Explore Courses
Top University
Jagpreet
11 July, 2024
Table of Contents
Are you planning to start your journey of success? Or are you looking for a college with the right career kick for you? If that is your plan, you are in the right place. We are here to tell you all about the accreditation. What is an accreditation, why do you need it before selecting the right college, and how can it enhance your career?
This is your ultimate guide that covers topics like how accreditation impacts your degree and what accreditation means. Come along with us to discover the right colleges with the right accreditation checklist.
According to Ibrahim(2014), accreditation relies on the quality of education and the college resources. He defined accreditation as “Accreditation, in education, is the process by which an association or agency evaluates an educational institution or programme of study and formally recognizes it as having met and satisfied, or exceeded, certain predetermined requirements and criteria or standards of educational quality.”
Let’s break the terminology in an easy way, accreditation is like a stamp of approval. For example, imagine you are buying a car. You want to ensure it has been checked by experts and meets safety and quality standards. Similarly, when a university or programme is accredited, it means it has been thoroughly evaluated by a trusted organisation and meets high educational standards. This assures students and employers that the education provided is of good quality.
Accreditation is like a seatbelt that will protect your career for life. It is your security and safety for better career advancement, as accredited colleges are more recognised and promoted by the top recruiters.
As we explained above, an accredited programme is essential to your degree recognition from top recruiters. Moreover, the importance goes beyond this. Let us give you an example, two people graduated B.Com, Srishti and Diya. Srishti graduated from an accredited and recognised college, however, Diya graduated from a non-accredited college. Now when they both start applying for companies, Srishti gets a job offer from one of the top recruiters, but Diya does not get calls from any recruiters. Moreover, when she asks one of the recruiters, “Why is that? Why am I not selected?” the recruiter informs Diya, “Since you have not picked a programme with accreditation, your degree might not be recognised by the company. We cannot trust the degree you have.”
This was one of the biggest mistakes Diya made before choosing the college. To avoid this mistake in your career, you must choose a programme with accreditation.
What are the risks of selecting a non-accredited programme? Well, there are many risks of not selecting a non-accredited programme. Let us guide you through this:
Limited Job Opportunities: Degrees may not be recognised by employers. You may not get a single job call because of the non-accredited programmes, as they are not considered “good” or “reputed”.
Poor Quality Education: Programmes might not meet essential educational standards, and students might not acquire good practical and theoretical skills.
Financial Loss: Investment in a degree with little value in the job market is not a wise idea. You might end up paying a lot more than your budget for a programme that is not recognised.
Credit Transfer Issues: Difficulty transferring credits to other institutions is one of the major risks with non-accredited programmes.
Now that we have covered the disadvantages and risks of choosing a non-accredited programme and college, we are going to tell you the benefits of selecting accredited colleges and programmes.
Better Job Prospects: Recognised degrees are often respected by employers. Once you get into an accredited college, you get better recognition from top recruiters around the globe.
High-Quality Education: Accreditation assures high educational standards. An accredited college is known for providing high-quality education and training.
Financial Aid Access: Eligibility for government and private financial aid. You can also get scholarships, fee waivers and EMI options if you choose accredited colleges. In addition, Accredited colleges have an inclusive and better finance plan for students so everyone can apply.
Credit Transferability: Easier transfer of credits between accredited institutions. Since there is trust between accredited institutions and colleges, credit transfer is not a big deal.
There are more than these above-mentioned benefits. Accreditation has a lot more in your pockets than you can grab. Here are some of the additional benefits you can get once you select an accredited college/university:
Trustworthy Degrees: Employers value accredited degrees.
Competitive Edge: Better chances in a competitive job market.
Assurance of Quality: Confidence in the candidate’s education and skills.
The role of accreditation is to secure your future and provide you with a standard programme along with the right resources and opportunities.
Setting Standards: Establishing educational benchmarks.
Regular Evaluations: Ensuring institutions meet these standards.
Formal Recognition: Validating institutions that meet standard criteria.
Promoting Improvement: Encouraging continuous educational quality enhancement.
Many accreditation bodies accredit colleges/universities and the programmes within them. The type of accreditation is different for each college, course, and subject.
For a medical course, you may need to look for The National Medical Commission (NMC). Just like that, there are more accreditations for each subject.
Quality Council of India (QCI): QCI recognises service sectors such as education, healthcare, environment, governance, social sectors, infrastructure, etc.
National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB): Certification and Inspection Bodies, including Quality Management Systems (QMS), Environmental Management Systems (EMS), Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS), Product certification, and more come under NABCB.
National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL): NABL deals with Testing and Calibration Laboratories, including testing, calibration, medical labs, proficiency testing providers, and reference material producers.
National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH): Healthcare facilities such as hospitals, small healthcare organisations, blood banks, medical imaging services, dental services, and more.
National Accreditation Board for Education & Training (NABET): Education and training, including accreditation of schools, vocational training organisations, skill certification bodies, EIA consultants, and others.
| Accrediting Body | Fields Accredited |
| QCI | Various service sectors: education, healthcare, environment, governance, social sectors, infrastructure, etc. |
| NABCB | Certification and Inspection Bodies: QMS, EMS, FSMS, Product certification, etc. |
| NABL | Testing and Calibration Laboratories: testing, calibration, medical labs, proficiency testing providers, reference material producers. |
| NABH | Healthcare facilities: hospitals, small healthcare organisations, blood banks, medical imaging services, dental services, etc. |
| NABET | Education and training: schools, vocational training organisations, skill certification bodies, EIA consultants, etc. |
Here is the list of some other accreditations that you can look out for:
AICTE: Provides accreditation for professional technical courses such as MBA Btech ensuring top-tier educational standards.
AACSB International: Recognised globally for its stringent standards and focus on innovation in business education.
NAAC: Evaluates and assigns grades to universities, with A++ indicating the highest quality.
UGC-DEB: Grants recognition to distance/online education programmes, ensuring worldwide acceptance.
ACBSP: Esteemed for its focus on continuous improvement and fostering student success in business programmes.
Once you get into an accredited college, you will notice that the chances of your career growth will increase. Some more prominent advantages are:
Job market advantages: Better job advantages. Where your resume would be highlighted.
Higher earning potential: Your college and programme have the potential to give you a bigger paycheck because of the skills, reputation, and recognition you have.
Increased job security: Better job security and better job roles after completing accredited programme.
But what are the types of accreditation? And how do you make sure that your dream college has that? Let’s dive into these questions. Here is a closer look at the types of accreditation and its institutional vs programmatic differences that you can check and tell:
Accreditation comes in two main types: institutional and programmatic. Institutional accreditation evaluates the overall quality and standards of an entire college or university. This means the whole institution is reviewed to ensure it meets certain educational criteria. On the other hand, programmatic accreditation focuses on specific courses or departments within an institution, like an MBA programme or an engineering department. This type of accreditation ensures that a particular programme meets industry standards and provides students with the necessary skills and knowledge for their field. The accreditation meaning is true to the quality of a stamp.
The key difference between institutional and programme-specific accreditation lies in their scope.
Institutional accreditation covers the entire institution, assessing everything from administration and student services to faculty qualifications and campus facilities. This provides a broad assurance of quality for the entire educational experience. Programme-specific accreditation, however, zeroes in on individual programmes. It evaluates the curriculum, faculty, and resources specific to a particular field of study, ensuring that the programme adheres to industry standards and prepares students effectively for their careers. The role ofaccreditation in online MBA programmes is crucial if you are looking to pursue an MBA.
Here is how you can check for each type of college and its accreditation so that the next time you apply for a course, you do not get puzzled by the web world. Here is a quick checklist that you can keep in your notebook.
When looking for Institutional Accreditation:
Look up the institution on official accrediting bodies’ websites.
Verify accreditation status on the university’s website.
Contact the admissions office for accreditation details.
When looking for Programme-Specific Accreditation:
Check the programme details on the university’s website for accreditation information.
Visit the website of the relevant professional accrediting body.
Ask the programme director or department head for proof of accreditation.
Check the institution’s accreditation status.
Verify the accrediting agency’s legitimacy.
Confirm programme-specific accreditation.
Research past performance and reviews.
Contact the institution for clarification.
Well, fellow dreamers, aspirants and readers, we have come to the end of the blog. You should remember that before investing your hard-earned money and valuable time into your education, you must look for accreditation. Whether you dream of becoming an engineer or a pilot, the programme and university you choose should be accredited. Ensure you keep a checklist to tick the right college according to its resources, accreditations, feedback and coursework.
All these factors play an important role in selecting your accredited programme. You can also make a table of these accreditations, including both colleges and programmes to make a better decision. Now that we have covered accreditation meaning, how we check them, and what are the major differences, it’s time for you to go out in the world and shine. Take your career in your hands and start researching your dream college. Anytime is the right time. Get it!
The purpose of accreditation is to ensure that the quality of the course and the college is good. It enhances the institute’s credibility and reputation. The impact is that you would get better job opportunities and security after completing an accredited programme.
An accreditation makes the programme or the college recognised for its quality of education, facilities, resources and student support. It is like a green tick for your future job security.
It is important to check the accreditations so that your programme and college get recognition from the job market and other educational purposes. It is important to have a good review of the college.
Yes, it is important for the degrees to be accredited in order to be recognised for their credits, skills, job opportunities and more. It tells you about the programme’s feedback and updates.
