College and University Accreditation; Is it Important?
Accreditation can
be a tricky subject, especially as it relates to
distance
education and online degree programs. One of the first things to
remember is that a school or college that is licensed is not
necessarily accredited. Licensure simply gives an institution
the legal right to function (to offer online degrees and/or
campus based programs). While there may be some standards
required for educational licensure, they are generally pretty
minimal. As a result, licensure should not be viewed as a
guarantee of educational quality. In other words, be wary of
schools, colleges or universities which talk about state
licensure rather than accreditation.
It is even more
important to realize that many colleges and universities,
especially
online colleges and universities (those with no
traditional, campus-based degree programs), claim accreditation
from agencies which are not recognized by the United States
Department of Education. While some of these unrecognized
accrediting agencies may make a legitimate attempt to evaluate
and insist on some measure of quality from the colleges and
universities they accredit, their stamp of approval is generally
meaningless in the professional world and in the world of fully
accredited (online and traditional) colleges and universities.
For instance, most schools and colleges will not hire staff who
do not hold appropriate degrees from colleges and universities
accredited by recognized accreditation agencies.
Similarly,
although there are exceptions, most colleges and universities
will not award students transfer credit for coursework completed
at institutions not accredited by a recognized accrediting
agency. The reality is that most colleges, universities,
businesses, government agencies (and prospective employers of
all kinds) will regard a college or university as unaccredited
if it is not accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by
the United States Department of Education. You may find a
listing of those agencies at <http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-accr
ed-recog_associations.html>.
Depending on your
individual situation and goals, you may not care much about
accreditation. But, our advice is...whether you are taking
courses in a traditional campus based program or through online
education...you are generally far better off at a school,
college or university accredited by a recognized accrediting
agency. That being the case, before deciding to enroll in a
college or university, find out which agency accredits it, and
be sure that agency is listed on the U.S. Department of
Education site <http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-accr
ed-recog_associations.html>.
Accreditation will
not guarantee that you will be completely satisfied with a
particular college or degree program. But, it does mean that
some standards of quality are in place, that you may be able to
transfer credits if you are so inclined, and that most employers
will recognize the validity of your coursework and/or degree. In
addition, appropriate coursework or an appropriate degree from
an accredited institution of higher education can help qualify
you for admission to other degree programs.
