Accreditation

What is "Accreditation"?

"Accreditation" is review of the quality of higher education institutions and programs. In the United States, accreditation is a major way that students, families, government officials, and the press know that an institution or program provides a quality education.

Colleges, universities, and programs are accredited. In the U.S., colleges and universities are accredited by one of 19 recognized institutional accrediting organizations. Programs are accredited by one of approximately 60 recognized programmatic accrediting organizations.

Here are two documents that offer important questions about accreditation and quality.

Twelve Important Questions About External Quality Review (pdf)
Provides key questions for students and the public to ask about the quality of an institution or program.

"Diploma Mills" and "Accreditation Mills"(pdf)
Provides key questions to help identify dubious providers of higher education and accreditation so that students and the public can avoid dealing with a diploma mill or accreditation mill.

Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)

A national advocate and institutional voice for self-regulation of academic quality through accreditation, CHEA is an association of 3,000 degree-granting colleges and universities and recognizes 60 institutional and programmatic accrediting organizations.

Association of Collegiate Business Schools & Programs (ACBSP)

ACBSP is the premier accrediting association for business schools and programs with a focus on teaching excellence. In contrast to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) which has a focus on research excellence, ACBSP is focused on what occurs in the classroom while encouraging scholarly research. This is apparent in the standards and criteria for accreditation, the membership structure which includes membership by all persons involved in delivery of business education, our conference sessions, and our special initiatives.

In contrast to the International Association for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE), ACBSP is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). The CHEA-recognized scope of accreditation is: Degree programs in business and business-related fields at the associate, baccalaureate, and graduate levels. This permits institutions to be recognized for the accreditation of their business programs in resources such as the Higher Education Directory, the CHEA Web site, and in a host of other publications.

ACBSP encourages and facilitates dual accreditation. An accelerated process exists for institutions that are accredited by AACSB or IACBE to obtain ACBSP accreditation. This provides these institutions the distinct marketing advantage of being accredited by two organizations. For AACSB institutions this is the opportunity to be recognized for teaching excellence and research excellence. For IACBE institutions, it is the opportunity to be accredited by an organization that is recognized by CHEA and still maintain loyalty to the organization that first granted accreditation to their program.

International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE)

The International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE) is the premier professional accreditor for business programs in student-centered colleges and universities throughout the world. The IACBE exists to promote, develop, and recognize excellence in business education.

The IACBE's philosophy of accreditation is centered on student learning and operational outcomes, which makes it flexible and adaptable.

The IACBE accredits business degree programs in colleges and universities through the United States and internationally.

There are 19 recognized institutional accrediting organizations. All 19 organizations are recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or the United States Department of Education. Each University that is accredited by one of these organizations must go through a process of external quality review. They scrutinize the University and their programs for quality assurance and quality improvement.

360 Education Solutions only partners with "regionally" accredited Universities. "Regional Accreditation" is the highest accreditation offered to any higher learning institution. Since we only partner with accredited Universities, access to government funds such as Title IV student financial assistance, grants, and various programs are available to students.

What accreditation is necessary to qualify for pay raises & professional advancement?

Regional Accreditation needs to be obtained for pay increases and professional advancement. Most universities are accredited by six regional accrediting bodies. (Regional accreditation is considered the standard accreditation for the majority of public and private universities):

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA) Middle States Commission on Higher Education

New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC-CIHE) Commission on Institutions of Higher Education

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA-HLC)

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) Commission on Colleges

Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC-ACCJC) Accrediting

Commission for Community and Junior Colleges

(NEASC-CTCI) Commission on Technical and Career Institutions

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