Aspiring health care professionals can build a solid foundation by pursuing an accredited health science degree. The accreditation status of the degree and the institution granting the degree will have a big impact on your career track and your future.<\/p>\n
You invest time, money and resources in post-secondary education to earn credentials that will help you get a job, qualify for post-graduate degrees or both. It is important to make sure that degree-granting college you are considering has credible accreditation.<\/a><\/p>\n Accreditation is a voluntary process, but it is a way to ensure that the school’s quality of instruction and curriculum content meet standards. It is like a stamp of approval that assures students and their families that the education they will receive is actually valuable. However, the college’s accreditation must come from a reliable accrediting body that is vetted by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.<\/p>\n The USDE and the CHEA recognize regional, national and program-based accrediting bodies. USDE accreditation is required for schools to offer federal aid to enrollees. Additionally, credits earned at schools that are not USDE-accredited may not be accepted for transfer credits at other schools. This means that if you started working on a health science degree in a private school that is not properly accredited, you may have to start over should you wish to transfer to a state university for instance.<\/p>\n Pay attention to the accreditation of the college as a whole. Regional accreditation is the gold standard. There are seven regional accreditation bodies, six of which are recognized by both USDE and CHEA.<\/p>\nTypes of Accreditation<\/h3>\n