Accreditation of Online Courses and Degrees
Demand
for online distance education has exploded over the last decade,
creating a plethora of online and campus institutions that offer both
individual courses and entire programs online. According to a 2007
study by the National
Center for Education Statistics, 66 percent of
all postsecondary institutions offered some type of online
coursework. When isolated to 2-year and 4-year public institutions,
that number jumps to 97 percent and 89 percent, respectively.
Prospective students who are interested in online learning have many options available to them; so many options, in fact, that the process of finding a reputable program can seem daunting. One of the most important considerations when searching for high-quality online programs is the institution's accreditation status.
Types of Accreditation Agencies
There are three different types of accrediting agencies in the United States: national accrediting agencies, regional accrediting agencies and specialized accrediting agencies.
National accrediting agencies oversee schools throughout the country and typically have a single focus, such as the Accreditation Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) and the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). Regional accrediting agencies, on the other hand, only accredit institutions that fall within their geographical area, such as The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
While both national and regional accrediting bodies oversee entire institutions, specialized agencies, such as the National Bar Association and the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation, only ensure the educational quality of specific programs--not the institution itself.
According to Christopher Lambert, Director of External Affairs for the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges, "The first thing to look for is that the accrediting agency is recognized by the Department of Education."
Only those agencies that the Department of Education recognizes as reputable are eligible for Title IV funds, such as federal loans and grants. It also guarantees that the institution offers a "student-centered" education with sufficient faculty qualifications and curriculum. Parents and prospective students can determine which accrediting agencies the Department of Education recommends by searching the U.S. Department of Education Database of Postsecondary Institutions and Programs on the USDOE website.
Accreditation of Online Programs
Because national and regional accrediting agencies accredit entire institutions, online courses and programs must meet all the same standards as the institution itself. "We have no lesser expectations for online courses than we do for on-campus courses," Christopher Lambert said. "All that's different is the delivery of the instruction."
"Every school is required to track the progress of each student so that we can look at retention, graduation and job placement rates. Schools must graduate [a certain number] of students and at least 70 percent of those graduates must be able to secure work in the field after graduation, "he said. "This rigorous accrediting process guarantees the legitimacy of the education."
Dr. Belle Wheelan, President of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, echoed Lambert's sentiment. "Online instruction is a learning modality of the institution," she said. "When online programs are reviewed, we consider all of the pieces, such as the qualifications of the faculty, the availability of student support services and the curriculum. Programs are held to the same standards as the entire institution."
Although both the regional and national accrediting agencies hold distance learning institutions to the same standards as on-campus colleges and universities, certain considerations do need to be made because of the different learning style of distance education compared to on-campus classes. "You have to know how to evaluate when students aren't present and we do that...by evaluating the instructors but also by looking at the quality of their work and their grading of papers," said Michael Lambert, President of the Distance Education and Training Council. "We survey students with a mail questionnaire that they respond to and they answer 30 questions for us. And then we often will call students on the phone and interview them about their work."
Such considerations include faculty support, the quality of the facilities and whether schools have the equipment necessary to engage in distance education effectively, Lambert said.
Regional vs. National Accreditation
Although the Department of Education recognizes both regional and national accrediting agencies, regionally accredited institutions are sometimes viewed by the educational community as superior to their nationally accredited counterparts. In fact, the University Professional & Continuing Education Association states that regional accreditation is the highest level a school can attain.
"I like to take the position that nationally and regionally accredited institutions are more alike than different," Christopher Lambert said. "Both the regional and national agencies have the same recommendation process and spend a lot of time ensuring the educational integrity of the institutions."
"While there are institutional differences, our missions are essentially the same," he said.
When deciding between nationally and regionally accredited schools, Christopher Lambert believes that prospective students need to look ahead to their future education and career goals. For example, a student who aspires to earn a Ph.D. should be looking at regionally accredited institutions, rather than nationally accredited institutions that frequently offer specialized career training. "You really need to start on the right track," he said. "If you don't, there are going to be some challenges."
In addition to the different philosophy and purpose of nationally and regionally accredited schools, the biggest challenge is the transfer of credits between the institutions. Every postsecondary institution has the right to accept or decline transfer credits at their own discretion. And while credits often transfer between regionally accredited institutions without a hitch, some regionally accredited institutions won't accept credits from nationally accredited schools. "There has been some movement here," Christopher Lambert said. "We are definitely making progress in this area."
"Regionally-accredited institutions have more confidence in what other regionally-accredited schools have to go through, because they've gone through the process themselves," Wheeler said. "Whether transfer credits are accepted all depends on how comfortable the institutions are with each other. An institution may have accepted credits from another school and it may not have been a good experience. The decision is completely let up to the institution."
Importance of Accreditation for Online Courses
Whether a student decides to take online coursework through a major university or an online career school, the most important consideration is that the institution is accredited by a USDOE-recognized agency. There are dozens of so-called accrediting agencies out there that the Department of Education does not recognize. They may have official-sounding names, but they generally lack the standards of excellence found in the recognized accrediting bodies. "It's important for students to take ownership of their education and do their research," Christopher Lambert said.
A degree from an unaccredited school, or from a school that carries accreditation from an unrecognized agency, may not be acceptable to employers. The credits will also be unlikely to transfer to a reputable institution if a student decides to finish their education elsewhere.
For information about accreditation and its importance in transferring credits, please read BrainTrack's article titled "Accreditation: What It Means for Transferring Online Coursework Credits".
For more general information on accreditation, including information on avoiding diploma mills and overviews of specific accreditation agencies, please see BrainTrack's College Accreditation Guide.
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