How do universities get accreditation

What steps are involved in the accreditation process? Research and preparation by the institution. The institution completes and submits its application for accreditation. BAC reviews the application form and supporting documentation.

BAC arranges an inspection in consultation with the institution. Department of Education ]. According to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation CHEA , a national nonprofit that works with the Department of Educations and maintains its own list of approved organizations, accreditors fall into four categories based on the types of accreditation they offer [source: Eaton ]:.

Just because a school says it's accredited doesn't mean its accrediting agency is recognized by the Department of Education or CHEA, and that can be important. In some cases, Department of Education approval is required for attending students to be eligible for federal student aid programs or to perfect candidacy for certification in a particular field. It may also be required by a transfer school or as a qualification for reimbursement by an employer.

A school's lack of transparency about its accreditation should be a red flag that additional research is necessary to discover the basic level of quality being offered [source: Federal Student Aid ]. Even though Department of Education-approved accreditation may be a determiner of quality for baccalaureate and postbaccalaureate degrees, as well as for many career programs, not having it doesn't always mean a school is inferior.

There are occasions where a school offering an excellent level of instruction may not be accredited. For example, this can happen if a school is still in the process of obtaining accreditation. That's why accrediting agencies must be "recognized" by either the U. When the Department of Education works to determine if a school provides an education of sufficient quality to warrant federal money, it looks at accreditation.

Only a school that has current accreditation can qualify for federal cash. If a school is accredited by an organization not recognized by the CHEA or US Department of Education, it's almost as if the school isn't accredited at all. Just as accreditation ensures a school isn't a degree mill, recognition ensures an accrediting agency isn't an accreditation mill.

These layers of protection for students help ensure their degree is much more than a simple piece of paper. There are two main types of post-secondary accreditation. The first is institutional accreditation and it refers to an entire school or institution having met minimum academic quality standards. Most colleges and universities in the United States receive institutional accreditation from one of the six regional accrediting bodies.

Even though a school may be accredited, its individual programs can be accredited as well. This second type of accreditation is called programmatic accreditation. Not all of a school's programs will have its own separate accrediting body, but many professional programs will; a few examples include engineering, nursing, law, medicine and business. Prospective students choosing to enroll in one of these types of professional programs are strongly encouraged to ensure that their chosen program and school are both accredited by their respective accrediting bodies.

Accreditation signifies that the educational institution provides a quality education by meeting specific academic standards. These standards typically revolve around the school's ability to provide academic support to its students, the rate in which students are expected to progress, how well students are prepared upon graduation, faculty quality and curriculum requirements.

Accreditation ensures that all colleges in that particular region or area that obtain accreditation can compete against each other on a level playing field; for instance, a student won't necessarily get a better education at one college over another.

By attending an accredited school or program, a student knows that they will obtain a certain level of knowledge and training. Accreditation also increases the likelihood that an external party, such as another school or employer, will recognize the academic credential the students has worked so hard to achieve. Without accreditation, there is no way for an employer, government agency or another school to know that the student didn't just buy a college degree from a degree mill over the weekend.

Though that sounds far-fetched, before accreditation came along, it was an entirely possible scenario. The consequences of going to a non-accredited school will depend on the exact reason the student enrolls in a course or program.

But generally speaking, if a student attends a school that's not accredited, they will miss out on certain advantages and face the possibility of graduating with a degree, diploma or certificate that is practically worthless beyond any personal satisfaction the student may garner from the accomplishment.

Students interested in an online college or university should be particularly careful to make sure the school is accredited. Most online programs in the United States today are not degree mills and expect the same level of academic performance from their online and on-campus students.

However, the risk remains and prospective students interested in a particular school or program should verify its accreditation status as soon as possible, even before applying. This is because there's little point in completing an application, possibly paying an application fee and writing an admissions essay to a school that's not accredited.

But how can a student know for sure? The following is the process by which prospective students can tell if a particular school is accredited by a recognized accrediting agency. Most accredited educational institutions will have a link to their accreditation status on the bottom or corner of their front page. At the very least, it should be easily found through the website's search function.

If looking for programmatic accreditation, the prospective student will probably need to find the accreditation information on the specific program's homepage. Institutional accreditation, the kind provided by regional or national accreditation agencies, covers whole institutions, considering all the various available programs and majors as contributing to the school's overall quality. Schools can also have different forms of programmatic accreditation, which covers specific major fields and programs within the overall school.

Occasionally, programmatic accreditation may function in the capacity of institutional accreditation, particularly when it comes to professional or vocational schools. For example, a master's program in nursing offered by a teaching hospital may possess only programmatic accreditation as the program exists outside of a traditional higher learning institution.

Programmatic or specialized accreditation can apply to programs, departments, and individual schools or colleges within a university or institution. This form of accreditation provides further assurance that certain programs adequately prepare students for licensure or certification requirements. For example, in order to sit for social work licensure exams through the Association of Social Work Boards, students must complete a social work program with programmatic accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education.

For many fields that do not require licensure, a lack of programmatic accreditation is not uncommon. Accredited online colleges gain accreditation through a process laid out by the particular agency.

Schools voluntarily submit to this process through the accreditation agencies. Generally, an institution applies for accreditation after spending some time reviewing the agency's standards and preparing for an audit. The accrediting agency then formally reviews the school's curriculum, assesses whether it meets their set standards, and, if those standards are met, awards the institution accreditation. For example, as a regional accreditor the New England Commission of Higher Education considers a school's mission and purpose, academic programs, and institutional resources when performing an accreditation review.

Accrediting bodies generally provide the standards and allow the institution to perform self-evaluations of their performance. The accreditors then perform an on-site, formal evaluation of the school and make a decision regarding its accreditation status. Accreditors continue to monitor regionally accredited online universities and campus institutions during a set period of accreditation. When that period ends, schools get re-evaluated to renew their accreditation.