National Accreditation Agency For Offline& Online Universities

Accreditation agencies for online universities are classified as national and regional. The national agencies for education accreditation are also responsible for highly specialized courses. The higher education accreditation agencies recognizd by the U.S. Department of Education are:

• Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
• Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools
• National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Commission on Accreditation
• Association for Biblical Higher Education, Commission on Accreditation
• Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools
• The Council on Chiropractic Education, Commission on Accreditation
• Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, Accreditation Commission
• Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training
• National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences
• National Association of Schools of Dance, Commission on Accreditation
• American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation
• American Dietetic Association, Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education
• Distance Education and Training Council, Accrediting Commission
• Commission on English Language Program Accreditation
• American Board of Funeral Service Education, Committee on Accreditation
• Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education
• American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar
• American Academy for Liberal Education
• American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education
• Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation
• Liaison Committee on Medical Education
• Midwifery Education Accreditation Council
• Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education, Commission on Accreditation
• National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation, Commission on Non-Degree-Granting Accreditation, Commission on Community/Junior College Accreditation
• Council on Naturopathic Medical Education
• Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology
• Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
• American College of Nurse-Midwives, Division of Accreditation
• National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health, Council on Accreditation
• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission
• Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology
• Council on Occupational Education
• American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education
• American Optometric Association, Accreditation Council on Optometric Education
• Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc., Accreditation Commission
• Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education
• American Physical Therapy Association, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education
• American Podiatric Medical Association, Council on Podiatric Medical Education
• American Psychological Association, Committee on Accreditation
• Council on Education for Public Health
• Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools, Accreditation Commission
• Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
• National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
• Teacher Education Accreditation Council, Accreditation Committee
• National Association of Schools of Theatre, Commission on Accreditation
• Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools
• American Veterinary Medical Association, Council on Education
• New York State Board of Regents, and the Commissioner of Education

Accredited Higher Education Agencies – Regional

Some higher education accreditation might not be done by national education accreditation agencies but instead provide regional higher education accreditation. These education accredtion agencies are:

• Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
• New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (NEASC-CIHE)
• New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Technical and Career Institutions (NEASC-CTCI)
• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, The Higher Learning Commission (NCA-HLC)
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges (SACS)
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (WASC-ACCJC)
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities (WASC-ACSCU)

Online Education Accreditation Agencies

Apart from the various national and regional higher education accreditation agencies, online education accredited programs are certfiied by certain other education accreditation agencies as well. These accrediation agency for online universities are:

• Accreditation Governing Commission of the United States of America (AGC-USA)
• The Board of Online Universities Accreditation (BOUA)
• International Commission for Higher Education (ICHE)
• The New England Association of Schools & Colleges, Inc. (NEASC)
• The Universal Council for Online Education Accreditation (UCOEAA)

Non Recognized Accredited Higher Education Organizations

Some scam online schools pretend to be accredited and will give you fancy higher education accreditation agency names to prove their accreditation certification, however you must be careful. If you see any of the below names for education accreditation, you can be sure it is fake.

• Accreditation Governing Commission of the United States of America
• Accrediting Commission for Specialized Colleges
• Accrediting Commission International—based in Arkansas
• Accrediting Commission International for Schools, Colleges and Theological Seminaries
• Alternative Institution Accrediting Association
• American Association of Accredited Colleges and Universities
• American Association of Drugless Practitioners Commission on Accreditation
• American Association of International Medical Graduates
• American Association of Non-Traditional Private Postsecondary Education
• American Council of Private Colleges and Universities
• American Education Association for the Accreditation of Schools, Colleges & Universities
• American Naturopathic Medical Certification and Accreditation Board (ANMCAB)
• American Psycotherapy (sic) Association
• Arizona Commission of Non-Traditional Private Post Secondary Education
• Association for Distance Learning (ADLP)
• Association for Online Academic Excellence—possibly based in Wales
• Association of Career Training Schools
• Association of Christian Colleges and Theological Schools—based in Virginia
• Asssociation for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP)
• Board of Online Universities Accreditation
• Central States Council on Distance Education
• Commission for the Accreditation of European Non-Traditional Universities
• Commission on Medical Denturitry Accreditation (COMDA)
• Council for International Education Accreditation (CIEA)
• Council for the Accreditation of Correspondence Schools
• Council on Medical Denturitry Education (COMDE)
• Council on Postsecondary Alternative Accreditation
• Council on Postsecondary Christian Education
• Distance Graduation Accrediting Association
• Distance Learning Council of Europe
• Education Commission for Integrative Health (ECIH)
• European Council for Distance & Open Learning
• Examining Board of Natural Medicine Practitioners
• Higher Education Accreditation Commission
• Higher Education Services Associatio
• Inter-Collegiate Joint Committee on Academic Standards
• International Accreditation Agency for Online Universities (IAAOU)
• International Accreditation Association
• International Accreditation for Universities, Colleges and Institute
• International Accrediting Association
• International Accrediting Association for Colleges and Universities
• International Accrediting Commission for Schools, Colleges and Theological Seminaries
• International Association of Non-Traditional Schools
• International Association of Universities and Schools
• International Commission for Higher Education
• International Commission for the Accreditation of Colleges and Universities
• International Commission of Open Post Secondary Education
• International Council for Open and Distance Education
• International University Accrediting Association—based in California
• Mid States Accrediting Agency
• Middle States Accrediting Board
• National Academy of Higher Education (NAHE)
• National Accreditation Association
• National Association for Private Nontraditional Schools and Colleges
• National Association for Private Post-Secondary Education
• National Association of Alternative Schools and Colleges
• National Association of Open Campus Colleges
• National Commission on Higher Education
• National Council of Schools and Colleges
• National Distance Learning Accreditation Council
• Non-Traditional Course Accreditation Body
• Northwest Regional Accrediting Agency
• Pacific Association of Schools and Colleges
• Southern Accrediting Association of Bible Institutes and College
• Southern Association of Accredited Colleges and Universities
• United Congress of Colleges—Ireland, UK
• Universal Council for Online Education Accreditation (UCOEA)
• US-DETC—Nevada (not to be confused with the legitimate DETC, based in Washington DC.)
• Virtual University Accrediting Association—based in California
• West European Accrediting Agency
• Western Accrediting Agency
• Western Association of Private Alternative Schools
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges (note: This name is also used by a recognized higher education accrediting agency)
• Western Council on Non-Traditional Private Post Secondary Education
• World Association of Universities and Colleges—based in Nevada
• World Online Education Accrediting Commissio
• World-wide Accreditation Commission of Christian Educational Institutions
• Worldwide Accrediting Commission

Depending on the name of the higher education agency you can easily tell which education accreditation agency is the one suited for the course you might be interested in pursuing. Education accreditation is very important whether it is online or offline so before you pursue a higher education course, make sure it is fully accredited by the relevant agency as you will then be assured of a quality education.

References:

1. Accrediting Agencies Recognized by the U.S. Department of Education – eLearners

Degree Accreditation By Accreditation Agencies

Online degree accreditation for online and offline courses are absolutely essential and these degrees are accredited by accreditation agencies. When a particular school or an online degree course receives accreditation certification from an accreditation agency, it means it is a legitimate service provider or service, respectively and a student can therefore rest easy and pursue the course. Online degree accreditation is especially important so students can avoid scam institutions and pursue courses online from schools with accreditation certification. An accredited degree is also usually a guarantee of a good quality education.

Accredited Degree Course – Importance of Degree Accreditation

No matter which part of the world you study in, whether virtual or real, an accredited online degree course is very important. Without proper accreditation certification, your online learning degree may not be recognized anywhere in the world. It is very important to check for online degree accreditation because:

• A degree accredited by an accreditation agency is likely to be of a superior quality than an online degree with proper accreditation certification.
• If you ever plan to transfer credits from school to the other, your online learning degree will only be recognized if it has the proper degree accreditation.
• If you want to seek federal funding for your online degree course, you will only be approved if it is an accredited online degree.
• If you want to transfer credits to a different degree program or a different school, accreditation certification is absolutely essential.
• Potential employers will only accept your online learning degree if it is an accredited online degree with proper accreditation certification from an accreditation agency.
• People with degrees accredited by accreditation agencies are more likely to get a job promotion or salary raise.
• Certain jobs require licenses or certificates to be admitted into the profession, such as CPAs, Lawyers, Doctors and the like. If your degree does not have the required accreditation certification, it will not be recognized by your profession.

How Accredited Degree Courses Receive Degree Accreditation

An online learning degree has to prove its worth in quality before it is approved by an accreditation agency for degree accreditation. This accreditation is not provided by government organizations but in fact offline and online degree accreditation is administered by non-governmental organizations. One such organization is the Council of Higher Education Accreditation. For a school and its degrees to be accredited by accreditation agencies, it must prove its worthiness for accreditation certification and this is based on several factors such as:

• Experience of faculty
• Content of online learning degree course
• Employment possibilities for students pursuing the course
• Admission procedures

An institution is regularly reviewed and degree accreditations are regularly looked into. An accredited online degree is not automatically granted its accreditation certification if it does not live up to the standards required by the accreditation agencies. If problems are found, the school must make improvements by the accredited degree is re-accredited. Therefore, proper accreditation certification ensures a certain standard of education is maintained.

So before you apply to a school for your online learning degree program, check for accreditation certification and choose an accredited degree that meets all the requirements and you will not have any problems with your online accredited degree in the future.

GI Bill of Rights Eligibility For Military Courses

The most basic qualification for the GI Bill of Rights is that you need to have served in the US military between two and three years. However, those who have attended military college before commencing army service are ineligible for the grant. This grant usually covers any army learning courses you may be interested in, whether it is regular college or an army distance learning course. Some GI Bill of Rights stipulations to keep in mind are:

• The military places restrictions on certain courses so before you enrol in a military course, make sure it is approved by the military.
• As per the GI Bill of Rights you can receive up to $30,000 in assistance for your army learning course which you are not required to repay.
• You can take advantage of this grant for your military degree until 10 years after you have been discharged from service.
• The GI Bill of Rights grant provides 100% tuition assistance if a degree is pursued while still enlisted, usually making army distance learning programs more attractive.

Army Distance Education Help From Education Advisor

While length of service is important for eligibility, choosing an approved army distance education course is also very important. The best way to get started with your military degree program is to consult an education advisor. An experienced advisor can guide you and help you choose the accredited military courses that are right for you.  

Accredited Army Correspondence Courses

Apart from choosing army correspondence courses that are approved by the military, you must also take  few other factors into consideration. For example, one of the most important things to do is to check your military degree is fully accredited. Without an accredited distance learning course, your future employers are unlikely to take your degree seriously. Also, if sometime in the future you would like to transfer your credits from your army correspondence course to a regular college course, you must ensure your degree is fully accredited or it will not be accepted. Your education advisor will usually be able to tell you about the accredited army correspondence courses and the scam degrees to avoid so you can choose a degree that will be widely accepted.

Partnership Army Learning Courses

To provide army personnel with superior quality military degree choices, some branches of the military have now partnered with several fully accredited army learning institutions. By partnering with these army distance learning schools, the military is making an attempt to provide its personnel with good quality education. This is a good option for GIs as they can pursue a quality military course and have the military safety net to all back on.   While serving in the army is a great move, you might need a little extra to help you move forward in like.

Choose a good military degree, make use of your GI Bill of Rights grant and pursue an army distance learning program. Do one subject at a time if necessary but at the end of the day your army distance education program will stand you in good stead. Once you are discharged you can continue your army correspondence course or transfer credits to a traditional army learning program and graduate with an apprenticeship, a certificate, a diploma or even a degree.

More and more people looking for an online degree or certificate in further education are taking advantage of the advances in the digital technology of today and are turning to the internet and online or distance learning as a way of achieving the results they want. In today’s world with the choices on offer from a vast array of schools, colleges and universities online getting your degree has never been easier.

While online or distance learning certainly isn’t suitable for everyone it is a very convenient way of continuing further education or even starting out in education by expanding your potential.

The choices are endless when it comes to learning online with schools, colleges and universities offering complete distance learning programs to colleges offering a single more personal program.

Whatever your choice and reason for taking an online course or program here are a few handy tips to help get you started on your way.

If you are a busy student who is already juggling a part time job, school and home life then think about going with an online learning program or course to get that degree you want. Courses can be taken in your own time and at a pace which will fit in with your lifestyle.

Providing that you take a course where you will receive an accredited master’s degree at the end of it then all your hard work and effort will be recognised by all the major universities and by any employer.

Do a little research into online learning programs, colleges and universities, a simple search on a popular internet search engine such as Google will determine sites which offer programs that are accredited.

In addition to a program offering accreditation it is also wise to be vary of any programs or offers which sound too good to be true, remember the saying if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is.

Also use search engines to search for reviews and articles regarding the program or college you are thinking of going with, you can turn up some interesting facts just by doing a simple search online.

Remember that while learning online is a convenient way to earn a degree, online or distance learning isn’t for everyone, do make sure that you can be strict enough with yourself to devote the time needed to complete the course work.

Remember that what you learn and how much you learn will totally be down to you, you won’t have a teacher or tutor breathing down your neck to get your course work finished on time and getting you motivated.

You should consider this before committing yourself and wasting your money by signing up to something you perhaps won’t have the commitment to complete.