Online Degrees Accreditation

Online degrees accreditation is increasing in importance. Many institutions have started offering online degrees but not all online degrees are of the same quality. Online degrees accreditation was set up as a means of identifying the quality online degrees that are worthy of recognition both by students and employers. Online degrees accreditation is conducted by centralized bodies that have defined specific standards which they use as a basis to compare programs.

How do institutions earn online degrees accreditation?

Institutions apply for online degrees accreditation. There is a central governing body that conducts the auditing process to decide which institutions have proven worthy of online degrees accreditation. 
In deciding whether to award online degrees accreditation, governing bodies consider many factors. First of all they consider the nature and extent of the degrees in question. If degrees claim to provide preparation for particular careers or particular certification exams, it is necessary that they offer course content that is in line with such goals. Certification bodies have defined standards as to what course content must be studied by students appearing for such exams and online degrees accreditation is awarded based on the ability of degrees to deliver this content.

Other factors under consideration are the quality of faculty, breadth and depth of coursework, only technologies and assessment mechanisms. Quality of faculty includes consideration of the teaching and research credentials of the teaching faculty. Online degrees accreditation is generally provided to institutions where the faculty is proven to have the expertise to deliver relevant content. 
Online degrees accreditation is only awarded in the case where it is clear that the institution is offering assessment and evaluation of students that is in line with professional expectations.
The leading institutions invest time and effort to ensure that their curriculums meet the expected standards.

What is the importance of online degrees accreditation?

The primary significance of online degrees accreditation is that it gives students a basis on which to select quality online degrees. Students invest much time and effort in selecting and completing programs. They expect their efforts to be recognized and earn them a financial return through improve employment prospects. Online degrees accreditation forces institutions to follow standards to get recognition. The most motivated and ambitious students thus know which schools they should target for admission. Online degrees accreditation is also useful for recruiters who are trying to figure out which institutions to target for hiring the most promising employees. 
Many studies have been conducted to establish the financial value of online degrees accreditation. Several studies have established that the financial returns that you can generate from completing programs that have earned online degrees accreditation are comparable to those you would earn from a conventional classroom degree. No such value has been found in non-accredited degrees. 
So when you are researching which online degrees to pursue, it is important to look up online degrees accreditation. You will notice that the most widely recognized institutions have all invested the time and effort needed to earn online degrees accreditation. This is what has allowed them to generate the kind of reputation they have among students and employers today.