Recognition & Accreditation

Since 1975 DBS has established itself as a leading third-level institution in Ireland. The following milestones in its development have been of immense significance in this recognition.

• Recognised as a Designated Institution under the NCEA Act in 1992

• Became an institution with accredited provision status of Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) in 1995

• Recognised as an Associate College of Henley in 1996

• Courses approved for tax purposes by the Department of Education in 1997

• Approved for inclusion on the CAO listing in 1998

QQI & the National Framework of Qualifications

DBS Degree, Postgraduate Higher Diploma and Masters programmes are accredited by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI). QQI was established on 6 November 2012 under the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012. The new Authority was created by an amalgamation of four bodies that have both awarding and quality assurance responsibilities: the Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC), the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC), the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI) and the Irish Universities Quality Board (IUQB). The new Authority has assumed all the functions of the four legacy bodies while also having responsibility for new or newly-statutory responsibilities in particular areas.

Ten Level System

The National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) is a ten-level system (1–10) giving an academic or vocational value to qualifications obtained in Ireland. NFQ levels help indicate how an award can be used for training, education and employment opportunities (see fan diagram). Each level is based on nationally agreed standards of what a learner is expected to know and be able to do after receiving an award.

QQI is Ireland's guardian of the NFQ system. They are responsible for the quality assurance of providers of education and training. They also have responsibility for the validation of qualifications and also make some awards themselves.

NFQ serves several purposes:

- It ensures awards obtained in Ireland are quality-assured and recognised internationally
- It is part of a system for comparing Irish and international awards
- It supports lifelong learning by recognising knowledge and skills within a comparative framework even if they are not recognised by a formal award
- It provides a system of establishing eligibility in learning processes for access, transfer and progression
- It recognises awards made by professional bodies 

International

NFQ is linked to similar frameworks in Europe. This helps people considering employment or study opportunities outside Ireland.

There are two qualifications frameworks at European level:

1. The Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area also known as the 'Bologna Framework'. This deals with higher education awards (NFQ 6-10). 
2. The European Qualifications Framework (EQF), which deals with all NFQ levels including schools, Further Education and Training, and Higher Education. 

For students who are contemplating a career in Secondary School teaching, we were the first independent college whose degrees were fully recognised by the Department of Education for admission onto the Higher Diploma in Education programmes, offered in various universities throughout the country. Many of our graduates have been accepted onto postgraduate and masters programmes offered by the main universities in Ireland and abroad. www.education.ie.

  
 
All of our degrees are recognised for exemption purposes by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). Our BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance degree programme receives the maximum number of exemptions available from the professional accounting bodies. The School has established an excellent reputation for success in professional examinations, particularly the professional accounting examinations. Success has been based on a commitment to excellence in all aspects of teaching and student support and on the dedication of our highly qualified staff. Success is evident in our consistent record of exceptionally high pass rates, far in excess of international norms, and outstanding individual performances, including prizes for 1st Place in the world on several occasions. 
ACCA website www.accaglobal.com


                                                                                                         

The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) is a UK based professional body offering training and qualification in management accountancy and related subjects. It is focused on accountants working in industry, and provides ongoing support and training for members.  As a trusted partner of CIMA, we are the only official publisher of CIMA study materials. DBS, as part of Kaplan, is the only official CIMA publisher worldwide and all DBS CIMA materials are reviewed and approved by the CIMA faculty.  DBS, as part of Kaplan Inc., also has pass rates of up to 94% on CIMA tests.

We also offer flexible study options CIMA Live Online and CIMA OnDemand.

The BA (Hons) Counselling & Psychotherapy degree at Dublin Business School is recognised by the Irish Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy. The Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP) has been established since 1981 in response to the perceived need by practitioners to have a National Association to set standards and criteria for the practice of counselling and psychotherapy. The IACP represents the interests of both client and counsellor in Ireland. Accreditation by the IACP helps to ensure that practitioners are appropriately qualified and work to recognised standards of professional competence. At present IACP membership exceeds 2,500. www.irish-counselling.ie.

The MA in Psychotherapy offers a postgraduate qualification which meets requirements for professional training for individuals interested in training as humanistic and psychodynamic psychotherapists in the integrative model.

For instance, the Masters in Psychotherapy combined with our Higher Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy is recognised as a 4 year training by IAHIP (Irish Association for Humanistic Integrative Psychotherapy). 

DBS was the first college outside the University sector to receive accreditation from the Psychological Society of Ireland for its BA (Hons) Psychology degree. The Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) is the professional body for psychology in Ireland. As such, it seeks to promote the science and profession of psychology in Ireland and beyond. PSI membership now stands at over 2000 members and includes practitioners, educators and researchers, professionals and postgraduate students, as well as undergraduate subscribers. Its Divisions and Special Interest Groups represent key areas from across the broad spectrum of psychology.

The PSI liaises with all third-level institutions offering psychological training in Ireland, developing and setting criteria against which training can be evaluated, and operating systems for the accreditation of professional training programmes. For those working in psychology, it provides professional registration for practitioners in all areas. Visit http://www.psychologicalsociety.ie/ for more information.

The MA in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy meets the Professional Body’s Masters’ component requirement which, when combined with the Post-Masters’ component, makes graduates eligible to apply with confidence for accredited membership of this Body.

For instance, the MA in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, combined with the Post-Masters’ Specific Modality Training in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy in The School of Psychotherapy (TSOP) at St Vincent’s University, is recognised as a (minimum) 4-year training by the Association for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy in Ireland (APPI). Graduates of the combined programme, Masters + Post-Masters, are eligible to apply for membership of APPI which then automatically means membership of the Irish Council for Psychotherapy (ICP). In turn, these graduates meet requirements to apply for membership of the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP).

The MSc in Information and Library Management at Dublin Business School is accredited by the Library Association of Ireland (LAI).  The Library Association of Ireland was founded in 1928 as the professional body representing libraries and librarianship in Ireland.  The objectives of the LAI include the promotion and development of high standards of librarianship and of library and information services in Ireland and to maintain the profession of librarianship in a proper status among the learned and technical professions by requiring the observance of strict rules of personal professional conduct as a condition of membership, and by ensuring that a qualification in librarianship is an essential requirement for all professional posts in libraries.
The LAI also promotes a high standard of education for librarianship in Ireland by evaluating and giving recognition to degrees, diplomas or other professional qualifications in librarianship, thereby ensuring that graduates of the MSc in Information and Library Management meet the standards required within the information and library sector in Ireland. More information can be found on the LAI website:

®

DBS has been reviewed and approved as a provider of Project Management by the Project Management Institute (PMI). As a PMI Approved Training Provider (ATP), DBS has agreed to abide by PMI-established quality assurance criteria. DBS has been approved by PMI to issue contact hours and PDUs for this course. Our trainers are PMP® credential holders. DBS instructors with the ATP Instructor seal are authorised to teach PMP® exam prep.

The PMI Authorised Training Partner seal is a mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

Transnational Programmes at DBS

DBS Partnership with MARA, Malaysia.

In 2014, DBS saw the approval of a transnational collaborative agreement on the delivery of the BA (Hons) in Accounting and Finance with Kolej Poly-Tech Mara (KPTM) in Malaysia. DBS runs its BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance programme (awarded by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI)) at KPTM’s Bangi Campus in Malaysia. DBS has a long standing relationship with Mara which started in the early 1990’s and has seen the collaborations resulting in thousands of Malaysian students graduating with DBS qualifications. The programme allows Malaysian students to obtain an Irish education award in Malaysia and a further opportunity to continue their studies in Ireland to complete a professional accountancy qualification such as ACCA.

DBS Partnership with EU Business School, Munich, Germany.

Dublin Business School (DBS) signed a transnational partners agreement with EU Business School (EU)  in March 2021. This agreement, and the programmes which were approved by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), forms part of the institution’s ongoing endeavours to expand its transnational programmes and offer its programmes in overseas locations.

With this agreement, DBS joined forces with a leading provider of business and management education. EU Business School (EU) is an international, professionally accredited, high-ranking business school with campuses in Barcelona, Geneva, Montreux, Munich and online. Offering English-taught foundation, bachelor’s, master’s and MBA programs, it is ranked among the top business schools globally and has been awarded four stars for Overall Business Education by QS Stars. EU Business School offers the following DBS degree programmes: BA (Hons) in Business and a Master of Business Administration (MBA).

DBS Partnership with The University of New York in Prague

In 2021 Dublin Business School (DBS) signed a transnational partners agreement with the University of New York in Prague (UNYP) to bring new postgraduate degrees to Prague. This was a result of a continuous effort to expand the offer of Master degrees in Prague and within the UNYP community. All degrees are subject to approval and will be submitted to Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) for approval and also to  the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MŠMT). 

This agreement underlines commitment to developing the DBS brand internationally as well as underpinning the promotion of the higher education brand for Ireland abroad. DBS is a global institution with alumni from over 80 countries. In line with our strategic objectives, it also allows DBS to develop a strong international ethos to build further on our international reach and reputation.

The University of New York in Prague is a leading private English-speaking university in the Czech Republic. UNYP has worked together with the State University of New York, Empire State College since 1999 to bring American degrees to the Czech Republic. The University has more than 800 students from over 75 countries and offers both three-year Czech bachelor programs as well as four-year American bachelor programs taught entirely in English as well as offering various masters programs and one of Prague’s top MBA programs.