Management School Accreditation

The question most often asked about the accreditation stamp that is achieved by a college or university program of study is why they bothered to become accredited, since it takes time, money, and commitment to maintain that accreditation.

The accreditation process originated nearly 100 years ago in the United States as a voluntary procedure by institutions of higher learning as a means to provide some form of quality assurance of their programs and to demonstrate a commitment toward improving. Today, an institution's accreditation stamp is an important part of their ability to attract and maintain students, and industry favors future employees who have completed an accredited program. There are a number of reasons that schools offering management degrees become accredited:

1. To establish a minimum set of criteria for earning a management degree.
2. To advertise that the school meets a standards of competence in their program.
3. To encourage and maintain a relevant course of study, learning, and curriculum.
4. To foster unity in management education and practice.
5. To advance ideas of management education.
   

The Accreditation Process

The accreditation process of an institution's program of study is provided through a private organization, which is generally a nonprofit and nongovernmental entity. The first step toward becoming accredited is for the institution to perform a lengthy self-evaluation, where they examine the relevancy of each individual course in their program, along with a review of the instructor, the instructor's credentials, the instructor's workload, and a host of other factors that could affect the course delivery—from the individual classroom setting to the corresponding facilities of the campus. The program is also judged on the relationship and support that it receives from the particular industry, general public, and alumni that surrounds the program.

This in-depth evaluation culminates into a comprehensive written document, which is handed over to the accreditation agency, which in turn sends a team of selected individuals to review the report at the institution through observation, review of curriculum, and interviews with the faculty and students of the program. This team typically consists of career practitioners or other academic professors in the same field as the program being evaluated.

The completion of a school's department self-evaluation for accreditation, or to maintain accreditation, requires a considerable amount of resources in terms of time and effort. The act of being accredited lasts for only a certain period of time before the self-evaluation process starts again toward reaccreditation.

The Accreditation Process and the Financial Aid Requirement

The need for an institution to become accredited also extends to the role of the government in extending financial aid to students. In order for students to receive some form of financial aid from the federal government and, in some cases, state governments, they must attend an accredited school. The accreditation process becomes important to allow a school to offer access to these government dollars and to draw from a larger potential student pool. For those requiring federal and state assistant financial aid, it is important to verify that the college or university is recognized by the United States Department of Education as being an accredited institution.

The Benefits of Attending an Accredited School

Not all schools across the country have accredited programs, particularly since the process is voluntary by the institute of higher learning. However, the benefit of attending an accredited school not only includes the ability to obtain government-backed financial aid but also extends to the ability of transferring course credits between institutions that are accredited. For example, if you have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited program at one school, you will qualify for attendance at another accredited school's program in pursuit of a master's or doctoral degree.

A management degree from an accredited program is also beneficial when it comes time to look for employment. Companies and organizations that are hiring commonly look for a diploma from an accredited college or university where they know the level of course instruction meets a set standard and is both relevant and up-to-date.