How Can I Be Sure My Masters In Public Health Degree Is Accredited?

An online master's in public health is a smart career choice and a great way to enhance your education from the comfort of your home, but it's vital that any online program you consider be accredited. It's the only way to make sure you get the skills you need and that your degree is taken seriously by future employers.

The accreditation and examination process is one by which colleges and universities are inspected and rated based on the quality of their academic offerings. This is how educators and students alike weed out diploma mills, the profit-based institutions set up to sell degrees with no real educational backing. Unlike in other countries, which utilize education ministries to perform accreditation, schools in the United States aren't accredited by the state or federal government. However, the Department of Education — as well as the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, a non-governmental group — do monitor the process and provide valuable information about colleges and their accrediting bodies that can help you determine if the school's up to the rigorous academic standards it needs to meet.

Between those two databases, you'll be able to cull through more than 7,000 schols and 18,000 degree programs that have passed muster and proven themselves to be of the highest educational caliber. As you search, you'll see that some colleges and universities are regionally accredited while others are nationally accredited. The good news is that there's no real quality differential between the two. You'll be able to get a good, respected education at both types of school. However, there is something to know before choosing a school. It's usually easier to attend a regionally accredited school than a nationally accredited, primarily because credit transfers are typically easier to perform between two regionally accredited schools or from a regional to a national one. This is really only something you'd need to be concerned about if you wind up transferring schools, which many students don't, especially given the convenience and flexibility of online masters degree programs. But if you see yourself possibly changing schools before completing your degree, or if you just want an extra safety net, it might not be a bad idea to check out regionally accredited schools.

Ultimately, it's up to you to make sure your prospective school rises to meet the quality standards you will need as you enter the job market. But with a few simple steps and some basic prepartion, you can be sure that you're getting kind of education you deserve.