Reasons why our awards are good for you:

Q: Why do these awards matter?
Irrespective of industry or sector, the idea of receiving an ‘award’ denotes several things, including achievement. Firstly, it signifies excellence in the field; secondly, it provides assurance of our standards; thirdly, it demonstrates the quality of our offering and performance, and fourthly, it demonstrates a commitment to continuous development and improvement for our students (current and alumni), employers, communities and other key stakeholders, with a focus on responsible management.

Q: What can our alumni do with these accreditations, accolades and rankings?
Going to university is a big part of many people’s lives. We do not forget our university days or the university we were a part of. The most important thing is for our alumni to be aware of how the School of Management remains their School even after they have graduated. Thus, even after graduation, our alumni are still very much a part of our university. The School of Management is proud to have an alumni community of 140,000 alumni spanning over 170 countries. We encourage our alumni to remain connected as the alumni network provides an exceptional opportunity for you to network and explore new opportunities, ventures and collaborations. In a nutshell, remaining a part of Team Bradford will ensure that you are also a part of our success, a part of our awards and that is something you can wear with pride, knowing that you are a part of a world-class Business School.

Q: Which accreditation and accolades are the most prestigious?
Each is unique and special in its own way, so it is not possible to identify the most prestigious. The most important thing is that each one relates to the University’s wider strategy and there is a clear purpose for working towards, and gaining, a particular accreditation. All the accreditation and accolades are slightly different, but they share a commonality – an incredible amount of effort is put in to attain and retain each one! As we say, one must never rest on their laurels. In the same way that Usain Bolt trained, achieved, trained, achieved and continued to work hard to maintain his world-class standard, we do the same when it comes to these accreditations. Do we liken ourselves to the Usain Bolt of Business Schools? Well, why not?!

Q: Why does the University spend time applying for these accolades and accreditations?
There are approximately 14,000 Business Schools around the world. In order to retain our position as being one of the most respected Business Schools in the world, we must do as we teach our students: differentiate from the others. The School of Management has a rich heritage and world-class reputation. Awards help to maintain this level and to build on the hard work put in by our predecessors.

Q: Is there an award or accreditation you would like the school to achieve in the future?
Given that the School of Management has recently gained the SBC and BGA accreditations, we will not be looking to achieve another in the future. As with all businesses, you have to be very clear on what you wish to achieve and how it aligns with the School’s current priorities. We seek quality over quantity and to excel in the accreditations we commit to.

In the School of Management, we are proud to have the ‘triple crown’ accreditation – the AMBA (Association of MBAs), EQUIS (European Foundation for Management Development accreditation) and AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business). Out of about 14,000 Business Schools globally, it is one of only <1% of Business Schools to have this status. These awards demonstrate that we continue to provide the highest standard of achievement in business education. In addition, we have recently acquired the BGA (Business Graduates Association) and Small Business Charter (SBC) accreditations which demonstrate an increasing impact of our School on our students and communities. These accreditations matter because they show that we are making a difference to our students and the local/global society. Such achievements are part of the reason why the prestigious The Times and Sunday Times have named the University of Bradford as the UK’s University of the Year for Social Inclusion 2020.