She Gets Questions

Training & Development, Jan, 2001 by Donna J. Abernathy

Online university accreditation is important if you need a public record of learning that will be widely accepted by employers, professional associations, and other colleges and universities. That's according to Vickly Phillips, CEO of geteducated.com. Here are some of her FAQs on accreditation.

What kind of accreditation should people look for in an online college?

In the United States, the most widely recognized form of accreditation for degree-granting programs comes from the regional accreditation boards.

What other types of accreditation are widely recognized in the United States?

The Distance Education and Training Council is a recognized accreditation agency for distance learning colleges. It accredits more than 70 institutions that sponsor home-study programs of all types. Though it's a recognized accrediting agency, credits and degrees earned at DETC colleges are not yet widely accepted in transfer by regionally accredited colleges.

What about programmatic accreditation?

Some academic departments within colleges and universities seek special accreditation for their programs. Careers that are regulated by state or national licensing boards may require students to attend college departments that hold special accreditation. For example, many teacher licensing boards require that students earn their education degrees from colleges whose education departments are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. For a list of recognized programmatic accreditation agencies, visit the Council for Higher Education Accreditation Website.

What questions should people ask about accreditation to protect themselves?

Are you accredited? And, if so, by whom?

Make sure the accrediting agency in question is recognized. Accreditation by unrecognized agencies is a common ploy of online diploma mills. In the United States, the Council for Higher Education is the agency that oversees legitimate accrediting agencies. CHEA maintains a directory of recognized accrediting agencies on its Website.

Also, make sure you understand the kind of accreditation you need. Does the accreditation the college offers meet your personal and career needs?

When in doubt, verify the institution's accreditation. Check the official independent guide to such matters: The American Council on Education's "Accredited Institutions of Postsecondary Education."

Source Virtual University Gazette