Accreditation can be a tricky subject, especially as it relates to distance education and online degree programs. One of the first things to remember is that a school or college that is licensed is not necessarily accredited. Licensure simply gives an institution the legal right to function (to offer online degrees and/or campus based programs). While there may be some standards required for educational licensure, they are generally pretty minimal. As a result, licensure should not be viewed as a guarantee of educational quality. In other words, be wary of schools, colleges or universities which talk about state licensure rather than accreditation.

It is even more important to realize that many colleges and universities, especially online colleges and universities (those with non-traditional, campus-based degree programs), claim accreditation from agencies which are not recognized. While some of these unrecognized accrediting agencies may make a legitimate attempt to evaluate and insist on some measure of quality from the colleges and universities they accredit, their stamp of approval is generally meaningless in the professional world and in the world of fully accredited (online and traditional) colleges and universities. For instance, most schools and colleges will not hire staff that does not hold appropriate degrees from colleges and universities accredited by recognized accreditation agencies.

Similarly, although there are exceptions, most colleges and universities will not award students transfer credit for coursework completed at institutions not accredited by a recognized accrediting agency.

Depending on your individual situation and goals, you may not care much about accreditation. But, our advice is that whether you are taking courses in a traditional campus based program or through online education or you are generally far better off at a school, college or university accredited by a recognized accrediting agency. Therefore before deciding to enrol in a college or university find out which agency accredits it.

Accreditation will not guarantee that you will be completely satisfied with a particular college or degree program. But, it does mean that some standards of quality are in place, that you may be able to transfer credits if you are so inclined, and that most employers will recognize the validity of your coursework and/or degree. In addition, appropriate coursework or an appropriate degree from an accredited institution of higher education can help qualify you for admission to other degree programs.

Want to find out if the school or college in which you are interested is accredited? Looking to see if a program has the specialized accreditation you need, and if the agencies that have accredited the school and program are legitimate? Of course, you can ask the school or program, but it’s a lot wiser to check elsewhere.

As you begin researching the accreditation status of the schools on your list, there are a couple of places to look. Check to see if there are specialized accrediting agencies that assess the particular program in which you are interested.

Seeking accreditation is a voluntary process, and some legitimate schools are either too new to qualify or choose not to pursue it. So what can you do to make sure a school is legitimate if it is not accredited?

You can also call the school and ask whether the school plans to seek accreditation. If the school tells you that it has applied, double-check its status with the agency it names. Finally, you can consult with people in your field about the school's reputation and the value of its degree.

Remember, in some fields, a degree from an unaccredited school or program will bar you from professional licensure and practice.

A heated controversy has recently arisen over the accreditation of online programs within traditional universities and the accreditation of virtual universities. Many feel that online degree programs should be evaluated using the same criteria as other degree programs. Others think that new standards are needed to properly evaluate distance education.