Weird Accreditation Question

[a2jc4life]

How does accreditation work in relation to a diploma if accreditation is acquired or lost while a student is still enrolled?  Will the diploma be accredited/not accredited based on the school's status at the time or acceptance or the time of graduation?

[sanantone]

The degree came from an accredited school if the school was accredited at the time of graduation regardless of accreditation loss afterward. If the school became accredited after graduation, then the degree still came from an unaccredited school because accreditation is usually not retroactive.

[a2jc4life]

Thanks, but I think you misunderstood my question. I'm wondering about what happens if the school gains or loses accreditation after one enrolls as a student but before graduation.

[sanantone]

Thanks, but I think you misunderstood my question. I'm wondering about what happens if the school gains or loses accreditation after one enrolls as a student but before graduation.

My response still answers your question. What matters is whether or not the school is accredited at the time of graduation.

[a2jc4life]

Okay, thanks. I wasn't sure if that was the case, or if, like degree requirements, they'd base it on which catalog year you enrolled under.

[Ideas]

I see what sanantone is saying, which makes sense.

However if it was accredited at the time of graduation, and later becomes unaccredited, I'm guessing it will hurt someone's career because of employers seeing the school is unaccredited (currently).

[RANSOMSOUL]

Claremont Lincoln University actually held back on opening their 2016 team Capstones for their Master programs to allow those pacing for Q1 2016 completion to post after CLU achieved accreditation (February/2016). This allowed for CLU to have the first RA graduates walk in April. That must have felt like a pretty cool score for those wishing CLU had RA accreditation when they initially enrolled in the program.

[Ideas]

Wow, lucky CLU grads.

I was wondering about the converse of what I said too. If you were one of the previous CLU grads, graduating when they were NA, and then it becomes RA, I think you get some benefit. I think employers would think CLU is RA, so your degree must be RA, especially when years pass.

[sanantone]

Most employers don't know the difference between RA and NA. The ones who do know the difference will likely check for accreditation dates.

I think someone here or the other forum got lucky and graduated when Nations was accredited.

[eriehiker]

This is why I went through the application process for the Smart.ly MBA. I was hoping for free and then RA accreditation somewhere down the road. I was accepted to the EMBA program. They offered a $3000 scholarship, but it still would have cost $6000. That was not a good enough price for a program that is currently unaccredited. It was kind of fun, though. They scheduled skype-style interviews and it was the CEO who interviewed me. Interesting guy.