Accreditation Concerns with Online Degree Programs Solved

Accreditation indicates the educational and employable value of any undergraduate or postgraduate programme or institution. Accreditations, including NAAC, AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA, uphold the highest quality business and technical education standards in India and internationally. 

What is an Accreditation, and How do Institutes and Programmes Get it? 

Accreditation is a rigorous evaluation process that proves that the institute or programme continuously meets or exceeds established standards. An external government or non-government body regularly assesses to ensure the quality of education is maintained. 

Types of Accreditation You Must Know

There are two types of accreditation to know. One is institutional, and the other is programmatic. 

Institutional Accreditation

This type of accreditation is granted to an entire institution or university.

How NAAC Measures the Institute’s Quality of Education 

In India, for example, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) evaluates the higher education institutes offering offline and online degree programmes. The criteria it uses to assess are

• Curriculum
• Teaching-learning and Evaluation
• Research, Innovations and Extension
• Infrastructure and Learning Resources
• Student Support and Progression
• Governance, Leadership, and Management
• Institutional Values and Best Practices

Based on these, there are rankings in alphabetical order, from highest to lowest. A denotes a high-quality programme, while D denotes the lowest quality that is not accredited by NAAC. Then, there are A++, A+, and A ranks as well. 

Some well-known examples of NAAC A++ institutes offering online degrees in India are 

1. D. Y. Patil Deemed to be University
2. Parul University
3. JAIN (Deemed-to- be University)
4. Symbiosis International (Deemed University)

While NAAC A+ Grade institutes include

• Amity University
• Manipal University Jaipur
• Chandigarh University
• Chitkara University

And, following are the NAAC A Grade institutes 

• Mizoram University
• Shiv Nadar University
• UPES 

These are some of the top names offering online master’s and bachelor’s degrees in various subjects, and you will find their programmes listed on Shiksha Online. 

A majority of the online MBAs in India are from these universities, which meet the strict criteria mentioned above. Note that these rankings and accreditations are valid for five years. Once the university completes, there is another cycle for assessment. 

How AACSB is the Gold Standard of Business Schools

Now, if you strictly want to obtain high-quality business education through any degree programme like an online or executive MBA, check out institutions that have an AACSB accreditation. 

This accreditation is considered to have the strictest acceptance criteria, according to 86% of AACSB accredited schools in the world. 

The benefits of pursuing higher education from an AACSB-accredited institute include

• Higher salaries
• Better networking opportunities
• More competence 

One latest example of this is IIT Roorkee offering the executive MBA programme online. This is one of the best programmes for mid to senior level executives looking to lead their organisations in the sea of technological uncertainty.

Programme Accreditation

This type of accreditation is endorsed to a specific programme and is often known as a specialised accreditation. The evaluation is strictly done on a course level. 

It is not too prevalent among online degrees from Indian institutes, as much as it is popular among international programmes offered in online mode. 

In the USA, it is CHEA (Council for Higher Education Accreditation) that recognises programme level accreditations. 

One of the main reasons to choose a programmatic accreditation is the industry-relatedness of the programme. For instance, if you’re pursuing a psychology degree, it makes sense for that course to be accredited by APA (American Psychological Association). 

Tips on Verifying Online Degree Accreditation

Here are some ways to verify the accreditation of an online degree. 

• Check the accreditation status of the institution and programme on the website of recognised accrediting bodies like NAAC, AACSB, and CHEA. 
• Check if the programme's accreditation is specialised or specific to the field of study (e.g., engineering, business, nursing).
• Visit the programme's or institution’s website to look for clear information on their accreditation status and any additional details or documentation provided. 
• Consider seeking guidance from academic advisors or career counsellors, who can provide insights into the reputation and recognition of specific accredited online programmes.
• Review the programme's student outcomes, such as graduation rates, employment statistics, and alumni testimonials, as indicators of quality education.
• Investigate if the program's accreditation status is recognised by relevant employers in your industry.