Going to school to pursue your associate’s degree could mean new and exciting career opportunities for you once you complete your degree. Of course, you want the most valuable degree you can possible earn. To ensure this, you may be wondering are online associate degree programs accredited? The great news is that many of them are and can offer you that valuable degree you’re seeking. This guide helps break down what exactly accreditation is and why it matters so much. It also offers suggestions for popular associate’s degrees that you can easily find through accredited programs online.
What is Accreditation?
This educational buzz word can sometimes be confusing. What accreditation simply means is that an accrediting agency evaluated a program’s curriculum and other requirements and offerings to determine if it was worthy of accreditation. A program must apply for accreditation and the process can take months to complete, because the program has to be thoroughly evaluated by the accrediting agency. Accrediting agencies are premiere and trusted organizations that have strong reputations, so accreditation from an accrediting agency holds a lot of weight.
Preferred Accreditation
Not all accrediting agencies are created equal, though, so it’s important for you to know which agencies are the most respected in education. For example, accreditation from the CHEA (Council for Higher Education Accreditation) is a well-respected national accrediting agency and is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Regional accreditation, if a regional branch of a national agency, also has value. It is not enough to simply ask are online associate degree programs accredited? Instead, you should start to inquire about the value of the accreditation of a particular program.
Why Accreditation Matters
The primary reason why employers, bachelor’s degree programs, and state licensing entities value accreditation so much is because it ensures professional training that meets industry standards. Since accreditation is only awarded to programs that meet specific requirements, an accredited degree is essentially backed with a guarantee that you have been given the knowledge you’ll need to succeed in your field.
Top Accredited Associate Degree Programs
You can find a variety of accredited associate degree programs online. These are the most popular:
Associate’s in Business
Associate’s in Accounting
Associate’s in Criminal Justice
Associate’s in Education
Associate’s in Computer Information Systems
Associate’s in Healthcare Administration
Associate’s in Paralegal Studies
Associate’s in Psychology
Just because you find one of these associate degree programs online doesn’t mean it will be accredited, though. A handful of accredited and respected online programs offer these degrees, but you must check with each program to ensure that it’s accredited by an agency that you trust. Many online degree programs have accreditation for all of their degrees. In other words, their accreditation is at institution-level rather than individual program or degree level. Since it’s an important selling point for potential students, most programs will proudly advertise their accreditation on their website. If you don’t see it advertised, contact someone at the school and ask are your online associate degree programs accredited? If not or you don’t receive an answer, move on in your search for the perfect program.
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