Continuing Education Programs Must Be Accredited

It seems like so many people these days are interesting in going back to school to further their careers. While online schools and cheap programs offering quick degrees sound appealing, the degree earned might not be worth anything.

Colleges and universities can earn three seperate levels of accreditation, which
means that the school has been certified as acceptable by a national accrediting
organization.

If a degree is earned from a non-accredited university, there is a chance that an
employer will not accept the degree as being legitamate, and will thus not hire the
person who spent time and money on earning that degree.

So how do you protect yourself? If you have doubts about a particular
institution, contact them and ask if they are accredited, and if so, by whom. Then
research the accrediting organization to verify that it is legitimate and government-
recognized.

An easier method for discovering the legitimacy of a program is to go to the
Department of Education’s website (www.ed.gov), or better yet, the website
UCEAdirectory.org (www.UCEAdirectory.org). Created by the leading continuing
education organization in the country, UCEAdirectory.org is a directory of programs
by regionally accredited institutions. That means that if you find a program on
UCEAdirectory.org, you can be absolutely positive that it is a real school offering a
real degree that real employers will accept.

Before making any significant purchase, you should always check the validity of the
item involved and the person selling it. That goes for buying something on the
Internet and checking to make sure the site is legitimate, or using Carfax to
discover the history of a used car, or having an appraiser determine the value of a
house you are interested in purchasing. A graduate or adult education program is
one of the most significant purchases you will ever make, and the rules should be
no different.

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College Accreditation: Is Your College Accredited By A Legitimate Accreditor

So who Accredits the Accreditors?

One thing you need to know is that not all college accreditation associations are legitimate. It is not uncommon to see a diploma mill creating its own accrediting authority and then granting itself “Accreditation”. This is an important issue to look at before you settle for the claim that your college is accredited.

How do you know whether a college or university is accredited by a legitimate authority? You should be able to tell that very easily because in the United States, there are two organizations that accredit the accreditors. These are:

• The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) which is a voluntary nongovernmental organization
• The United States department of Education

Over 70 accrediting associations in the United States are recognized by either CHEA or the U.S Department of Education. Sometimes the college or university may be recognized by both.

Established in 1976 CHEA was established through the efforts of a group of college and university presidents and it is accountable to its member institutions of higher learning. It also acts as a clearinghouse on accreditation for the higher education institutions.

For Canadian accreditation, all the schools are regulated by provincial governments as well as some agencies that perform this function for professional programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels. If a college or university is a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, then it is assumed that the institution is providing acceptable and credible education.

So before you assume a college or university has the right accreditation, confirm with the respective accrediting authorities.

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Accredited Online Universities - Getting Good Grades

Taking distance education courses requires more motivation and self discipline than traditional college classes. Being able to work at your own pace can result in you falling behind on your work, if you’re not self directed. Organization is the most important factor for success in online studies.

Attend the orientation and any study sessions offered by the university, if at all possible. Instructors offer valuable information in these sessions. Utilize on campus resources such as the college library and computer lab. Many schools offer online resources, such as online libraries and tutoring for distance learning students. Take advantage of all resources your school has to offer to get the most out of your education.

Create a schedule with regular times for studying and stick to your schedule. If you are taking more than one class, get a large calendar. Listing all exam and assignment due dates on this calendar makes a great visual aid to help with time management. You can schedule how much time you will spend on each class based on this information. If you have a large paper due this week in one class and an exam next week in another, you can schedule your study time accordingly.

Jump right in and get started on the material. Many successful students get the books early and read the first few chapters before the class starts. If you can get a copy of the class syllabus early, do the first week’s work before the class starts. You will be a week ahead of the game when class starts. Try to stay at least a week ahead, whenever possible. Being ahead gives you flexibility if something comes up during the semester to take you away from your work for a few days. If you can’t get the syllabus, read a few chapters to familiarize yourself with the material.

Interact often with your instructor to get the most from the course. You can request that the instructor look at your schedule and give you feedback on your progress in the class. Schedule time to participate in online discussions or group projects your program offers. Some instructors require you to post replies on a message board as part of the course. You will be given points for this participation.

As you work your way through the course, follow the syllabus and study guide carefully. Complete all reading assignments and take complete notes on the material you read. Read each chapter when it is assigned. Don’t skip the reading and try to catch up before the exam. Reading six chapters two days before the test will result in a lower grade. The same goes for studying. Don’t try to study the night before an exam. Study and read a little bit each day for the best retention.

To do well in distance education courses, you must complete all assignments on time. If you have a hectic schedule, try to complete all papers and assignments early. You won’t have to worry about something coming up the night before an assignment is due. Working late or having a sick child can throw you off schedule and cause your assignments to be late. Some instructors will give partial credit for late work, while others will give no credit. No instructors give full credit for late work in college.

Katie Robbins is a professional writer, providing content to help the online student. Check out her other articles, including accredited online universities, master degree education online and criminal justice online degrees.

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Accredited Online Universities

Online education is gaining popularity all across the globe. Students can access the lessons, tutorials and other related learning materials directly from the Web, at any time of the day, without having to spend time commuting. The message boards and chat rooms can successfully create an atmosphere similar to a real-time classroom.

An online university degree is worthless if it is not accredited. Accreditation of the educational programs is done to help establish the reputation of the concerned institution with respect to the quality of education it offers. It is offered after a thorough review of the institute, and given only if it satisfies the specified norms.

If you plan to find work using your degree, it is imperative that you get it from an accredited university, as the employers give preference to education received only by accredited institutes. In fact, even if you want to continue your education, you will have a hard time getting accepted by other universities or professional associations if your earlier degrees are not from accredited sources.

The most popular and recognized university accreditations are from the regional accreditation boards in the U.S. Even prestigious universities like Harvard and Princeton are regionally accredited. Hence, when people talk about an accredited university in the U.S., they are referring to a regionally accredited university. All states have a non-governmental, regional agency that looks after and accredits schools.

These boards are equally ranked and carry equal preference while stamping the authenticity of a university. Any one regionally accredited college will recognize the degree and credits earned at other regional accredited institution. Therefore, if you complete a course from one regionally accredited college, like the University of Illinois, you can easily enroll in a degree program of any other regionally accredited university.

Without accreditation, any sub-standard online university can open shop overnight. Actually, there is no need to join an unaccredited university online as there are numerous prestigious accredited universities waiting for your registration.

Online University provides detailed information on Online University, Online University Degree, Online University Courses, Accredited Online Universities and more. Online University is affiliated with Online Nursing Schools.

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Accredited Online College Degrees

In choosing an online college where you can further your college studies and eventually earn a college degree, it is very important to understand the accreditation processes that are employed to deem colleges and universities accredited sources of online college education.

What is Accreditation?

Accreditation is a validation process employed by associations and institutions of higher learning that checks and evaluates the efficiency of college programs against established standards to ensure a high level of educational quality. This may be done by a formal and extensive review of course descriptions and offerings by faculty members from accredited institutions.

Primary evaluation of the schools’/programs’ objectives, goals, missions, resources, student admission, program requirements, support services, and faculty efficiency and credibility are of foremost consideration by the accrediting board. Accreditation boards differ across countries; some countries employ government-run accreditation agencies while others, such as the United States, have accrediting agencies that are not in any way related to the government but are, rather, private institutions. There are national agencies that measure the course programs against national educational standards, while there are regional accrediting agencies that assess the programs against regional college program standards.

Why is Accreditation Important?

Knowing the accreditation status of your chosen school and online college degree program is important since it presents the value of the degree that you are intending to pursue and pay for. Obtaining an online college degree from non-accredited educational institutions may be futile later on since it may not be recognized by employers, or the credits earned may not be transferable to other schools or universities.

The term “accredited” is used quite loosely by a lot of institutions and must not be mistaken for being “chartered,” “licensed,” “registered,” or “pursuing accreditation.” It is best to review the qualifications of the accrediting agencies that have evaluated the institution. Likewise the accrediting agencies must be checked regarding reputation and credibility against the list of national and regional accrediting agencies.

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Accredited Online College and University Programs

It is not unusual to grow indifferent toward your job. Lack of stimulating work, low pay, and limited growth potential within an organization are all excellent reasons to seek out a way to make a change. The best way to realize your full potential is to receive a college education. One of the best, and most convenient, ways to achieve this is by receiving a college education online. This innovative and exciting method of professional development is an ideal option if you are looking for a promotion, or if you are looking for a new career entirely. An education through an accredited online college or University program is your ticket to professional success.

There are many advantages of choosing to receive your education through an accredited online college or university. Studying for a college education online allows you to achieve your educational and professional goals at your own pace, whether you want to get a 2-year Associate’s degree, a 4-year Bachelor’s degree, or take an accelerated course program to receive a professional certificate. There is no need to live near or commute to a college when all classes can be attended and all work submitted online. Attending school online is a great option for those who might have uncertainties about going to college as an older student or returning after many years. Studying for a college education online can be an easy way to ease into the routine of class work and projects, and can reduce the stress of feeling the need to fit in with younger students. Further, course availability is often convenient for those who work full time or care for a family. Often, colleges offer evening and weekend classes.

There is an online college education available for just about every professional and academic discipline out there. Fields of study include Business, Social Sciences, Humanities, Education, Nursing, Liberal Arts, Fine Arts, and various Healthcare programs. These are but a few of the subjects in which you can earn a college education by choosing an online program. Many online programs are delivered through colleges and Universities accredited by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation is an important credential to look for when choosing an online program if you have prior college credits you wish to transfer. Accredited institutions are also more readily recognized and accepted by employers and professional organizations.

You might be concerned about affording an education through an accredited online college or University. You have options. Often, financial aid is available to students in the form of grants, loans, even scholarships. Also, many employers are willing to pay for part or all of an employee’s tuition and fees. Investing in an employee’s future reaps benefits for everyone involved.

The misconception of receiving your education from an accredited online college or University is that the experience might not be as enriching or legitimate as attending campus-based courses at a traditional college or University. This just isn’t the case. Programs offered online present the same opportunities for group work, independent study, and interpersonal communications as their traditional counterparts. While it is true that being an online student requires a certain amount of self-discipline and organization, receiving your college education online will probably help to facilitate the learning process as well as develop your time management and self-motivation skills. With the prevalence of the Internet and advancements such as teleconferencing in both education and the business world today, it is possible to come away from the experience not only with a college education and your dream career, but also with greater knowledge and comfort with technology.

Receiving your education through an accredited online college or University is a valuable, convenient, and flexible way to broaden your career opportunities, and have the career you have always dreamt about.

Learn the essential information for picking the right online degree course at College and University Programs

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Accredited Life Experience Degrees - Accelerate Your Progress Online

Chances are you are pursuing an online degree to reap benefits in the workplace. For this reason, you may be interested in accelerating your progress to get your degree faster. This article will explain seven ways to finish your degree faster. Keep in mind that you will work harder to finish faster and must be willing to make this commitment.

Check with an admissions counselor to see if you qualify for the Credit for Life Experience Program (CLEP). Experience in the business world can translate into college credits with this program. You will have to show documentation of your work experience. The school will verify this experience to determine how it fits into your degree program in terms of college credit. The credits you receive from this program can shorten the time you spend earning your degree. This program isn’t offered at all schools or for all degree programs.

The Proficiency Exam Program (PEP) is similar to CLEP. This program allows students to earn college credit for independent study or other training received without college credit. You may have learned the subject matter in another forum and not need to take the class. You will have to show documentation and pass an exam to qualify for credits with PEP.

Many online universities offer shorter semesters. Some will give you the choice between six, eight and ten week semesters. Shorter semesters allow you to take more classes throughout the year. Keep in mind that these shorter semesters still carry the same requirements. The work load will be more intense, but the time period will be shorter. Be sure you have the time to devote before you choose shorter semesters. The pace is faster and you will need to work faster to keep up.

You can take more classes each semester. Even taking one additional class each semester can take a year off the time you will spend in school. You will have to make time for an additional class each semester, but you’ll finish faster. When you plan your classes, schedule a mixture of subjects you find easy with more difficult courses. This way, you won’t end up with all the subjects you find difficult at the end of your program.

Some online universities don’t require students take general education classes. Your program will focus entirely on your field of study. Often, this structure results in a shorter time spent earning the degree. If you plan to transfer your credits to another university, check before enrolling in the program to make sure the credits are transferable.

Saturday Scholars Programs are offered at many large universities. Students entering this program should hold an Associates degree before applying to the program. You travel to the university on Saturdays, usually from eight in the morning until five in the evening. These programs allow you to finish your degree in two years of Saturdays.

Self paced programs are offered through some online colleges. These classes can be started at any time and finished at your own pace. You can work through the material more quickly than is possible in the typical college semester. Quite a few of these programs set a minimum time you must take the course. Usually they require a six week minimum time frame for completion.

Katie Robbins a freelance writer for degreeclick.com, a web resource where she regularly publishes informative articles about online education. Some of the topics she covers include online universities, education master degrees and criminal justice degrees.

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Accredited High School Diploma

An accredited high school diploma is a diploma offered to a student who has successfully completed high school education from any of the accredited universities or colleges across the United States. An accredited high school diploma is becoming more and more important as it is the minimum educational requirement for a candidate applying for either higher education or jobs. The surveys conducted in the United States prove that a person who has a high school diploma earns more income than one who doesn’t have.

Students can earn an accredited high school diploma through traditional on-campus education or distance learning programs offered by various colleges and universities in the United States. Though there are a large number of institutions offering high school diplomas, great care is to be taken before choosing one.

Immigrants into the United States may very often not have a high school diploma or the ones they already have may not be acceptable. Such individuals may earn an accredited high school diploma from a genuine provider. Students who are not resident in the United States also can earn this diploma via online services. The accredited high school diploma is a valuable asset when applying for a U.S. visa or Green Card.

A list of some accredited high schools that offer diplomas by distance study is available free from the Distance Education and Training Council, formerly known as the National Home Study Council. An accredited high school diploma opens the door to a world of opportunities, and acts as a stepping stone to higher education.

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Accredited Distance Learning Programs

Accreditation means establishing the authenticity of the educational institution through an independent review of the quality standards of its learning programs. Accreditation is compulsory if you want your degree to be recognized and accepted by other educational institutions, professional bodies and employers.

While checking whether a particular institution is accredited, one should check whether the accreditation is from a recognized agency. Accreditation by an unrecognized agency is a common ploy used by many counterfeit organizations.

The USA has no central authority to regulate post-secondary education. Therefore, the practice of accreditation arose to ensure the quality of education. Accreditation can be by government as well as non-government agencies. The US Department of Education, though does not accredit educational institutions, publishes every year a list of recognized accrediting agencies.

The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), a private non-profit national organization, maintains an on-line directory of recognized accrediting agencies. One can check its website http://www.chea.org to confirm whether the accrediting agency is recognized or not.

The Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) is a nationally recognized accreditation agency for higher education programs that specialize in distance learning. The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) is another recognized accrediting agency.

However, the most widely recognized accreditations come from the six regional accreditation boards, viz. Middle States Association (MSA), Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges (NASC), North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Each agency accredits the institutions in its territory. Many prefer accreditation of the regional agencies as they have more stringent requirements than the DETC.

A team of the accrediting agency visits the institute and verifies the quality of its programs. On being satisfied with the standards it’ll accredit the institute and include its name in an official publication or display on its official website.

Accreditation can be for the entire institution or just for a particular program from the institution. One should verify whether the accreditation given to the institute extends to its distance education programs too. Accreditation is subject to a time period after which it requires re-validation. Throughout the validity period the institute and the program in question is monitored by the accrediting agency.

Certain careers require degrees accredited by specialized agencies. For example, if you are pursuing a teaching program through distance learning you must ensure that in addition to the accreditation given to the institute your program is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. Same is the case with other professions like engineering, law, business management which require accreditation from specified professional body.

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A Review of an Accredited Online Degree From Capella University

The possibility of taking Online degree programs have been one of the biggest direct changes in education due to the internet. It is easy and convenient for working adults to be able to take courses without having to fit classes around their busy schedules or commute to campus. One of the more popular accredited online degree programs is offered by Capella University. This school was founded in 1993 and got its accreditation in 1997. After it was accredited, it changed its
name and established five schools: Human Sciences, Technology, Education, Psychology and Business.

The school’s headquarter is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Within these five schools, there are about 70 different areas of study with more than 650 classes offered. The Capella school has 650 faculty members, more than 550 employed staff and 13,000 students enrolled
in courses. As you can see, this is a real college for higher education with real credentials.

The school has its good points as well as its bad points. In order to draw as balanced picture as possible of this school, let’s consider both. It has a special individualized portal for each student, called the iGuide. After you enroll, you’re granted secure access through this portal to all the academic information you need. This makes it easy to look at and get an overview of courses and transcripts. Through the portal, you have access to your internet classroom, which they refer to as the ‘courseroom’, where you can get your assignments and post messages.

Most other schools on the internet have online chats and webcams which often don’t work very well. At this school however, the technology is all together and in working order. It has a special system for turning in assignments which is very efficient but still easy to use. Just submit all your assignments as zip files or Microsoft Word documents. That’s all you have to do.

The school portal offers access to the alumni center which you can use for networking and looking for employment opportunities. There are many other services available, like access to grants and other public money. Some of the graduates have criticized the alumni center as not being so useful, and being mostly just for show. However, most graduates are very happy with it.

Because this school is targeted to students who are already in jobs, its opportunities for on campus employment are pretty bare. The thought is that the reason you’ve chosen to study there rather than at a more traditional college is that you are already in a jobs . If you live outside Minneapolis, the school does not offer much in the way of employment for its students.

The school does offer a wide range of services to students with various handicaps. There is a variety of software available, and the staff makes an extra effort to accommodate students with disabilities. The school is consistently ranked high among higher educational institutions for its services for disabled students. There is mobility assistance, sign language interpreter service as well and additional time given to those who need it.

Except from those mentioned about, most other services are somewhat lacking, however. There is a campus bookstore where you can buy various kinds of materials including software, as well as books. Like most college bookstores, you can easily find the same books more cheaply other places if you look around a little. Like most schools, the bookstore is used to make some extra money for the school. But, the easy way out of this, for you, is to buy the books you need on the web
somewhere. There are lots of services available for buying textbooks online. In spite of this, the Capella school is quite affordable. There are more and more schools coming on the web every year, and those that want to stay must be competitive.

At Capella, there are five schools within the college. They should be considered or reviewed separately in terms of quality. While the Human Sciences, Business, Education and Technology schools are quite good, the Psychology school has been undergoing some issues. There have been some problems with the management, and this has affected the overall quality of the program negatively. Because of these issues or problems, the Psychology school has had to keep changing its Dean, and this has also added to their problems. At the time of this writing, the psychology school is still not accredited by the American Psychological Association, even though it has been running this program for so long.

This shouldn’t reflect too badly on school as a whole. Remember, there are 650 faculty members, so there is a load of variety. As a matter of fact, the quality of the instructors has always been commented on by the students who have graduated here. One thing criticised by many is that so many of the faculty are part time contractors, and thus do not have the interests of their students in mind as a highest priority. It is also charged that many of the teachers here are new to teaching on the web, and in being unaccustomed to it are unable to give the best instruction to their students. This
charge comes particularly from students who have attended masters or Ph.D. programs here and found the quality of instruction at that level to be lacking. It could be that the strength of this school is in its undergraduate program.

This is what most students attend the school for, so it may be that the instructors are better able to teach at the undergraduate level. There aren’t many complaints from undergraduate students about instructor or teacher quality, so this may be the case.

At the Capella university you certainly get a bit of everything. Whether this school is for you depends on a number of different factors. Retrieving and submitting coursework is easy. On the negative side, the quality of the teaching or instruction has consistently been lauded, if at times inconsistent. The fact that every education program is not yet accredited probably reflects badly on the school.

Nevertheless, as internet programs go, it is rated high in all areas. So, if you are looking into
pursuing a higher education online, weigh your options well.

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