Accreditation for Online Education Programs
How to Navigate Online Accreditation
The convenience of earning credits from the comfort of your computer has attracted many students and drawn some traffic away from brick-and-mortar schools. With so many online programs now available, though, scams and deception are inevitable. The key to avoiding such problems lies in accreditation. By researching an institution's credentials before you enroll, you can ensure your studies will earn you meaningful credits and certificates.
What is Accreditation?
When a school claims to be “accredited” it means the institution has been independently evaluated. In other words, some outside agency reviewed the school’s faculty, curricula, business practices, administration, and other vital characteristics. In general, qualified accrediting agencies will send faculty members from comparable institutions to perform the actual evaluation. As such, the accreditation procedure becomes a peer-review by individuals qualified to pass judgment on a school.
What to Look for
The best online programs are held to the same high standards as brick-and-mortar schools. So, if you want to be assured of a quality web-based education, look for a school accredited by one of the top evaluating agencies that work with traditional universities and colleges. You can find the best accreditation services by searching for those reviewed by the United States Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Concerned about a school located overseas? The CHEA also has a listing of accreditation agencies for international schools.
Some schools operating purely online programs and have no brick-and-mortar facility may be accredited by an agency used only for distance education. The most credible of these is the Distance Education Training Council (DETC). While the DETC has been reviewed and is considered an acceptable evaluation, you may not be able to transfer credits from a DETC accredited school to another institution. For this reason, many students prefect schools accredited by an agency that also deals with brick-and-mortar schools.
Don’t be Fooled
Some online schools try to pass themselves off as being properly accredited by using confusing language. Remember, the term accredited should not be replaced with words like “certified,” “approved,” or “licensed.” In some major scams, online schools actually made up their own accrediting institutions. Before you accept any accreditation claims, do a quick search to investigate the certifying agency as well.
Harsh Consequences
Failure to authenticate a school’s credentials can truly cause problems. Obtaining a degree from a non-accredited institution could prevent you from getting a job. Plus, courses you take online may not be transferable to another school or degree program. To make matters worse, there are few procedures for getting a refund from an online school. If you fail to do your research, you are the person responsible for making sure your education will be worthwhile.
Be Careful Earning a Degree Online
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