The University of Pretoria's Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree has been accorded full international accreditation by the London-based Association of MBAs (AMBA) for a five-year renewable term. The international accreditation for a doctoral programme in business is a first for a South African business school.

The accreditation of the DBA brings the number of AMBA accreditations for GIBS to two, the first being for the school's flagship Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme. Five years ago GIBS was awarded the prestigious AMBA international accreditation for its MBA programme and in May 2012, the association's International Academic Advisory Board (IAAB) recommended that the accreditation be extended unconditionally for a further five-year period.

One of the best business schools
 
AMBA accreditation, the global benchmark for all MBA, Master in Business & Management (MBM) and DBA programmes, is only earned by business schools with excellent programmes of high international standards is an affirmation of the quality offered by GIBS.

"The recognition of our DBA, in addition to our MBA accreditation by AMBA, strengthens our position as one of the best business schools not only in Africa but internationally, giving our students assurance that we are delivering globally recognised world-class programmes," Shireen Chengadu, executive director of academic programmes, said.

"Furthermore, in our quest for excellence as a leading business school, we ensure that we give our students the competitive advantage by aligning ourselves with the best professional bodies globally. In addition to GIBS' AMBA accreditation, GIBS is also a member of two of the world's largest business school networks and accrediting bodies, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business and the European Foundation for Management Development," added Chengadu.