O S E A S * E U R O P
E
Accreditation and Comparability of Degrees : US-European
Issues and Solutions
Minutes recorded by:
Eva Szabo, Program Coordinator/Adviser, SOROS Foundation Timisoara,
Timisoara, Romania, eva@timis.soros.ro
Chair: Dimitri Doutis, Educational Adviser, US Educational Foundation in Greece, Thessaloniki, Greece
Speakers:
Mariam Assefa, Executive Director, World Education Services, New York, NY
Dr. Eva-Angela Adan, Dean of International Admissions at Georgia State University
Ioli Paraliki-Kythreoutu, Program Officer, Cyprus Fulbright Commission, Nicosia, Cyprus
Remarks by Dr. Eva-Angela Adan:
Accreditation in the USA is a self-regulatory and voluntary process that ensures basic levels of educational quality and fosters continuous improvement of US educational institutions and programs. There are two types of accreditation:
- Institutional - granted by regional and national accrediting commissions of schools and colleges
- Specialized - for professional and occupational schools and programs granted by national professional organizations.
Accrediting groups are non-governmental organizations that function on a voluntary basis. Accrediting groups in the US are:
1. Regional Institutional Accrediting Bodies:
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
2. National Institutional Accrediting Bodies:
Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges
Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools
Accrediting Commission for Career Schools/Colleges of Technology
Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools
Association for Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools
The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada
Distance Education and Training Council
3. Specialized Accrediting Bodies include 42 professional accreditation agencies and 16 joint review committees. Some examples:
Accreditation Board for Engineering
American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business
American Bar Association
American Medical Association.
Accreditation is a necessity and not a requirement for the institution or program of higher education, with the purpose of obtaining the recognition of minimum standards. This recognition is necessary, for example, in order to obtain funding.
The process of accreditation is a 5-step process, covering a period of 5 to 10 years, which is meant to measure the progress of the applying institution (candidate for accreditation ) in achieving its stated goals. But accreditation is a seal of approval, quality is not guaranteed.
Accreditation is subject to review and cancellation at any time.
The importance of accreditation consists in facilitating mobility between institutions and guaranteeing inter-institutional transfer of credit (within institutional guidelines) in order to permit further schooling and licensing.
Possible implications regarding attendance at non-accredited schools:
- Financial assistance may only be available to students enrolled in accredited institutions or programs
- Transfer credit recognition in the US between institutions or programs that do not hold any type of accreditation may be limited.
- Admission to advanced degree programs may be limited for students holding a degree from non-accredited schools/programs.
- Overseas governments may only recognize degrees earned at institutionally and professionally-accredited programs.
Students should be advised to check if the university or college or the specific program they want to attend holds an appropriate type of accreditation. The recommended guide for this is the Directory of Accredited Institutions.
As an example, law schools should hold professional accreditation of the
American Bar Association. If the law school is regionally accredited but not professionally, students will not be eligible for a masters program.
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