Beware of "accredited" online degrees

Most of us know, intuitively, how diploma mills operate. Basically, they offer bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees—even doctorates—to anyone who can plunk down enough money. Usually, no course work or class attendance is required. In some cases, however, diploma mills require some simple coursework, normally through online classes.

The diploma mills then manufacture diplomas and transcripts that they will later provide to potential employers. The transcripts may even have embossed seals attesting to their authenticity. But, in the words of Colonel Potter, it is all just so much “horsehocky.”

The reasons that potential students get wrapped up with diploma mills are varied. Some feel that they simply don’t have the time to attend regular college classes. Others like the idea of getting college credit for “life experience”—a marketing lure that is offered by many bogus educational institutions. But he results in all cases are the same—wasted time, needless expense and a worthless diploma.

The solution to this dilemma is surprisingly simple: the potential student should make sure he or she is enrolling in an institution that is both regionally and professionally accredited. Note that the accreditation is in two parts—one without the other is insufficient.

Colleges and universities must be regionally accredited by one of six accrediting associations approved by the U. S. Department of Education. They are listed on the Internet at http://www.chea.org/. The regional accrediting association for schools offering instruction in the state of Virginia is the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, usually referred to simply as SACS. Its headquarters is in Decatur, Georgia, but you can get a list of accredited colleges at http://www.sacscoc.org/.

An educational institution must also have professional accreditations for its various disciplines. Nursing programs, for example, must be accredited by The National League of Nursing Accreditation Commission (NLNAC). Engineering programs must be certified by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Schools of architecture must be approved by the National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB), and finally schools that offer degrees in business administration must be accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Similar accrediting bodies exist in many other academic disciplines.

“Online” schools are notorious for ducking, bobbing and weaving when students ask about its regional and professional accreditation status. Often, admissions officers will claim that regional accreditation is an umbrella that covers all professional educational programs and that additional accreditations are unnecessary. This is just another example of Colonel Potter’s “horsehocky”. Here’s why: credits earned at an institution that lacks professional accreditation normally will not transfer to accredited schools. Virginia Tech, for example, will not recognize graduate business credits earned at a school that lacks AACSB accreditation.

Some employers are also balking at recognizing diplomas from schools that have, at best, “fuzzy” accreditations. On Dec. 5, 2006, for example, the Arizona Republic reported that computer giant Intel Corporation will no longer reimburse employees for business courses they take at online schools that lack AACSB accreditation.

The lessons in all this are clear. You should attend only institutions that have both regional and professional accreditations. Don’t take shortcuts. Don’t expect college credit for “life experience.” Don’t believe admissions officers who act like salesmen. Don’t think you can get a legitimate college degree without working for it. Don’t try to fool personnel officers into thinking your bogus degree is genuine.