Is your online university degree accredited?

Is your online university degree accredited?

We all know that some university degree courses online cannot be trusted, that there are many spurious online certificates or study programmes that cannot be trusted, and that some unknown universities offer online degrees that are not recognised. However, no worries, accreditation is one way in which you can be protected against online degrees that are useless or worthless. Accreditation ensures that your online degree has value and will be recognised by employers, who want to hire you.

In the USA, there are 6 main regional accreditation boards that you need to know of:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
New England Association of Schools and Colleges

The Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) specialises in accrediting distance education institutions and is national as opposed to the abovementioned regional boards.

I think that you should look for accreditation from either one of the regional accreditation boards, or from DETC, as accreditation will make the degree worth doing. Look out for the above accreditation boards and ensure that y0ur university online degree is accredited.

In addition, it should be noted that there is sometimes no difference between an online degree and a degree from a physical campus. Columbia Uni, according to Wikipedia, has no special designation for their degrees, whether online or on campus. Furthermore, nowadays, given the prevalence of online learning (getting a degree via working at the computer and the Internet) and distance learning (studying at home but attending classes), there is no reason for employers to reject applications who get their degrees online. Many US companies will accept online degrees and distance learning programmes, so do not worry about jobs - as long as the degree is accredited.

Beware of degree mills or degree factories, where the fake degrees that they churn out have no academic standing or value or accreditation. These aren't worth working for as they make you pay for a worthless certificate. You want accreditation from a recognised board. Look around instead for good online degrees that have accreditation, since they are recognised.

If the degree is not based in the USA, sorry - but nonetheless the point is still clear. Get an online university degree that is accredited! Look out for national boards that hold high standards.

Get a university degree online