Why is accreditation important to the Hazelden Graduate School of Addiction Studies (HGSAS)?
Institutional accreditation has two main purposes: quality assurance and institutional improvement. Accreditation recognizes that an institution meets certain quality standards. Meeting these standards provides some assurance that credits and degrees earned will be of high quality and respected by other educational institutions. Accreditation is attractive to students because they are more likely to be able to transfer course credits to other institutions. Accreditation also provides students with greater access to financial aid and federal funding. The self-study provides the HGSAS with a tested format through which it can identify its strengths and challenges. Accreditation recognizes that the HGSAS has gone through the evaluation process and developed a strategy to improve its services and programs. Prospective students, other educational institutions, and employers examine an educational institution’s accreditation to assure quality educational programming.
