What is accreditation?
Accreditation is the process of reviewing a school’s programs and policies to see if it meets criteria set by an outside agency. When a school is found to meet the minimum criteria, it is granted accreditation.
Why is accreditation important?
Accreditation is meant to protect students, schools, and employers. It ensures that a school is educating its students and meeting quality standards.
When a student receives a diploma from a school accredited by the right agency, he can be assured that it will be accepted by employers.
Who can grant accreditation?
Not all accreditation is equal. Accreditation from the wrong source (such as an accreditation mill) can be worse than no accreditation at all.
What is a diploma mill?
A diploma mill is a school that sells degrees and requires little to no work of its students. These colleges are either unaccredited or are accredited by accreditation mills. Using a degree from a diploma mill can land you in hot water. Many employees have been fired after listing a diploma mill degree in their resumes.
Note that not all unaccredited schools are diploma mills. Some unaccredited schools are undergoing the accreditation process or choose not to seek accreditation. Using a degree from one of these schools may be difficult – however, that does not automatically qualify a school as a diploma mill.
What if my school isn’t accredited?
If you choose a school that isn’t accredited (or is accredited by an illegitimate agency), it may be difficult to use your degree. Few employers will take your degree seriously. Additionally, you may not be able to transfer your credit hours or degree to an accredited school.
If you are seeking a degree for personal enjoyment, accreditation may not be important to you. However, if you want to use your degree in the workplace or plan on furthering your education at a later date, accreditation is essential.
Who made the accreditation decisions and on what basis?
Recommendations were made by peer review panels, MBA experts, business experts and experienced managers at higher education institutions. They used a set of criteria developed by the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC), in consultation with business schools, international and local experts and key stakeholders.