We were accredited by the AMBA (Organisation responsible for accreditation of MBA courses in the UK) but not the AACSB (Accrediting agency for Bachelor's, Master's and doctoral degree programmes in business administration and accounting), " states a senior director at a management institute in Europe.

"Once we got accredited by the AACSB, we received a surge in applications. Students who were skeptical of coming to our institute are now flocking in numbers. We are very pleased that we opted for this additional accreditation," he adds.

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What is accreditation?

Accrediting agencies make sure that the quality of education at the institution is 'good' and meets international standards. Two of the most respected and well-known accrediting agencies for MBA schools are the AMBA (Association of MBAs) and the AACSB (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business).

When you look at an MBA programme, check if the programme is accredited by one or these agencies (the AMBA accredits most European business schools).

AACSB international accreditation assures stakeholders that the business school:

• Manages resources to achieve a vibrant and relevant mission.
• Advances business and management knowledge through faculty scholarship.
• Provides high-calibre teaching of quality and current curricula.
• Cultivates meaningful interaction between students and a qualified faculty.
• Produces graduates who have achieved specified learning goals.

Source: AACSB

Accreditation is not just something you should look for, from a degree point of view. Employers look at your credentials and want to check the validity of the institution you have graduated from. For US universities, the US department of education maintains a database where you can check if a university is accredited or not.

"The Department believes that the list will be a helpful tool for employers evaluating education credentials and for consumers making decisions about which postsecondary institutions to attend. Consumers are encouraged to do additional research on institutions before making a selection of a school, checking, for example, on the transferability of credits between institutions, the availability of financial aid, etc," states the US Department of Education's web site.

Who accredits an accrediting institution?

A very interesting and valid point you should ask before deciding on a particular institution.

"The Secretary of Education is required by law to publish a list of nationally recognised accrediting agencies that the Secretary determines to be reliable authorities as to the quality of education or training provided by the institutions of higher education and the higher education programmes they accredit," states the US Department of Education web site.

They, however, do not directly accredit any educational institution. So, if you come across a university, which proudly states that they are accredited by the International Accrediting Association or by the American Association of Accredited Colleges and Universities, check the actual recognition of these agencies with the US Department of Education. Your question "Is this institution accredited?" is not enough and should be replaced by "Which accrediting body accredits this institution?"

Many students don't bother to check the accreditation of universities that 'sound' genuine and vice versa. So one would think that Madonna University and Life University are not genuine but Alabama Pacific University and American School of Science are genuine. Think again. It's the other way around. Don't risk your higher education based on whether a university's name sounds 'good' or not. Instead, check the accreditation status of the universities.

Not all schools are happy with accrediting agencies and some schools claim that the only reason they apply for accreditation is that they have to.

"I think the accrediting process is a money making racket. Even if we offer a very good programme, we are forced to shell out over $30,000 (approxmately Rs 1,334,556) just to get accredited. Accreditation doesn't really mean anything to us but we are forced to get accredited because it convinces students that we are a good school," states an admission officer of a US business school who did not want to be named for obvious reasons.

As a student, it is imperative that you understand the difference between rankings and accreditation. Hearing about an institution from your friends or your counsellor, and then seeing it in the rankings does not necessarily mean that the institution is accredited. Rankings do not guarantee the quality of education, accreditation does. And this is even more relevant for distance learning and part time programmes.

The technicalities of accreditation

There are two basic types of educational accreditation:

• Institutional
• Specialised/programmatic

Institutional accreditation normally applies to an entire institution, indicating that each of an institution's parts is contributing to the achievement of the institution's objectives, although not necessarily all at the same level of quality. The various commissions of the regional accrediting associations, for example, perform institutional accreditation, as do many national accrediting agencies.

Specialised or programmatic accreditation normally applies to programmes, departments, or schools that are parts of an institution. The accredited unit may be as large as a college or school within a university or as small as a curriculum within a discipline. Most of the specialised or programmatic accrediting agencies review units within an institution of higher education that is accredited by one of the regional accrediting commissions.

However, certain accrediting agencies also accredit professional schools and other specialised or vocational institutions of higher education that are free-standing in their operations. Thus, a "specialised " or "programmatic " accrediting agency may also function in the capacity of an "institutional " accrediting agency. In addition, a number of specialised accrediting agencies accredit educational programmes within non-educational settings, such as hospitals.

Source: US Department of Education web site

If you have to fork out some more cash to attend an institution that has valid accreditation, it will be worth your while. If you are going to get a degree from an institution that is not accredited by a recognised accrediting agency, it is as good as printing the degree yourself.

Web sites on accreditation

• www.mbaworld.com
• www.aacsb.edu
• www.ed.gov

-- The author is an education consultant.