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A Brief Word on Accreditation


  • by Henrik Fyrst Kristensen 

  • The term accreditation is chiefly relevant where discussing US institutions. Very simply put, there are a number of accrediting agencies, which in turn are recognised by a government authority. It is up to the institution whether they wish to seek accreditation, in other words, it is voluntary. However, there is a certain element of pressure involved to pursue accreditation, as the accredited institutions tend to attract much, much higher fees. In essence, they have to, because the cost of reaching and maintaining accredited status is staggering. 

  • Unfortunate as this may be - in terms of the way in which this removes higher education from the grasp of the underprivileged, or even the not-quite-so-privileged - it is still widely regarded that this peer review system does ensure that at least some general common denominators exist. Not perfect, but in most cases better than nothing. It is completely possible to operate without this form of recognition, however, many institutions do, and seem to have no problem with attracting candidates. Obviously, a good many individuals realise that they do not require for their award to be given by a regionally accredited institution, and no doubt this decision is helped along by the fact that unaccredited institutions usually charge considerably less than their accredited counterparts. 

  • Unfortunately, however, there is something known as 'fake accreditation'. You may have seen advertisements touting 'legal, accredited degrees earned in XXX months' - or even counted in days! What you are likely to find is that these advertisements are placed by spurious organisations, relying on the fact that most people do not realise that the term 'accreditation' is relevant only when the accreditation has been granted by an organisation which in turn must be recognised by the relevant authority. These 'institutions' simply create their own accrediting organisation, which in turn accredits the institution. This practice is viewed very dimly, indeed, by the US federal authorities, and every year seems to see at least one new case of one of these organisations being shut down, and its proprietor(s) being prosecuted by the FBI. There is, however, a strong proliferation of similar organisations springing up all the time, and there is simply no way the authorities can keep up. 

  • Why do they do it? Simple: These organisations turn over millions of dollars, simply by being dishonest. Their advertisements appear in the same publications as the credible alternatives, shoulder to shoulder, or more accurately, column to column. They even mimic their advertisements on those of the credible alternatives. And they aim to cheat you. Do you want an accredited degree? No problem. We could even provide that. But we would also provide you with the statement that this 'accreditation' is quite meaningless. If you are good enough to be able to attract candidates as a self-validating institution, why set up a different arm to provide some form of 'official statement' that you are accredited? Surely, this can be only to mislead those who respond to your advertising. Don't let these organisations cheat you. If you need/desire an accredited award, we cannot help you directly, although we should certainly be pleased to recommend a suitable institution. But you should be very, very careful in scrutinising the credentials of those who say they can, and what 'accreditation' it is they are offering. We are happy to assist you if you are in doubt. 

  • Henrik Fyrst Kristensen is Vice-Chancellor of Knightsbridge University, Denmark.