UCU Business School achieving accreditation with AMBA & BGA

The business school challenge

UCU Business School, the business school of the Catholic University of Uruguay, a leading institution dedicated to educating purpose-driven leaders in business environment, faced the challenge of enhancing its regional reputation and assuring participants, faculty, and employers of its commitment to high-quality journey experience. The school also sought to build powerful links to already-established business schools who were already accredited. To achieve this, they sought prestigious accreditation from AMBA (Association of MBAs) and BGA (Business Graduates Association).

Solutions from BGA

Comprehensive Evaluation: AMBA and BGA conducted a rigorous evaluation of UCU Business School, assessing key areas such as curriculum quality, faculty qualifications, impact, and facilities.

Strategic Guidance: Throughout the accreditation process, the school received valuable feedback and strategic guidance from AMBA and BGA, helping them identify areas for improvement and align their programs with international standards. For example, it was identified that there was a need to increase participation of women in our faculty and PhDs profiles, with recommendations for additional training and support. The accreditation panel also suggested improving our output of research for industry needs.

Access to Networks: Accreditation with AMBA and BGA provided UCU Business School access to global networks of accredited institutions, creating opportunities for collaboration, faculty exchange, and student mobility. Since AMBA & BGA are common standards in our industry, reaching out to quality international institutions as part of our internationalization strategy is now possible.

Quality Assurance: The accreditation process emphasized the importance of continuous quality assurance, prompting the school to establish robust mechanisms for monitoring and improving educational outcomes. As such, we’ve developed metrics to measure how well we do against our own objectives and learning outcomes as a business school.

The impact

Enhanced Reputation: Accreditation with AMBA and BGA significantly enhanced the school’s regional and global reputation, making it a preferred choice for students seeking high-quality business education.

Concern for societal impact: The standards of AMBA and BGA certainly promote business schools to address the challenge of the social impact of their programs, through the actions of their programs, the values they promote in society, and how alumni graduates replicate them in their activities.

Increased Student Enrollment: The accreditation status attracted a larger and more diverse pool of students, leading to increased enrollment and revenue for the institution. Following BGA´s and AMBA´s standards UCU Business School will have a more diverse and plural cohorts.

Stronger Industry Connections: UCU Business School’s connections with industry partners and employers strengthened, resulting in more internship and job opportunities for graduates.

Faculty Excellence: The emphasis on faculty qualifications and research output improved the overall quality of faculty, enhancing the learning experience for students.

Continuous Improvement Culture: The accreditation process instilled a culture of continuous improvement within the institution, according with our values, ensuring that academic programs remained relevant and effective, promoting a purpose-driven leadership.

Global Collaboration: Accreditation facilitated collaboration with other accredited institutions worldwide, enriching research opportunities and expanding international partnerships beyond Latin America.

UCU Business School’s journey to accreditation with AMBA and BGA not only met the challenge of assuring quality but also transformed the institution into a local leader in business education. UCU Business School, is the first in Uruguay to obtain BGA accreditation. The impact of this achievement is evident in the school’s reputation, enrollment numbers, industry connections, and commitment to ongoing excellence in business education.