How Career Education Accreditation Works
In today's age most diplomas and certificates from vocational and continuing education programs are just as valuable as those from colleges and universities. This is true because many career schools are accredited through the same process and sometimes even by the same agencies as colleges and universities. However, unfortunately there are some career education programs that are not accredited by reputable agencies and market misleading ads to make you think otherwise. The good news is that finding out how and by whom your career education program is accredited by is easy. Here's how it's done.
How Career Education Schools Are AccreditedCareer education programs and schools are accredited in the very same way colleges and universities are. Accrediting agencies hold career schools to rigorous standards of excellence and periodically check that they are maintaining these standards through external and internal reviews. Just some of the standards accrediting bodies hold their schools to include making sure schools continually strive to advance the quality of academic learning for all students, that schools demonstrate accountability and that schools have a clearly defined mission and the resources at hand to accomplish their mission.
How to Tell if Your School is Accredited by a Reputable AgencyThe US federal and state governments do not oversee the accreditation of any post-secondary institution. As a result, numerous bogus accrediting bodies have formed, which haphazardly accredit any diploma mill or fake program that pays them. To combat this problem the US Secretary of Education started endorsing only the reputable accrediting bodies. You will want to make sure that you are career education program is accredited by an organization that is recognized by the US Secretary of Education. The easiest way to do this is to visit the US Department of Education's accreditation database.
If your career school is not based in the US then you will want to make sure it's accredited by an agency that is endorsed by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). This council is the international authority on accreditation and endorses many of the same accrediting bodies that the US Secretary of Education does. CHEA also has a downloadable directory of the accrediting agencies they endorse on their website.
Reputable Accrediting AgenciesThere are several reputable accrediting agencies that accredit different types of education programs. Some of the most well-known and established accrediting agencies are the six regional accrediting bodies in the US that each covers different geographical locations:
- Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges (MSA)
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
- North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA)
- Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges (NWCCU)
- Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS)
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
These agencies typically accredit major colleges and universities, although some are leading the way in career school accreditation. However, it's more likely that your career school is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT). This commission is a national organization that specializes in accrediting career and vocational education programs and has been recognized every year by the US Secretary of Education since 1967.
How to Determine if a School has a Reputable AccreditationWhen you are researching several career schools you may not want to go through the process of finding out whom a school is accredited by and if the accreditation is legitimate. When you narrow your choices down you should go through this process to be sure, but when you are still considering a large number of schools there are a few ways that you can tell if the school is likely to have a reputable accreditation.
Mainly, when researching a school look at its resources, such as their career service center. Most good schools will offer more than just job placement services, but also interview training and other preparation counseling. Also look at a school's library databases. Good programs will have extensive access to online journals, course reserves and eBooks. Lastly, see how the school handles communication. Decent programs will give students many options to interact and ask questions of their professors and peers through online technology. If a school has an abundance of these resources it is also likely that they are accredited by a reputable agency. Remember, though once you narrow down your list of schools to make sure you verify their accreditation with the appropriate source.
Article ReferencesUS Department of Education
http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html
Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)
http://www.chea.org/search/default.asp
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