Accredited Program vs. Accredited School

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Deme73, Jul 24, 2010.

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  1. Deme73

    Deme73 New Member

    Recently, I graduated from Strayer University which has both online classes as well as over 70 campuses along the eastern/mid-atlantic/southern region of the US. It is accredited by the Commission of Middle States of Higher Education which is recognized by the US Dept of Education and Council of Higher Education Accreditation-CHEA. However, in my search for a fellowship, I am discovering that the institutions require students to have graduated from an accredited "program." Program accreditation can be either AUPHA, CAHME, etc.

    I am now concerned! Does this mean that my education means nothing and that I do not qualify and should not apply?
     
  2. Chip

    Chip Administrator

    What is your degree in? Programmatic accreditation is generally an issue only in the case of specific, usually professional degrees (law, psychology, etc)

    Strayer has been around a very long time and is a well established distance learning program. Middle States is one of the 6 regional accreditors, the "gold standard" in accreditation in the US, so unless you have a very specialized area of study where programmatic accreditation is an issue, I'm a little surprised that this is coming up.

    More info on your degree and the types of organizations that are requiring programmatic accreditation would be helpful in answering your question.
     
  3. b4cz28

    b4cz28 Active Member

    I looked at a lot of schools and did not find any that requred someone to have this. Health Admin programs are health admin programs. Where are you applying/looking at?
     
  4. fritzy202

    fritzy202 New Member

    I'm sorry to hear of your frustrations. I'm just embarking on my MHA degree at Bellevue. It sounds like you maybe did an MHA since you are referencing CAHME and AUPHA. If you are trying to get fellowship in CAHME they will want you to have completed one of their accredited programs. I think some of their certifications also require this and/or 5+ years of executive experience. Forgive me if my specs are a little off, it has been about 6 months since I looked at their requirements. It is not uncommon in healthcare for certification or accrediting agencies to only acknowledge their own programs as "sufficient" for membership, fellowship or certification. I won't even get started on my soapbox about this topic!

    If you look on the AUPHA website, they have a list of all their accredited schools and associate member schools, that may be in the process of becoming accredited. They show both undergrad and grad school programs. I don't remember seeing any Strayer location listed. I know in my research none of the 100% online programs are fully accredited because they say that a required residency is necessary to learn the teambuilding skills necessary for succes in this career. I don't agree with that, but my local B&M program is being restructured and won't be accepting students again until fall 2011. So that left me in a tight spot. I was debating between St. Joseph's of Maine and Bellevue. Both are associate members, but St. Joe's is only a faculty membership and not a school member. Bellevue is a corporate associate member, so I figured that would hold more weight. I'm currently working in education so I don't need professional certification or fellowship, but down the road I might if I transition to the private sector. Have you tried contacting CAHME and asking what your options are? Maybe you just have to get some experience under your belt then re-apply. Can you be sponsored by a member or employer? Please let us know what you find out as I will be curious how this turns out for you. Good Luck!
     
  5. Deme73

    Deme73 New Member

    Hi Chip & Others,
    Thanks for replying! I received my masters in Health Services Administration (MHSA) from Strayer-it is not accredited by CAHME, only as I stated previously Middle States Commission of Higher Education. Also, the fellowships, which are listed on ACHE.org, are hospital fellowships and those that interest me the most. In the qualifications, it reads..."graduate from an accredited program..." Strayer University itself, on the other hand, has nothing to do with how students choose fellowships-don't even require that we have one. I am seeking a fellowship because my health care background is very limited, and I need the experience one has to offer.

    I have been reading different web postings and everywhere it seems that there is some confusion about accreditation. Already, I am sick of others frowning upon online education as though it were second rate. When I chose Strayer University for distant learning, I made sure it had accreditation and did not think there was much difference in program or university accreditation as long as it was-you guessed it-accredited!
     
  6. Deme73

    Deme73 New Member

    Also, I will contact CAHME to speak with someone about this matter. Thanks for all your help!
     
  7. Chip

    Chip Administrator

    I would almost guarantee that in this particular case, "graduate from an accredited program" is sloppy language NOT referring to programmatic accreditation, but to regional (or other DoEd-recognized) accreditation. I'd make a quick call to someone at one of the places you're considering applying for a fellowship. Don't mention Strayer. Just ask them what their accreditation criteria is.

    Likely, you'll have to ask several people to get a good answer because very few people understand accreditation, and even fewer understand the difference between programmatic and institutional accreditation.

    But as I said, Strayer has been around a really long time and is NOT primarily known as an online school, so I can't see why you'd have any problem.
     
  8. Deme73

    Deme73 New Member

    Thank You!
     
  9. fritzy202

    fritzy202 New Member

    Can you talk with the Strayer alumni association or Department Head to see if they cn connect you with a former grad who can maybe hook you up with an internship or something similar? Who better to understand your situation and best help you than an alumni member! Just a thought. I totally understand your frustration about DL degrees, but have heart the views will change sooner than later, as more schools add DL degrees and as they grow in popularity in general. Good Luck!
     
  10. Bill Huffman

    Bill Huffman Well-Known Member

    There is still some mild prejudice by some against online education. I think it is much less common than it used to be a few years ago. As other have mentioned the school is known as a brick & mortar school, so even if you ran into someone that confused online education with diploma mills, they would not likely know that you got your degree via online education.
     
  11. Anthony Pina

    Anthony Pina Active Member

    I looked at several fellowship descriptions at the ache website. Some mentioned specific programmatic accreditation, but many just said "from an accredited program," which would mean regional accredition (as in Middle States).
     

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