AACSB has evidently revised (Jan. 1, 2004) its new "Eligibility Procedures and Standards for Business Accreditation" (available at http://www.aacsb.edu/accreditation/business/standards01-01-04.pdf ).

Under the previous version (April 25, 2003), the first category of Academically Qualified Faculty (a doctoral degree in the area in which the individual teaches) included the JD for business law and legal environment of business classes.

In the revised Standards (pp. 42-44) a doctoral degree now "means completion of a degree program intended to produce scholars capable of creating original scholarly contributions through advances in research or theory." A new category 5 specifies: "Individuals with a graduate degree in law will be considered academically qualified to teach business law and legal environment in business." The JD is not specifically mentioned in any of the new categories of Academically Qualified Faculty. Is this new category 5 referring to JDs?

(I do recall a previous discussion regarding various schools' attitudes toward JDs vs. PhDs, but I do not recall a specific thread as to accreditation; if there has recently been such a thread of discussion, I apologize in advance for the redundancy.)

Robert D. Sprague

Assistant Professor of Business Administration

Chair, Business Foundations Department

Eastern New Mexico University College of Business

(505) 562-2358