Accreditations and Rankings

Academic Accreditations

DCU Business School has been awarded accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the world’s oldest and most prestigious global accrediting body for business schools. AACSB accreditation is widely recognised as the hallmark of excellence in business education, and has been earned by less than five percent of the world’s business schools.

Achieving accreditation is a process of rigorous internal review, engagement with an AACSB assigned mentor, and peer review. During the multi-year process, the school focuses on developing and implementing a plan to align with AACSB’s accreditation standards. These standards require excellence in areas relating to strategic management and innovation; student, faculty and staff engagement; learning and teaching; and academic and professional engagement.

DCU’s Executive MBA is accredited by the Association of MBAs, which assesses the quality of MBA programmes worldwide. Leading national and multinational firms in Ireland have consistently supported employees on the programme. The Association of MBAs is the international impartial authority on postgraduate business education and was established in 1967.

In June 2017, DCU Business School was awarded Small Business Charter status by the Chartered Association of Business Schools. This award is in recognition of the effective role DCU plays in supporting the development of small and medium-sized businesses in Ireland and in promoting entrepreneurship, among its students and within the Irish entrepreneurship eco-system. DCU was the first designated SBC university on the island of Ireland (2017) and remains the only University in the Republic of Ireland to have Charter status.

In July 2022, the School was re-accredited for the maximum period of 5 years and awarded all the 30 dimensions sought in the application.

DCU Business School has been ranked in the top 95 Business Schools in Europe in the Financial Times Ranking 2022.

The Financial Times Ranking for Business Schools is one of the most highly acknowledged and widely cited authorities on quality and performance of institutions globally, and DCU Business School is one of only three Irish Business Schools to achieve this ranking.

Of note for DCU Business School, the percentage increase in salary for graduates of the Masters in Management is reflected in these rankings: alumni enjoy a 57% salary increase after graduating and many have experienced positive changes in the level of seniority in their careers.

DCU Business School’s MSc in Management is ranked in the top 100 in the world in this year’s Financial Times Masters in Management Ranking 2023.

The prestigious Financial Times ranking system evaluates and ranks postgraduate Management programmes against a number of criteria which include graduate outcomes and alumni evaluation of the programme, international outlook, and female participation in the programme.

Of particular note is the fact that the MSc in Management programme is ranked 40th in the Value for Money category and 32nd for International Work Mobility.

DCU Business School has been ranked in the QS World University Rankings which is widely recognised as one of the biggest sources of international information on higher education ever compiled.

The QS World University Rankings assesses universities on performance indicators, based on academic reputation, employer reputation and research impact, and offers comparative insight on university performance in 48 different subjects across 1,222 institutions.

The MSc in Finance has been ranked in the Top 100 in the world 2021.
The Executive MBA has been ranked in the Top 68 in Europe in the QS World University Rankings 2022.

DCU Business School prides itself on delivering programmes encouraging critical thinking, communication, analytical and managerial competence. As a double accredited, internationally focused business school, globally ranked Master’s Degrees offer clear routes to career progression in a wide range of business areas. An internationally respected academic faculty have thought leadership, industry experience and research expertise that ensure our courses stay at the cutting edge.

DCU Business School ranks in the world Top 250 in Times Higher Business & Economics Subject Rankings

DCU Business School is ranked 126-150 globally in the subject area: Business & Economics (including, Accounting, Finance, Business, Management and Economics). This places DCU Business School joint second on the island of Ireland for 2023.

The THE subject rankings draws on the same dataset and methodology as used for the THE World University Rankings which judge research-intensive universities across their core mission: teaching research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. Over 1500 institutions from 93 countries are ranked. The subject rankings measure performance in 11 broad areas.

In September 2022, DCU was announced as one of the top 600 universities in the world according to THE, and it was also one of only two Irish universities to improve its overall position.

Eduniversal is a global ranking and rating agency specializing in higher education. The company has established strong expertise in evaluating academic institutions and programs in France since 1994, and internationally since 2007.

The Eduniversal Best Masters Ranking offers a detailed assessment of Masters and MBA programs globally.

Eduniversal has ranked the following programmes from DCU Business School for 2023:

MSc Accounting
MSc E-Commerce
MSc Emergency Management
MSc Finance
MSc Human Resource Management
MSc Management
MSc Management (Aviation Leadership)
Executive MBA

Professional Accreditations

Chartered Accountants Ireland is the largest and longest established accountancy body in Ireland. It has over 28,000 members and 6,000 students.

Graduates from the following programmes are offered exemptions in either the CAP1 or CAP2 exams:

BA in Accounting and Finance
Bachelor of Business Studies
Bachelor of Business Studies (International)
MSc in Accounting
MSc in International Accounting and Business

ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is the global body for professional accountants. It has over 140,000 members and 404,000 students and offers support throughout their careers, providing services through a network of 83 offices and active centres.

Graduates from the following programmes are offered exemption options in ACCA F1 – F9 exams:

BA in Accounting and Finance
M.Sc. International Accounting and Business
M.Sc. in Accounting
Bachelor of Business Studies

The Irish Tax Institute (ITI) is the leading professional body for taxation affairs in Ireland. It has over 6,000 membership across AITI, Chartered Tax Advisers (CTA), accountants, barristers, solicitors and other business professionals.

Graduates from the following programmes are offered an exemption for the Chartered Tax Advisor Exams:

BA in Accounting and Finance
M.Sc. International Accounting and Business
M.Sc. in Accounting
Bachelor of Business Studies

CIMA is the worlds largest and leading professional body of management accountants. It has over 203,000 members and students in 173 countries.

Graduates from the following programmes are offered an exemption for specific CIMA modules:

BA in Accounting and Finance
Bachelor of Business Studies
MSc in Accounting
MSc in Management (Business)
MSc in Management (Strategy)

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) is the world’s largest Chartered HR and development professional body. As an internationally recognised brand with over, it has over 135,000 members and supports and develops those responsible for the management and development of people within organisations.

Graduates who successfully complete the following programmes are eligible for Associate Membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD):

MSc in Human Resource Management
MSc in Talent, Leadership and HR Stategy
MSc in Work Organisational Behaviour/Psychology

PSI (The Psychological Society of Ireland)

Established in 1970, the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) is the learned and professional body for psychology and psychologists in the Republic of Ireland. It currently represents c. 4,000 members. PSI-accredited since 2009, the MSc in Work and Organisational Psychology/Behaviour are the longest running specialised programmes delivering organisational psychology education in Ireland.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

DCU Business School is SHRM-aligned. SHRM Academic Alignment Program participants are recognised as SHRM academic partners and, as such, are seen as a top choice for students seeking a career in Human Resources. Students enrolled in SHRM HR aligned programmes are provided with the opportunity to earn their SHRM-CP credential prior to graduating, providing them with a competitive advantage in the job market.

The Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) is the only globally recognized leader in financial risk testing and certification programs, and educational and training activities.