How is the Lucerne School of Business accredited?
AACSB - Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
The Lucerne School of Business is AACSB-accredited. This makes it one of the eight hundred business schools entitled to bear the "AACSB Seal of Excellence in Business Education".
Founded in 1916, AACSB is the world's oldest and largest accreditation organisation. AACSB specialises in the accreditation of business education programmes of higher education institutions. Under the voluntary accreditation system, these universities commit to meeting 15 standards that guarantee the highest quality of teaching and research.
For our MSc IFM graduates, the AACSB accreditation illustrates the high quality of the Lucerne School of Business services. It confirms the outstanding education offered, ensures recognition of the achievements, and increases the opportunities in the national and international job market.
What accreditations does the Master’s programme in International Financial Management have?
Our Master's programme in International Financial Management has four accreditations:
In the following, we briefly present the accreditations and explain the advantages for you.
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) is one of the most significant accountancy associations in the world. ACCA is headquartered in London and operates in more than 170 countries. It is committed to high-quality financial standards and provides its members with a wide range of services and resources to enhance their careers and support them through professional challenges. The ACCA offers an ACCA accountancy qualification, the Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA) .
The ACCA accreditation of the Master's programme in International Financial Management confirms that the programme meets the ACCA's strict quality standards and requirements. This accreditation indicates a high-quality education aligned with the financial organisation’s needs and prepares its graduates for a successful career. As a result, employers value ACCA accreditation and often prefer graduates of accredited programmes when hiring.
Students must take 13 exams to obtain the Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA) qualification. Due to the optimal preparation through the Master's programme in International Financial Management and the recognition of our examination achievements, our graduates benefit from the exemption of three or four examinations.
Our graduates are exempt from the Business and Technology (AB), Management Accounting (MA), and Financial Accounting (FA) examinations as well as Financial Reporting (FR) (when taking the optional elective Financial Accounting and Analysis).
Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA® & CIMA®)
AICPA® & CIMA® is the most influential body of accountants and finance experts in the world, with 689,000 members, students and engaged professionals globally. They advocate for the profession, the public interest and business sustainability.
The AICPA® & CIMA® accreditation is a prestigious award for degree programmes in finance and accounting. The accreditation indicates that the programme is specifically tailored to the needs of the industry and provides the skills and knowledge required for a successful career in the field. In addition, AICPA® & CIMA® offers the professional qualification of Chartered Management Accountant (CIMA®).
Our graduates are exempt from the exams Business Economics (BA1), Management Accounting (BA2), Financial Accounting (BA3), and Ethics, Corporate Governance and Business Law (BA4).
Institute of Management Accountants (IMA)
The Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) is an economic association of accountants and financial professionals. The organisation explicitly promotes its profession by working with other professional organisations and regulatory bodies.
IMA offers the Certified Management Accountant (CMA®) qualification, highly regarded in management accounting and recognised worldwide. The qualification is a high level of financial management and strategic planning expertise.
The accreditation of our Master's programme in International Financial Management shows that it meets the strict quality requirements and prepares students for the CMA® qualification. In addition, graduates nominated by us benefit from the CMA® scholarship programme. This scholarship programme enables free preparation and participation in the CMA® qualification and covers the fees incurred.
EXPERTsuisse: The Swiss Association of Experts in Auditing, Taxation and Fiduciary Services
EXPERTsuisse is the independent professional organisation of Swiss auditors. It promotes its members’ interests, including individuals and audit firms. EXPERTsuisse's tasks include setting auditing standards, educating and training auditors, and representing its members' interests vis-à-vis the public, politics, and the authorities.
EXPERTsuisse offers the Swiss Certified Public Accountant (CPA) training. This expert diploma in auditing equips participants with the skills to audit complex cases using digital tools.
Our Master’s programme in International Financial Management includes the 30 ECTS credits in Accounting required by EXPERTsuisse for the qualified Master’s status. This status shortens the EXPERTsuisse training by one year, as our graduates only have to show three years of professional practice instead of four. This corresponds to a reduction of the training time by approx. 1,200 working hours.
