Introduction.

International accreditations have become a means to reflect the characteristics of business schools to their stakeholders. However, there is still a debate about its validity as a quality model, the different standards between accreditors and the perception towards them. That is why more detailed exploration is required, especially from developing countries.

Objective.

Review and identify the matching elements in the academic literature regarding international accreditations, with emphasis on AACSB and EQUIS.

Materials and methods.

Through a narrative methodology of literature review, 3025 articles were disaggregated from 21 databases and identifying as fundamental authors Urgel (2007), Hunt (2015), Lejeune (2011) and Shenton (2010), as well as information on the Accreditations AACSB and EQUIS.

Results.

Repetitive elements are presented in the literature: 1) the dichotomy between accreditation as a means to obtain reputation or improve educational quality; 2) accreditation agencies and their standards, and 3) perceptions of the result of being accredited.

Conclusions.

The debate about quality or reputation in Business Schools continues; the emphasis of the accreditation bodies is on internationalization, academic development and research; and positive results of accrediting, according to the interest groups, are still inconclusive. Research topics are opened in the areas of emphasis of the accreditation and in the context that should be done for developing countries where research is still incipient.

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