The importance of accreditation

An accredited degree helps students to gain admission to other higher education institutions or allows them to get credentials for professional practice. In some countries, USA for instance, accreditation is a voluntary process.  Anywhere, the goal of accreditation remains to ensure that the education provided by a higher education institution meets minimum quality standards set by the accrediting body.

Accreditation agencies can also be private international organizations. They set assessment criteria according to accurate operational and educational parameters and their follow-up examinations prove whether or not these criteria are met.

Accreditation is essential to determine whether an institution meets or exceeds the minimum quality standards set by the agencies. It helps students determine which institutions have the status for enrolment. It helps institutions determine the acceptability of transfer credits. It helps employers determine the validity of study programs and whether a graduate is qualified. 

More attention should be paid on how increasingly common is for employers to assess a candidate on his/her entire profile basis: personality, skills, communication, expertise, leadership, etc. His/her degree surely is one of the element to be assessed but not anymore the only one.  

It is true that employers often require proof that candidates have a degree from an accredited school or program; however, it is also true that behind any degree, whether accredited or not, there must always be corresponding competences. The conclusion is that accreditation is necessary; however, it alone is not sufficient to provide an assessment of the candidate's profile. The overall assessment of any degree possessor is a synergy of verifications: degree accreditation and candidate's real competences.