Accreditation helps universities or colleges to represent themselves properly in front of students and their parents. Accreditation of an educational institute and especially a degree program allows the student to stand out when they apply for the job. Colleges and universities conduct international seminars, symposiums, workshops, and conferences for the professional development of students enrolled in accredited degrees. External quality check benefits both employers and graduates.
Accredited courses enable you to register with a professional body and helps you to increase your professional qualification. Accreditation of degree programs is sometimes the legal requirement for the career. You cannot use some job titles until you are registered with a professional body because these job titles are legally protected. For example, you have to be a registered architect to professionally describe yourself as an architect.
- Learn how to spot fake accreditation and choose the best-accredited degree
Choose your educational institute and degree program wisely. If you are seeking higher education degrees, confirm the accreditation of a college, university, or degree by using the given process. Start with the website of the perspective of college’s website. You can find the accreditation information on the home page of the website. If you cannot find information on the home page, check the ‘about us’ section of the website. Accreditation information of a degree program can find on the informational page of the degree. If you still cannot find the accreditation status of the college or degree program, use the search box of the website and enter ‘accreditation’ to access all related information. After checking the accreditation status, verify the accrediting agency with the list of accrediting agencies provided by ED. The accrediting agency should be approved by CHEA and ED. Verify the accreditation status of degree program or college by using the searchable database provided by ED and CHEA.
Accreditation matters a lot so avoid fake accreditation of schools or programs. A school may list accrediting agencies that are not approved by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the U.S. Department of Education (ED). CHEA and ED review the accrediting agencies to make sure they work according to set rules. CHEA and ED also make a list of accredited institutes to help the student in choosing an accredited college or a degree. Both CHEA and ED recognize only six regionally accredited agencies and twelve nationally accrediting agencies. Do not choose a college if it lists accreditation by an agency that is not approved by CHEA and ED. Those degree programs that look too good may cause problems in the future. For example, programs that look easy and set low standards cannot meet the set standards of accreditation. Many national accreditation agencies are not recognized by ED and CHEA. Those unrecognized agencies are only diploma mills that will only create problems for your career. As already mentioned, accreditation is a continuous process in which higher educational institutes and degree programs need to be continuously updated according to the contemporary requirements. Colleges can post about expired accreditation information, avoid enrolling in these fake accredited institutes and programs by directly checking the list provided by CHEA and ED. Accreditation is not merely a symbolic distinction, it is more than that. Enrolling in an unaccredited institute can also make you ineligible for federal grants, loans, and scholarships.
- Importance for job/career
A professionally accredited degree is important for a career. Check the accreditation status of a degree from the university website, their prospectus, or contact the course leader before applying for it. An accredited degree is proof that you receive the required education, knowledge, and training needed for the professional field. Accreditation of a degree program ensures that course contents are updated and according to the desired standards. Specific professional qualification is required in some fields that demand accreditation. For example, the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) approves engineering degrees.