What is program accreditation, and how does it differ from institutional accreditation?
Institutional accreditation examines an entire college or university and all of its functions. In the United States, institutional accreditation is carried out by the six regional accrediting bodies and a number of national accrediting bodies that have been recognized by the US Department of Education. Institutional accreditation by a recognized accrediting body is required for students to have access to federal funds. Outside the United States, most countries have government-based institutional accreditation. Program accreditation, such as that provided by the IACBE, looks specifically and comprehensively at particular programs of a college or university. Programmatic accreditation is available in many different disciplines. The IACBE provides a process by which colleges and universities can earn program accreditation for their business programs.
