In contrast to institutional accreditation, specialized accreditation usually applies to a single department, program, or school that is part of a larger institution of higher education. There are specialized accrediting agencies in nearly fifty fields. Specialized accreditation varies considerably depending on the field of study. In some professional fields, you must have a degree or certificate from a program with specialized accreditation in order to take qualifying exams or be in practice.

What Is the Purpose of Accreditation?

If you know an online provider is accredited, you will know about the quality of the provider, whether you can get federal financial assistance and state funds, and if you will be able to easily transfer credits from one school to another.

• Quality

When an institution is accredited, its faculty members, curriculum development, student services, and libraries have met established standards. In addition, colleges, universities, and employers are more likely to recognize any certificate or degree you earn as a legitimate credential.

• Funding

The federal government uses accreditation organizations to ensure students receiving federal loans and grants are attending institutions that maintain high standards of quality. State governments do the same, ensuring that students receiving state loans and grants and going for state licensure examinations in some professional fields are attending institutions with high-quality standards.

• Transferring credits

Whether or not you intend to transfer credits from a course or program, accreditation is one major factor the receiving institution takes into consideration. Any credits you earn are more likely to transfer to other regionally accredited institutions.

Which Is Best: National or Regional Accreditation?

Because the federal government has not established a national system, the best form of accreditation is regional. Remember, no national or federal law requires a college to be accredited by a nationally recognized agency. This is not to say that you should dismiss national accreditation organizations. For instance, the Distance Education and Training Council sponsors a nationally recognized accrediting agency, the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council. There are also national accrediting bodies that are discipline based.

How to Know Whether an Institution Is Really Accredited

There are many ways to check whether an institution is accredited by a recognized organization. Here are some great websites that can help.

• The Department of Education Web site: www.ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. There you will find a master list of 6,900 postsecondary colleges, universities, and career and trade schools

• The Federal Trade Commission recently published "Avoid Fake-Degree Burns by Researching Academic Credentials" (available at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/diplomamills.htm).

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