viable body of distinctive expertise (i.e. a minimum of 25 FTE).

2019-01-01
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Research & development

The school's output from its Research & Development activities should impact the constituencies important to, and part of, the school's strategy, such as academic research, applied research, pedagogical research and innovation that may affect the learning and teaching strategy.

Executive Education

While not all business schools carry out Executive Education (and it is not a requirement for EQUIS), this activity should be appropriately integrated into the school’s overall strategy and into its central management systems.

Resources & administration

The school needs to have sufficient resources, including administration, to be able to fulfil its operational commitments and to demonstrate its financial viability and institutional continuity.

2019-01-01

Research & development

The school's output from its Research & Development activities should impact the constituencies important to, and part of, the school's strategy, such as academic research, applied research, pedagogical research and innovation that may affect the learning and teaching strategy.

2019-01-01

Executive Education

While not all business schools carry out Executive Education (and it is not a requirement for EQUIS), this activity should be appropriately integrated into the school’s overall strategy and into its central management systems.

2019-01-01

Resources & administration

The school needs to have sufficient resources, including administration, to be able to fulfil its operational commitments and to demonstrate its financial viability and institutional continuity.

2019-01-01
2019-01-01
2019-01-01

Internationalisation

The school should have a clearly articulated strategy and policies for internationalisation, encompassing its student body, faculty, international partnerships, research activity and corporate connections.

Ethics, Responsibility & Sustainability

The school should have a clear understanding of its role as a “globally responsible organisation” and its contribution to ethics and sustainability. This understanding should be reflected in the school’s mission, strategy and activities.

Connections with Practice

Business schools need to be closely connected to the world of practice, widely defined as commercial, policy and public organisations, which represent the end users of the school’s output of graduates and knowledge creation.

Label

Internationalisation

The school should have a clearly articulated strategy and policies for internationalisation, encompassing its student body, faculty, international partnerships, research activity and corporate connections.

2019-01-01

Ethics, Responsability & Sustainability

The school should have a clear understanding of its role as a “globally responsible organisation” and its contribution to ethics and sustainability. This understanding should be reflected in the school’s mission, strategy and activities.

2019-01-01

Connection with Practice

Business schools need to be closely connected to the world of practice, widely defined as commercial, policy and public organisations, which represent the end users of their output of graduates and of knowledge created by the school.

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