This page will walk you through the difference between accreditation for
a whole institution, such as regional accreditation, and accreditation
for a specific degree program or department, often called programmatic
accreditation. Programmatic accreditation is particularly important for
certain fields of study, and some schools may lack programmatic
accreditation for these fields even if the school as a whole is
accredited. Read on for information on this type of accreditation and
how to find the offline and online degrees that are right for your
field. Earning a degree with all the necessary types of accreditation
for your field will make sure employers respect your education.
What is Degree Program Accreditation: Do I Need It?
While
entire institutions can earn regional accreditation to ensure that the
school as a whole meets educational standards, specific departments and
degree programs also pursue specialized educational accreditation for
departments or degree programs including engineering, business and
clinical sociology. Offline and online accredited degree programs use
this accreditation not to vouch for the quality of the school as a
whole, but instead to provide assurance that the programs they offer
meet the standards of excellence set by top academics and professionals
in the field.
Accreditation for a school as a whole tells you
that all departments at a school meet at least minimum standards for
general education, and that the school has the necessary support
services to help students succeed. Organizations that accredit schools
as a whole look at issues like class sizes, number of qualified faculty,
library resources and organizational concerns. These organizations
cannot say with certainty that a school offers a comprehensive education
in a field like business or computer science, but instead assure
potential students that, generally, the institution can meet the needs
of its students.
Accreditation for a specific program, on the
other hand, is carried out by organizations that employ experts on the
topic. A specialized accrediting organization for business or
engineering employs experts on those topics to look not only at the
general support services the school offers for students pursuing offline
and, where offered, online degree programs, but also looks at what the
institution offers students in that discipline. These experts look at
the curriculum of the department or degree program, examining whether it
keeps up with current developments in the field. They also make sure
that, where necessary, the school has appropriate laboratory equipment
or field experience opportunities. The best online degrees in a field
will have this type of accreditation, if a specialized accrediting body
exists for that field.
Not all specialized accrediting bodies
accredit online degree programs, and in many cases, you will need a
degree with this accreditation to get a job in the field. In some
fields, the technology necessary to administer the education for
accredited online degrees does not exist. Accredited online programs for
doctors, for example, are not feasible due to requirements for medical
students to work in clinical settings. Other fields, like business,
provide many opportunities for accredited online degrees. For example,
many top business schools offer online degree programs, as all of the
appropriate learning can be conducted exclusively online.