Professional Accreditation: An Investigation into the Case of Online

The purpose of this article is to examine the application of professional accredited postgraduate programmes in the fields of business, management, operations and supply chain management. The approach adopted here is a reflective one, looking at the recent trends in postgraduate education and focusing in particular on the professional accreditation process, such as programme design, learning goals, mode of delivery of e-learning model and the criteria of assessment. The aim of the research is to discover the real-time dynamic of professional accreditation, from both objective and subjective perspectives with a particular focus on two major accreditation bodies: the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS). The article also highlights the dynamic character of professional bodies and on whether an e-learning format is being considered as an obstacle by institutions with their accreditation agenda. The paper also presents a second case study on the uptake and delivery of specialised degree programmes offered across a selection of UK universities accredited by CIPS.