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ACCREDITATION Accreditation is the system used in the United States to determine if institutions of higher education meet acceptable levels of educational quality. It is a system of peer evaluation, whereby those who have been awarded accreditation, meet a set of criteria imposed by the recognized accrediting body. There are two levels of accreditation, regional and professional.
Regional or Institutional Accreditation
In addition to "institutional" or "regional" accreditation which reviews the educational institution as a whole, "professional", "programmatic" or "specialized" accreditation reviews professional and specialized degree programs or departments. Often, though not always, such programs are offered at institutions that also have institutional/regional accreditation so you can be assured of their legitimacy and general quality. (Prospective students should also check with their Ministries of Education regarding recognition of their degrees). A professional or programmatic accrediting body is considered a "recognized" accrediting body if it is a member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA). Membership in either of these two organizations is an indicator of the reliability of a programmatic accrediting association. Not all majors have professional or programmatic accreditation. To see whether your major has professional accreditation, check BOTH the CHEA and ASPA websites. Professional accreditation exists in fields where professional competence is of broad concern, such as engineering, nursing, business etc. The importance of programmatic accreditation varies from field to field. For example, it can be more crucial in fields that deal with health (e.g. medicine, dentistry) or safety (e.g. architecture or engineering). Students should carefully consider professional accreditation when selecting their university. To determine the importance of professional accreditation in your major it is advisable to contact the Ministry of Education in your country. Remember- regional/institutional accreditation does not guarantee professional/programmatic accreditation and vice versa. When in doubt- please ask us! Excerpts were taken from the "If you Want to Study in the United States- booklet 3 on Short- Term Study, English Language Programs, Distance Education and Accreditation" published by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. Disclaimer: |