University Accreditation - The Real Truth About What You Need

(EMAILWIRE.COM, November 07, 2009 ) Fort Lauderdale/Miami - With the internet growing and online study the wave of the future more attention is on the kind of accreditation a university has. Is it recognized? Will it serve your purpose? Here is the truth about accreditation according to Sheila Danzig, the founder of www.degree.com the premier internet portal of online degrees and distance learning programs.

There is a great deal of talk about the accreditation of a college Basically, people who can benefit from what we are discussing this month are categorized into two groups:

-The first group group includes individuals who are seeking study at a school and at the same time keeping the option of transfer to a regionally accredited school in the future. Students usually pursue this either in the middle of a degree program or by going on to a higher degree.

- The other group involves individuals who have already enrolled in a school and their credits donÂ’t meet the terms set for a transfer. This can be for a host of reasons.

If you are one those distant learners who want to pursue college credits and/or a degree, admission in a regionally accredited school is the best you can do as itÂ’s both safe and ideal. Schools having the DETC accreditation are better in terms of flexibility, offering time saving and affordable courses. And the best part is, if you are certain that a degree obtained from such a school will satisfy your present and future requirements, this can prove to be an ideal option for you. However, if you prefer completing further education at a regionally accredited school, your credits/degrees may not be considered enough for enrollment, thus leaving you disappointed and troubled.

The same goes for individuals seeking study at schools with no accreditation. Students and graduates having the background of unaccredited schools canÂ’t expect much from the admission policies of regionally accredited institutes. Meeting the eligibility criteria for admissions in such schools on the basis of credits and/or degrees is something they can only dream about.

As far as students looking forward to study at foreign universities admission can be quite difficult and in can also be easier in some cases. However the credits should transfer easily to US programs. Almost all colleges and universities contacted recognized credits and degrees from foreign universities. Note that the students may need to have their studies evaluated by a foreign credential evaluation service such as www.TheDegreePeople.com before they are recognized.

Americans are welcome at many foreign universities as more and more, degree programs are accessible to individuals residing in the U.S. from universities of various countries like Australia and South Africa. Attend only college and uiversities that are recognized by the department of education in that country. Take classes that are commonly offered in the US for easy transfer.

What if a student finds his degrees or credits turned away? There are a few options available here. An open option would be to take examinations for credit, either at the university or more commonly taking the CLEP exams, on the basis of knowledge you acquired from your studies. A majority of regionally accredited schools will acknowledge these examinations. Ask at the university if they accept CLEP exams for credit and get details on how to take the exams.

The other thing that can be done is to arrange a life-experience portfolio for credit (this too is dependent on the knowledge you earned from your studies). However you do not get credit for the experience. You must demonstrate, generally in a portfolio what you have learned and how it is equivalent to an existing course. Some colleges have extensive support and acceptance for students to earn credits with this method. You can do it at one college and have the credits granted by one institute, then transfer those credits to the school you want to join.

When considering transferring credits and degrees, regional accreditation has been termed as the "gold standard." This is not because it indicates brilliance in a school, but it confidently signifies that your credits and degrees will be acknowledged by other schools with accreditation. However, if you deviate from your goal, things get a bit more difficult. Foreign credits appear satisfactory if the courses are offered at the university you are transferring to, nationally accredited schools often less so. Moreover unaccredited schools issue degrees that may have little if any usefulness in the workplace or when applying for further studies. If you insiste on using an unaccredited degrees on your resume it should always be noted that it is not accredited. Degree mills are time bombs waiting to go off. Stay away. Be certain your degree is accredited by an accrediting body that is recognized by the department of education in the country where it is issued.

Consumers have to to decide sensibly, not only for their current situations, but for future ones too. The selections they make, whichever good bad, will remain with them for the rest of their lives.

Degree.com
Sheila Danzig
sheila danzig
sheila@danzig.com