Is Enrolling in an Accredited Degree Program Helpful For Your Career?

An accredited online degree program is recognized for meeting particular educational standards that certain accrediting agencies set. So, choosing an accredited degree will ensure that it is accepted by other recognised organisations, institutions, and potential employers.

So, when choosing a degree program, accreditation shall be your top priority. Ending up with a non-accredited degree is likely invalid or less worthy as most employers don’t recognise it. In other words, non-accredited degree programs might not fetch the college admission or job you strive for.

This article will discuss whether enrolling in an accredited degree program is beneficial for your career. Further, you will learn about the various accredited programs which you can consider pursuing. Also, you get to explore the benefits of an accredited online degree program. Let’s get started.

Accreditation: What is it?

Accreditation can be categorised into two broad distinctions - specialised and institutional. Specialised accreditation covers particular programs within a school, while institutional accreditation efficiently covers all programs offered by a school.

There are specific accredited online colleges and house programs which hold specialised accreditation. Thus, it becomes feasible to earn a degree which has been doubly accredited. The most remarkable example is getting a law degree from Harvard. While the university is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, its law program possesses American Bar Association accreditation.

How to Determine Whether a particular Degree Program is Accredited?

Regardless of whichever course you are pursuing, it is essential to ensure whether the degree program is accredited. And if you have enrolled in accredited online colleges, then there’s nothing to worry about. All degree programs offered by certified colleges are recognised for the job market.

While the present-day job market is extensively competitive, accreditation is of vital importance. But what is accreditation, and how does it impact your prospects? All employers search for candidates who possess degrees from accredited online colleges. Also, a particular program accreditation distinguishes candidates who land a good job and those who are discarded.

So before signing up for any program or university, please ensure that it holds proper accreditation. Besides, carefully determine whether the accrediting agency is valid or not. Not considering a school’s accreditation claims at face value is recommended. Always ensure that the accrediting agency is highly accredited and belongs to any of these categories:

• Regional
• Specialised/Programmatic
• Nationally recognised

How to Ensure Whether You’re Enrolling in an Accredited Degree Program?

It is crucial to ensure that you enrol in an accredited online degree program. This helps elucidate to employers that you have completed a disciplined program that has efficiently prepared you for a particular area.

To know whether the institution you intend upon is accredited, you need to verify certain things. They are:

Look Out for the College’s Accreditation

You will know that your college is accredited when it proudly displays its accreditation on its website. This information might not always be on the Home Page. So you can check the About section thoroughly and locate the accreditation information.

After that, you can visit the accrediting agency’s website and confirm that your college is recognised and listed. You can easily use google’s search engine to locate the accrediting agency's website.

Check Out Degree Program Accreditation

Specific degree programs, including those in the medical fields and law, are required to have their accreditation. Besides, they can also get approval from any accrediting commission for a particular profession. So, you need to check your desirable field’s professional association to determine whether your degree program requires accreditation. There are various organisations which help in maintaining a list of approved and accredited online degree programs.

Verify the Accrediting Body

The accreditation of the broadly recognised online colleges and universities comes from regional accrediting boards. The educational department offers a list of accrediting agencies which are approved. You can take a look at the list and determine whether your institution's accrediting agency is listed there.

Numerous accreditation mills are capable of creating fraudulent degree programs. Often, they end up making a name very similar to a genuine accreditor. Thus, you must check very closely.

Accredited Online Degree Programs

There are numerous accredited online degree programs you will come across on the internet. But the two major accredited programs include ACCA and CIMA. Let us dive deeper and learn more about it.

ACCA Course Overview

In 1904, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Institute was formed. This global accounting body offers the qualification of “Chartered certified Accountant.” ACCA is the most renowned international accountancy organisation that has more than 2,00,000 members. Besides, it has more than 5,00,000 students across 180 countries.

ACCA being a globally recognised course, is undoubtedly the best way to build a career in Accounts and Finance. Learners have the privilege of pursuing this course while doing their graduation. The flexible examination scheme associated with it makes the qualification incredibly attractive.

Why Choose ACCA?

The reasons for choosing ACCA include:

• It has global recognition in over 78 markets and over 80 international accountancy body partnerships.
• It has an exquisitely designed curriculum which is continuously updated for developing skills, professional values and industry-relevant knowledge.
• It offers a long-term career option where you can take up strategic roles at senior management levels.
• It helps in communicating credibility as your proficiency is tested with 13 rigorous exams to give an edge to your resume.
• The course requires up to 4.5 lakhs, which is cheaper than other options.

CIMA Course Overview

In 1919, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants was established. CIMA is a globally recognised qualification for careers in Business and Finance. It is probably the world's largest professional body of Management Accountants, which has more than 2,50,000 members. CIMA qualified professionals work in various fields across 180 countries.

Their professional fields of expertise include:

• Business Analysis
• Corporate Finance
• Project Finance
• Financial Reporting
• Treasury Management
• Financial Analysis
• Risk Management, etc.

Why Choose CIMA?

The reasons for choosing CIMA include:

• It offers the CGMA designation by combining CIMA and CPA
• It offers incredible flexibility to manage study and work
• It offers preferential immigration status
• It provides massive networking, so business opportunities are magnanimous
• It is highly cost-effective as this course will not require more than Rs. 4 lakhs.

To Conclude

While online education is becoming extensively popular, it is essential to check online degree accreditation. Enrolling in an accredited college or pursuing accredited degree programs is immensely beneficial. You will get everything from high-quality education to outstanding professional success.