If you have plan to study in the U.S., you must know if the university or college in which you plan to have admission is accredited. Accreditation ensures that the school is of high quality and that you will receive the programs and services that the school describes in its promotional materials.
Accreditation
Accreditation is a process of external quality review. Accrediting agencies develop standards of excellence in areas such as faculty, curriculum, administration, and student services. Institutions and programs that meet the standards and that are granted accreditation continue on a path toward ongoing improvement.
What are the benefits of accreditation?
Through the public recognition that accreditation provides, students, sponsors, employers, and others can identify schools that meet the standards for educational quality. Admission in an accredited university and college is cost effective and meet your requirement of high quality education. Employers often want to know that an employee graduated from an accredited school. Accreditation is also important in the transfer of credit from one school to another, and it can be a means for access to federal education funding. In addition, accreditation is a means for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to certify schools that are eligible to issue the necessary documents for international students to enter the country on a student visa.
Who are the accreditors?
Accreditation in the United States is carried out by private non-governmental organizations. These agencies set standards and establish policies and procedures for accreditation. There are two types of accreditation.
Institutional accreditation applies to entire institutions, such as 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities, both public and private, and single-purpose institutions such as private career institutions. Regional and national accrediting agencies carry out institutional accreditation. Six regional accrediting agencies operate within the U.S. Examples are the Middle States Association of Colleges and School and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. National accrediting agencies, such as the Distance Education and Training Council and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools, accredit single-purpose institutions.
Programmatic accreditation focuses on programs that are part of an accredited institution. Such accreditation is carried out by specialized and professional accrediting bodies, which operate to ensure that students receive an education consistent with standards for entry into practice into their respective fields or disciplines. Examples of such agencies are the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education and the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.
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