Education Empowerment Action

Written by YMPowe

College representatives may state that their institution is accredited; another may say that the programs are accredited.  Others might state that the institution and the programs are not accredited. 

What does accreditation mean?  Is a college or universities’ accreditation important?  Know this, not all accreditations are the same.

What does accreditation mean?

Simply, when a college or university indicates that it is accredited, it is declaring that an outside agency has reviewed the programs, faculty, procedures, facilities, and etc. of the college or university and has determined that the college or university meets an acceptable standard of excellence as described by that accrediting agency.  

So how do you know that the accrediting agency is credible? 

In order for a college or university to be accredited, it has to be approved by an accrediting agency.  In order to be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, an accrediting agency must request recognition. Therefore, accrediting agencies must maintain a standard of excellence as well.

So, are there accrediting agencies that are in business but that are not recognized by the U.S. Department of Education? 

The U.S. Department of Education provides a list of accrediting agencies that it recognizes.  Therefore, if you are applying to a college or university that advertises its accreditation, you can check to see if the U.S. Department of Education recognizes it on their website at http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.  Keep in mind, the U.S. Department of Education does not manage the accrediting agencies or the colleges and universities accredited.

There are two main types of accreditation: institution and specialized or program. 

Institutional accreditation covers the entire institution.  For example, in California, the regional accrediting body for colleges and universities is the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). 

Many colleges and universities are accredited by WASC and some are not. 

Specialized or program accreditation covers programs offered by a college or university.  For example, a school of education within a university may be WASC accredited, and its teaching program may also be accredited by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC).

How important is accreditation in choosing a college or university?

Accreditation by no means is a guarantee of overall excellence, but it provides a way to evaluate the quality of educational programs and bureaucracies at colleges or universities.  Many colleges and universities obtain accreditation for several reasons including being eligible for federal funds.  Standardization and prestige are some other factors.   In other words, not all accreditation are viewed equally amongst colleges, universities, and employers.

Try this.  If you are researching colleges and universities online, ascertain their accreditation.  (1) Then click on their job page.  (2) Click on any faculty position.  (3) Read the job requirement under the job description.  (4) Note if it requires faculty to have earned degrees from regional accredited colleges or university.  (5) If the college or university that you are considering attending is not regionally accredited, if you attend that college, your degree will not be considered regionally accredited.  Therefore, you would not meet the job requirements to work as faculty at the college or university where you earned your degree.

Obviously, that college or university values regional accreditation, so why is it not regionally accredited? Is the college or university offering something more important, to you, than accreditation?

Many employers are more interested in the degree you earned and not the accreditation of the college or university you attended.  Still, you should consider the question; will my employer care about my degree accreditation?

A suggestion:

When mapping out your academic career, it is important to consider your future aspirations and how a college and universities’ accreditation might impact your plans.  You should ask yourself, (1) if my associate or bachelor degree is from a non-regionally accredited college or university; will I be accepted in a bachelor or master program at a regional accredited college?  (2) If I take general education courses at a non-regional accredited college, will my courses transfer to a regional accredited college or university?  (3) Will employers recognize my degree if it is not from a regional or national accredited college or university?

Talk to a college consultant, advisor or counselor.  Make an informed decision.  Remember, education is your investment on your future.

Reference

U.S. Department of Education.  http://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html