A word about Online University Accreditation

You will hear a lot about the word accreditation on your journey to find an online education. Some employers and academic institutions will not consider you as an applicant if the diploma or credits you posses are from a non accredited institution. It is best to know what this word really means.

“Accreditation is the act of certifying that an educational institution maintains suitable standards” (Webster’s Dictionary Online). In this case “suitable” means that the resources, faculty and facilities are all held to a standard that can provide a student with a quality education.

In some countries such as Canada, the government is responsible for the validation process of accrediting schools. In the U.S. this is not the case. In this country educational institutions receive accreditation by “accrediting agencies” that are comprised of peers from other accredited universities.

When you find a school that you are interested in check out to see if they are accredited and by what agency. The U.S. Department of Education keeps a database on their website of legitimate accrediting agencies, http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/accreditation_pg4.html#Nationally%20Recognized

What your educational goals are come into play when it comes to accreditation. If you are seeking a PHD in a subject it’s in your best interest to go with an accredited institution. On the other hand if you just need a class or are looking for a course in continuing education there are scores of institutions that are very good but may not be accredited. Just because an institution is not accredited does not dictate that it is bad. On the contrary many continuing education courses or non traditional educational institutions have not sought accreditation for various reasons.

By checking into your prospective online university you may save yourself of falling into the trap of diploma mills. For more information on this subject visit the Council of Higher Education Accreditation at http://www.chea.org/

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