Degrees In Business Blog

In order to avoid a fraudulent school and assure students that they are receiving a quality education, colleges are accredited by an agency of the U.S. Department of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Accreditation affects several things about your distance learning experience, including:

• If you can take your hard-earned educational credits and transfer to another school or apply for higher learning in the future
• If your employer will recognize your degree
• In a nutshell, if you get to learn what you need to learn in your academic program for a successful future

A college becomes accredited by being evaluated by an agency that assesses the difficulty and merit of their education programs. It typically involves members of schools already accredited evaluating the new school to make sure their educational standards stay on the same page.

There are two major forms of accreditation available: The Six Regional Accreditation Agencies, and National Accreditation. These agencies are also considered equally reputable, although a regionally accredited school might not offer unit transfer eligibility to a nationally accredited school, and vica versa.

National Accreditation

The Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) are also known as the “National Accreditation Agency.” They are a single organization focusing on accrediting distance learning schools throughout the United States.

The Distance Education and Training Council was established in 1926 as the National Home Study Council. DETC has held official recognition with the U.S. Secretary of Education since 1959, and since 1975, DETC has been recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

According to a survey taken in 2006, 70% of DETC-certified transcripts were eligible for transferability to other schools, and it has become even more accepted since then.

Regional Accreditation

The Six Regional Accreditation Agencies are the most commonly accepted forms of accreditation. Regional Accreditation is available for both online and campus-based schools, so it is considered more accepting. Other schools are more likely to take transcripts from regionally accredited schools and employers are more likely to accept degrees from regionally accredited schools. This is not to say that national accreditation is any lesser, but the Six Regional Accreditation Agencies all recognize each other and work together in a network.

Transferability from a school verified by the Six Regional Accreditation Agencies is almost ensured.

The Importance of Accreditation for a Business Degree

Businesses that are aware of online degrees are also aware of accreditation. Acquiring your Bachelor of Science in Business or your Master of Business Adminstration online is a perfectly valid approach to postsecondary business education, provided that your school has been accredited by one of the Regional Accreditation Agencies or the National Accrediting Agency. Failure to select a school with accreditation could result in a business degree with no redeeming value as you ascend the ladder of the business world. Fortunately, Degrees in Business provides only accredited, reputable colleges and universities for potential business majors to explore.