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Learn About accreditation |
What is "accreditation"?
Accreditation is a stamp of approval given to
an institution by an official review board. In order to receive accreditation, a
school must meet specific requirements. There are many types of review boards
that grant accreditation to education institutions, so it is important that you
know not only that the institution is accredited but which review board gave it
accreditation.
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Does accreditation matter?
Yes, accreditation matters. If you are
entering a degree or certificate program, you are about to spend a significant
amount of time, effort, and perhaps money to further your education.
Most likely, you will complete education program(s) to achieve one of two goals:
1) to change
or advance your career or
2) to complete the requirements necessary to be
admitted into a professional/graduate degree program.
The accreditation of the
institution is important in order to accomplish either of those goals. If your
goal is to advance your career, your future employer and/or a professional
organization will want to see an accredited institution on your resume in order
to consider you for a job or for professional licensure. If your goal is to be
admitted into a graduate degree program, your school of choice will usually
require that your pre-requisite degree program/s be from an accredited
institution.
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What are the different types of accreditation review boards?
There
are two types of accreditation recognized by the U.S. Department of Education:
regional accreditation and national accreditation.
Regional accreditation generally applies to what most people consider a
"traditional college or university." UCLA, Ohio State, Harvard, and University
of Phoenix are all regionally accredited institutions. Historically, these
institutions prepared an individual for an advanced degree. In order to do
graduate work at many of these institutions, you must have obtained a bachelor
degree from another regionally accredited institution. There are six regional
accreditation bodies:
National accreditation generally applies to
what most people consider a "vocational college or institution." ITT Tech,
Bryman College, and The Art Institute are examples of nationally accredited
institutions. National accreditation agencies focus on a specific field of
study, for example, Art and Design, Business, Physical Therapy, etc.
Historically, national accreditation agencies review institutions that have a
career-focused curriculum.
In addition, there are state-licensed institutions that are accredited but
are not recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. These institutions must
meet academic standards set by each individual state and are recognized by most
employers. Students attending state-licensed institutions, however, are not
eligible for federal student financial aid programs and credits from these
institutions may not be transferrable to Regionally accredited institutions.
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More Accrediation details adopted from:
AACSB International accreditation
AACSB International accreditation represents the highest standard of achievement for business schools, worldwide. Institutions that earn accreditation confirm their commitment to quality and continuous improvement through a rigorous and comprehensive peer review. AACSB International accreditation is the hallmark of excellence in management education.
AACSB International accreditation assures stakeholders that business schools:
- Manage resources to achieve a vibrant and relevant mission.
- Advance business and management knowledge through faculty scholarship.
- Provide high-caliber teaching of quality and current curricula.
- Cultivate meaningful interaction between students and a qualified faculty.
- Produce graduates who have achieved specified learning goals.
Be wary of institutions that are not accredited by one of the regional or
national agencies recognized by the U.S.
Department of Education or are not a state-licensed institution.
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