What is an Accredited Online School?
When you are looking for courses to take online, whether it is for a certification, bachelors, masters or other type of degree, keep one thing in mind; make sure the school is an accredited online college. A degree from an online program that is accredited is just as good as one earned from a traditional campus setting. However, if the school and program are not accredited, it is not going to do much for you. Many employers won’t even acknowledge the non-accredited programs you complete.
How does a school become accredited? An institution will submit to a voluntary review of the programs they offer and how the programs are conducted. Independent accreditation agencies will then evaluate the programs and provide their stamp of approval or not.
Online schools typically vie to receive either national or regional accreditation. Most people assume that national accreditation is better because it is sounds like it is more widely recognized. That is not necessarily the case. In fact, regional accreditation carries more weight. The biggest difference between the two types, and the difference that can most affect your education, is whether credits can be transferred.
One of the best things about online education is the flexibility, and an inability to transfer credits renders that moot. Nationally accredited schools will most often accept credits from other nationally and regionally accredited schools. It does not always work the other way around. Regionally accredited online colleges often do not accept credits from nationally accredited institutes. Therefore, if you complete a bachelors degree with a national school, you may not be eligible to start a masters program with a regionally accredited school because they will not accept the transfer credits.
This does not imply all regionally accredited online schools are better than nationally accredited schools. When choosing an online school, consider price, program details, instructor qualifications and any other factor important to you education and online degree pursuit.
When you are looking at potential schools, remember that they should disclose which agency has accredited them. Then make sure that the U.S. Department of Education recognizes this agency’s credentials. If all that checks out, feel secure in knowing you are receiving a proper degree and online education.
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