Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Regionally Accredited Online Degree – Things You Should Know

Looking for a regionally accredited online degree? Before starting to search for a college that offers this kind of program, it might be a good idea to read our article, as we managed to gather some quality information on this specific topic. The foremost issue is the accreditation. The academic integrity of an institution is provided by accreditation. Attending the courses of an unaccredited college for example, might cause a potential risk to somebody’s future career. Potential employers may perceive as fraudulent the use of unaccredited credentials. Going for a regionally accredited online degree sets you on the right track. Let’s go further now and see what forms of accreditation exist and compare them a little bit.

A regionally accredited online degree implies regional accreditation. In addition we have national accreditation. Of course, there is also specialized accreditation, but we are not going to talk about it today. From the perspective of accreditation, a regionally accredited online degree is a type of degree accredited by a regional accreditation agency. Therefore, an institution accredited by a national accreditation agency issues a nationally accredited degree. But what do these two accreditation types have in common and how do they differ?

Whether you choose a regionally accredited online degree or a national accredited one, both offer you the piece of mind of being recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). If you are concerned about federal financial aid, there is nothing to worry about, as both accreditation forms make it available for you.

Going for a regionally accredited online degree may provide a small advantage over choosing a nationally accredited one from the credits transferability perspective. As a result, if you attend a program that offers a regionally accredited online degree, your credits will be in general accepted by another regional institution or by a national one. On the other hand, it is a higher chance for the credits from a national institution to be unaccepted by a regional one. However, the percentage of accepted transferred credits from a national to a regional institution is constantly increasing.

Hunting for a program offering a regionally accredited online degree, you have to find out from which state the online program is operating and then to see from what regional agency it receives accreditation. There is a network of six organizations operating in the United States, each concentrating on a distinct region.

In the end, we would like to mention that from the employers’ point of view, even though concern exist about an online degree, the acceptance is growing. Therefore, a regionally accredited online degree is a viable option. Check http://www.regionallyaccreditedonline.com/ in order to find out more.

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