Certification Guideline 68

SUBJECT
Accredited Educational Systems

GUIDELINE DEFINITION

Undergraduate and graduate courses and credits applied toward the academic preparation and the educational requirements for certification must be completed at a public or private educational system accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association, or by the U.S. Department of Education.

Six regional accreditation associations have responsibility for institutions in the United States and its territories. Each of the following associations has authority to accredit a college or university:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools	http://www.middlestates.org/
New England Association of Colleges and Schools	http://www.neasc.org
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools	http://ncahigherlearningcommission.org
Northwest Association of Colleges and Schools	http://www.nwccu.org
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools	http://www.sacs.org
Western Association of Colleges and Schools	http://www.wascweb.org

Information regarding the accreditation status of an institution may be obtained from transcripts, by directly contacting the institution, or by reviewing the web site of the institution. In addition, the resources listed below are available to help determine the accreditation status and obtain other interesting accreditation information.

NCA Accredited Institutions Search:

http://www.ncahlc.org/?option=com_directory

Wisconsin Directory of Private Post-Secondary Schools Approved by the Wisconsin Educational Approval Board:

http://eab.state.wi.us/resources/directory.pdf

Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agencies:

http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html

Bears' Guide to Earning College Degrees:

http://www.degree.net

Oregon Office of Degree Authorization:

http://www.osac.state.or.us/oda

The U.S. Department of Education does not accredit foreign schools. For information regarding the evaluation of transcripts from foreign schools refer to certification Guideline 63 Foreign Transcript Evaluation.

RATIONALE

Courses and credits applied toward WTCS academic certification must be provided by institutions of higher education that meet acceptable and recognized standards of quality.

Implemented: December 2003

Revised: June 2005