How to Impress Potential Employers with an Accredited Online Degree Program

Accredited online degree programs should be important to you depending on your career goals. If finding a job in your area requires a degree or a license, then you should definitely be concerned about accreditation.

If your potential career only requires knowledge in an area, than an unaccredited institution may be acceptable. For example, if you wish to be an engineer or some other professional, then you will need a degree from an accredited institution.

Search for Accredited Online Degree Programs

On the other hand, if you want to learn how to operate a spreadsheet program to improve your chances of becoming an administrative assistant, then an accredited institution will not be necessary.

To determine if a school is accredited or not, visit the U.S. Department of Education's College Search page. While the page offers numerous search options, you only need to enter the name of the institution and click the search button at the bottom of the page.

http://www.ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.asp

While many distance learning programs are fully accredited online degree programs, your potential employer may not understand this. Therefore, you should be prepared to explain to them the accreditation status of the school which you attended.

Understanding Accreditation

In order to explain your school's accreditation status, it is helpful to know what accreditation is, and this can be accomplished by reading through the US Department of Education's web pages on accreditation.

http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html

There is no central US government department to which you can refer a potential employer to prove the accreditation status of your school. Similarly, State governments, while exercising some control over the schools within their boundaries, do not determine the accreditation status of educational institutions.

What are the National Peer Review Agencies?

Instead, the US Government recognizes a group of national accrediting agencies, which are peer review organizations. These evaluate other schools to determine their accreditation status based on a wide range of educational and administrative criteria.

The national peer review agencies are listed at the US Department of Education's website and are categorized according to educational topics:

US Department of Education - Accreditation

If accreditation is important to your career goals, be sure to determine that the school you are interested in attending is accredited by one of the agencies listed in these pages. In this way, you will be able to prove to potential employers the accreditation status of your degree or course work.

Distance learning has provided a wide variety of options and opportunities for potential students. Be sure to understand what your own needs are in relation to accredited online degree programs, and learn how to communicate the accreditation status of any institution you attend to potential employers.

Additional Resources:

Online Accredited Education
Online accredited education is a boon for non-traditional adult learners, who want to continue their education or get a degree.

Online Accredited College Degree Program
An online accredited college degree program allows you to take individual online college courses and to get an impressive college degree, without having to attend on-campus classes.

Accredited Universities with Distance Learning
There are many accredited universities with distance learning programs that you can consider applying to, but which ones are the most prestigious?

Accredited Online Degree Program: Distance Learning Accredited Doctorate
A distance learning accredited doctorate degree program is arguably the most prestigious and sought after degree path for professionals looking to advance their careers via the internet.

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