Geneva School of Diplomacy pursuing accreditation with ACBSP and NECHE

Programme-level accreditation with both organisations will provide additional layer of credibility to GSD's courses, and further enhance institution's international standing

GENEVA, March 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Geneva School of Diplomacy (GSD) has announced it is in the advanced stages of securing full accreditation with Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) and has commenced the process to acquire the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), both recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, USA.

Both accreditations represent the latest step in the development of GSD's planned accreditation roadmap, complementing the school's existing EduQua certification and helping GSD demonstrate a robust, auditable quality assurance system across governance, academic delivery and student outcomes. This will serve to further strengthen the school's offering to students, both in Switzerland and internationally.

The ACBSP accreditation has a broad remit, focusing on teaching quality, learning outcomes, continuous improvement, faculty qualifications, quality of student support, and what GSD is doing to systematically measure and improve its overall performance. This covers all programmes offered by the school, including Bachelor's, Master's, Executive and Doctorate qualifications. ACBSP is one of the highly reputed bodies in quality assurance in the world.

NECHE is one of the oldest regional accreditors in the United States, with a long-standing track record of accrediting institutions both in the US and internationally. The certification is comprehensive, evaluating GSD's mission and integrity, governance, academic quality, learning outcomes, student experience, faculty credentials, resources, and institutional effectiveness. The process involves staged reviews, a detailed institutional self-study, and peer evaluation. Only three Swiss institutions currently hold NECHE accreditation.

Arber Reci, Head of Quality Assurance at GSD, said: "Our motivation in pursuing these two accreditations is both institutional and strategic. It is important for us to align with as many internationally recognised institutional accreditation standards as possible, as part of a coherent, Swiss-anchored and globally creditable certification roadmap. This will help enhance confidence amongst our students and further grow our reputation both at home and abroad."

In the longer term, GSD plans to pursue Swiss Federal institutional accreditation, the national framework for higher education institutions in Switzerland. This is the final step in the school's accreditation roadmap and includes a full institutional self-evaluation and external review under the Swiss Higher Education Act.

Reci concluded: "Swiss Federal accreditation is a relatively new national framework, with only a small number of private institutions having achieved the recognition to date. We have bold ambitions to secure this certification as soon as we possibly can, which will place us amongst the foremost private education institutions in Switzerland."

About the Geneva School of Diplomacy & International Relations

The Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations (GSD) was founded in 2003. It opened its doors with 11 students and now counts over 700 graduates in its steadily growing alumni community. Among these are more than 15 serving ambassadors to the United Nations and countries around the world.

Among GSD's honorary doctorates are seven presidents or prime ministers, one Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and several other globally renowned figures. Alumni have gone on to assume various roles including ambassadors, diplomats, politicians and entrepreneurs, serving as influential voices in the international arena.

The legal status of GSD is a Société Anonyme incorporated under Swiss law, authorised by the Department of Private Education of Geneva, and the school is eduQua-certified.