The process is similar: the Department of Education establishes standards that recognized agencies should meet, and teams evaluate the agencies to see if they satisfy those criteria. Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges Paying attention to the type of accreditation your school has is especially important if there is any chance you may want to transfer to a different school during your degree or study elsewhere for further qualification. Courses taken at a school without accreditation will need to be repeated, costing more time and money. 1991/2013/S2016 E-mail address: [email protected] Scope of recognition: the accreditation throughout the United States of institutions of higher education that offer continuing education and vocational programs that confer certificates or occupational associate degrees, including those programs offered via distance education. North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, The Higher Learning Commission Gary Puckett, Executive Director If the agency is not recognized, the school should be avoided, just as if it had no accreditation at all. Web address: https://cihe.neasc.org. A school then conducts a self-evaluation with these criteria in mind. Schools in Wyoming, Arizona, North Dakota, West Virginia, Missouri, Ohio, Indiana, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Illinois, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Michigan and Kansas are accredited by NCA-HLC. State Education Department Universities and colleges can trust that such an agency is a valid, reputable source for accreditation. Looks like you're using new Reddit on an old browser. I’ve seen some online schools that are fairly cheap but only nationally accredited. To receive regional accreditation, a university must pass a peer review by faculty and administrators from similar institutions. Scope of recognition: The accreditation and pre-accreditation (“Candidacy status”) of postsecondary degree-granting educational institutions in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, and the accreditation of programs offered via distance education within these institutions. Regional accreditation is a good thing. This means that one such agency can provide accreditation to any college or university in the U.S. that meets its criteria, which makes it a particularly well-suited model of accreditation for online colleges serving multiple regions or geographically widespread populations. ACBSP accredits business, accounting, and business-related programs at the associate, baccalaureate, master, and doctorate degree levels. Once I make it down to the schools I've never heard of, if their experience is interesting enough I'll check on the school - not accreditation, but reputation. Web address:www.deac.org. Schools will, however, generally accept transfer credits from schools with similar types of accreditation, because that shows that they have comparable curriculums and standards. University is about learning critical thinking, philosophy, and problem solving. Masters), Cheapest Online PHD Programs and Online Doctoral Programs. Leah K. Matthews, Executive Director Tel. I also don't know anything about the standards to which AMU is held. The U.S. Dept of Education recognizes seven regional accrediting bodies that meet the standards of the Council of Higher Education. Whether regional accreditation continues or regionals become national, the decision to consider and accept transfer credits is up to individual institutions, independent of the accreditor. New York State Board of Regents, and the Commissioner of Education Web address: www.nwccu.org. In my experience (20+ years in higher ed), employers are not aware of program accreditation. Chicago, Illinois 60604-1413 Once the team is satisfied that the proper standards have been met, the agency officially grants accreditation to the institution. Unlike regional accreditation, national accreditation isn’t based on a school’s location but the type of school. The people who seem most concerned about this are the accreditors and other higher ed institutions. Tel. Institutional accreditation applies to the entire institution, specific programs, and distance education within an institution.. History. This accreditation makes certain that the program of study meets the standards of the field for the education and experiences that will result in the student having the background that will lead to success in their field. 5.) This recognition also extends to the Committee on Substantive Change of the Commission, for decisions on substantive changes, and the Appeals Panel. As their name suggests, national agencies accredit schools across the entire country. 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