What Is Accreditation?
Most simply defined accreditation is a status that shows the public that a school has met and is maintaining a high level of quality that has been set by an accrediting agency. However, how schools become accredited can seem like a confusing process especially if they are accredited by one of the many agencies with a name so long that it is almost always referred to as an acronym. The reality is that most schools achieve accreditation in very similar manners and the overall broad process is not hard to understand at all.
How are Schools Accredited?It's most certainly true that a vocational culinary institute will face different accreditation standards than a medical school residency program; the two are in very different fields. However, all schools are subject to some overarching principles of accreditation that span fields and form the foundation for the process. The main principle is that schools must have a clearly defined mission that aims to better educate and serve the students and they further must demonstrate that the school has the resources to achieve its mission and show evidence of the mission being achieved.
Additionally, almost all institutions must commit to periodic and unannounced external review as well as a rigorous internal review program to ensure that accreditation standards are continually being met.
Who Accredits SchoolsThe answer to this question is very important. You will need to make sure your school is accredited by a reputable agency. The US government does not regulate accreditation and it is therefore up to private agencies to do the job and there are many fraudulent accreditation agencies that mislead students. Fortunately, the US Secretary of Education recognizes the agencies believed to be reliable authorities on accreditation and lists these agencies on the US Department of Education's website. Making sure the agency your school is accredited by is on this list is the easiest way to ensure the accreditation is legitimate.
If you live outside the US or are enrolled in a distance education program that is based outside of the US, then you will want to make sure your school is accredited by an agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). CHEA is the international authority on post secondary accreditation and also maintains a list of agencies it deems reputable on its website.
What Does Accreditation Mean to You?It may seem like accreditation has no importance to you as a student, but that could not be further from the truth. When you graduate and look for a job, employers take into consideration the school you attended and if it is accredited by a reliable agency. If your degree is from an institution that has a questionable accreditation, employers will question the validity of your degree and your potential as good job candidate. Also, if you plan on transferring to another institution at any time in your academic career, no school will take transfer credits from an unaccredited university.
Article ReferencesCHEA
http://www.chea.org/
DOE
http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/
APA
http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation/faq1.html
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