Guide to Online Education Programs
Accreditation You've probably heard
that it's important to make sure the distance learning program you
select is accredited. But do you know why? For that matter, do you even
understand what accreditation involves? If you don't then that's okay.
Read on to learn all you need to know about distance learning and
accreditation.
What does accreditation
mean?
Accreditation can mean the difference between obtaining a diploma that
is worthy or one that is worthless. Accreditation is actually a formal
review of a distance learning program to ensure that it meets all of
the criteria that has been outlined by the agencies that grant
accreditation. Right now there are six accrediting agencies that are
recognized by the National Board of Education. These six agencies
include:
- New England Association
of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
- North Central Association
of Schools and Colleges (NCASC)
- Middle States Association
of Schools and Colleges (MSASC)
- Southern Association of
Schools and Colleges (SACS)
- Western Association of
Schools and Colleges (WACS)
- Northwest Association of
Schools and Colleges (NWCCU)
Why is accreditation
important?
Accreditation is a way to ensure that all students learn the same types
of information regardless of the individual institution he or she
attends. Accreditation is also a way of assuring potential
employers that the student has received a quality education and has
learned skills that are relevant in today's marketplace.
Other
types of accreditation In addition to
institutional accreditation, there is another type of accreditation
called "specialized accreditation." Specialized accreditation is
usually awarded to an individual department or educational program
within a larger school or college. This could be, for example, a
College of Medicine which is part of a larger university, or simply a
particular specialized course of study within the school such as a
teacher certification program that's taught by a school.
Typically, a school that
carries a specialized accreditation also carries an institutional
accreditation by one of the aforementioned six accreditation agencies.
If you're considering
pursuing a career in one of the fields that commonly have specialized
accreditation programs available, which include many health and
medicine programs, commercial art and design, theology, engineering,
culinary arts, accounting and law, check to see if the distance
learning program you're considering participates in this type of
accreditation. That way you'll have a better chance of landing a
high-paying job when you graduate.
How to check a distance
learning program's accreditation It might surprise you to
learn there is an accreditation organization whose job it is to
accreditate all other accreditation organizations. That's the education
industry's way of ensuring that no bogus accreditation organizations
spring up to support diploma mills and low-quality schools.
This organization is
called the Council on Higher Education Accreditation and they operate a
web site at www.chea.org. Only recognized
accreditors and accredited schools are permitted to be listed on this
web site.
If the distance learning
school in which you're considering enrolling claims to be accredited
and either that school or the agency that accreditates it is not listed
on the CHEA.org web site, you should investigate further as something
is definitely wrong.
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