Advance Your Profession

A Productive and Exciting Way to Learn and Earn

Unlike traditional classroom experiences, Online Universities focuses on adding a human touch to the high technology of learning online. We are committed to providing you the personal attention and academic support when you need it. The flexibility and dynamic interaction of online education at University also allows for innovative learning opportunities. Here are some of the highlights:

• Online Quizzes —Many classes have a quiz at the end of each unit, which provides you with instant feedback on what you’ve learned.

• Discussion Boards—Each week’s unit includes interaction between students and their instructors on our discussion boards. This provides the chance to expand your learning through discussions or get advice from a professor or class peers.

• Web Field Trips—Students conduct research using various Internet research sites and are asked to take notes in their online learning journals for discussion later.

• Seminars—Students participate in interactive seminar sessions with their classmates and instructor. The seminars help create a significant and enriching exchange within students' online learning experience.

Learn From Instructors With Real-World Experience
Many programs are taught by practicing professionals. Because they work in the field they teach, you will acquire the most current knowledge and skills. That’s an important benefit when it comes to the modern workplace, where the landscape is constantly evolving.

We’re a Premier Education Provider
If you are looking to gain the skills you require to achieve your career and educational goals, you’ll find the program you need with Online Universities. Building on a long and distinguished history as both academic pioneer and career-maker, we have become one of the world’s finest providers of online education.

Externship or Clinical
In particular phases of study, some programs include an externship, clinical, or fieldwork experience.

Alliance Partnerships
Employers looking for ways to enrich employees’ lives with education may be interested in our Alliance Partnerships. A University can help organizations create a cost-efficient program that offers employees online flexibility, true job relevance, and more. Click here for more information.

Alumni Transcript Request Form
As a College graduate, you can receive the first copy of your official transcript free of charge. Click here to learn how.

*Availability of journals and texts is subject to change. Why is accreditation important?

Accreditation—the certification by a recognized accrediting organization that an institution has been reviewed and meets specific measures of quality—is an essential credential for a university. It guarantees that the university programs are reviewed, evaluated, and monitored, and that they meet specific educational standards. It also tells students that their credits and degrees can be accepted for transfer by other accredited programs, are recognized by employers and professional organizations, and are eligible for federal grants and loans.

What type of accreditation is most useful?

Regional accreditation—The most widely recognized and universally accepted form of accreditation is regional accreditation, which requires adherence to the procedures and standards of one of the following organizations:

• Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA), Commission on Higher Education (CHE): Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and several locations abroad
  
• New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE): Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont
  
• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), The Higher Learning Commission (HLC): Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming
  
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU): Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington
  
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), Commission on Colleges (COC): Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia
  
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC): California, Hawaii, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Territories of Guam and American Samoa

What are the other types of accreditation?

National accreditation—Some smaller, private colleges are accredited by national accrediting organizations. The types of institutions that they accredit, such as faith-based colleges, are often much more specialized than institutions accredited by regional organizations.

Specialized accreditation—Institutions that offer education in specific and often practical areas of study may seek specialized accreditation for schools or programs within the organization. Programs of study regulated by national or state licensing boards may require specialized or professional accreditation. The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists are two examples of specialized accrediting organizations.

How do I find out if a school is accredited?

If you want to find out if a school is accredited, or check on a school’s accreditation status, visit the web sites of the regional accrediting boards listed above and look up the college or university by name. If you want to obtain more information about national and specialized accreditation, the Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) maintain directories of nationally recognized and specialized accrediting agencies.

In addition, the U.S. Secretary of Education offers a database to check institution accreditation (http://www.ope.ed.gov/accreditation). It lists the approximately 6,900 post secondary educational institutions and programs that are accredited by an accrediting agency or state-approval agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education.

Do employers care about proper accreditation?

Yes. Most employers in the United States recognize only diplomas and credits earned at accredited colleges and universities.

Colleges Accreditation

Many Universities are regionally accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA).* Regional accreditation is the most respected and recognized type of accreditation, whether a school is online or campus based. The HLC criteria, which measure “student learning and effective teaching,” as well as the “acquisition, discovery, and application of knowledge,” provide students with an assurance that their studies at University will meet high educational and practical standards.

With this accreditation, credits and degrees are eligible, after review and approval by the receiving institution, for transfer to other accredited colleges and graduate programs. Many programs qualify for employee reimbursement programs and degrees are honored by professional associations. University degree-seeking students are also eligible for federal educational financial assistance. Accreditation matters and University provides it. Resources