Before you begin an online degree, you have to make sure to select
a college or university that is accredited. Accreditation, according to the U.S
Department of education means educational authorities have evaluated the school.
This ensures the schools are offering high quality learning opportunities. But
all accreditations are not the same. There are three major types of
accreditations: regional accreditation, national accreditation, and specialized
accreditation.[1]
Regional
Accreditation:
In the United States, there are 6 regional accrediting agencies.
Each agency covers a different section of the country.
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As shown above, the 6 regional accreditation agencies are:
- Middle
State Association of Colleges and Schools (Commission on Higher Education)
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges (Commission on
Technical and Career Institutions and Commission on Institutions of Higher
Education)
- North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (The Higher
Learning Commission)
- Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges (Commission on Colleges and Universities)
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (Commission on
Colleges)
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges (Accrediting Commission
for Community and Junior Colleges and Accrediting Commission for Senior
Colleges and Universities)
These agencies are all recognized by the U.S. Department of
Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.[1]
National
Accreditation
National accreditation is not based on geography. National
accreditation was designed to evaluate specific types of schools and colleges.
For example, the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of
Technology (ACCSCT) evaluate career schools and technology programs. The Distance
Education and Training Council (DETC) accredit colleges that offer distance
education.[1]
Specialized
Accreditation
Specialized accreditation, also known as program-based
accreditation, is awarded to specific programs or departments within a college
or university. Specialized accreditation is offered by agencies that represent
specific fields of study or professional organizations. These agencies do not
accredit entire colleges. Instead, they accredit the programs within certain
colleges that prepare students for their industry.
For example, the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology
(ABET) accredits engineering programs within various colleges and universities.
If you plan to become a licensed engineer, you may want to limit your search to
programs with this accreditation. If you plan to become a teacher, on the other
hand, you don't need to worry about whether or not a college's engineering
program has specialized, ABET accreditation.[1]
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According to the Department of Education,
accreditation helps to:
- Verify that institutions
meet educational standards.
- Gives assistance to
students in identifying quality institutions.
- Assist institutions
in determining if transfer credits from an institution are acceptable.
- Identify institutions
and programs for the investment of public and private funds.
- Encourage improvement
of standards for institutions and programs.
- Create criteria for
professional certification and licensure. Schools can upgrade their
curricula to better prepare students for certification and licensing.
This creates a safer and easier process
for new online students to gain credits from accredited institution. Helping
students use online degrees to fill out required credit for future study or a
greater learning tool to better your knowledge. Accredited programs provide
higher quality education, recognized by schools around the nation, direct
influence to employers, all in which to help students compete in the job
market.[2]
Researching
a school’s accreditation status is very easy. Most schools have the
accreditation information listed on their website, and you can verify that
information directly by looking it up at the U.S. Department of
Education website. It
is also just as important to research the accrediting body by looking it up at
the Council for Higher Education
Accreditation (CHEA) site.
According to the site, some institutions mislead students and the public about
the quality of an institution.[3]
Visit ED.gov for more information on accreditation and list of
accredited traditional and online colleges and universities.
Question
#1 of Week 4:
After getting a better understanding of accreditation, what do you
think of non-accredited institution? And why?
Sources:
I don't think it is to your advantage to go to a non accredited college for several reason. One if you are planning on transferring than a lot of 4 year universities will not accept the credits. Then two employers who are possibly looking to recruit you later on down the road do not look at your educational background the same as if you had gone to an accredited school. They see this has a second tier program.
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