What Does a Regionally Accredited Distance Learning Bachelor Degree Really Mean?

Earning a regionally accredited distance learning bachelor degree is a valuable and rewarding experience, whether you are doing it for personal or professional reasons. The reality of today’s world is that many of us lack the time that it takes to go to school on a full time, regular schedule. A regionally accredited distance learning bachelor degree will improve our professional qualifications while we accomplish personal goals.

If you are thinking about getting a distance learning bachelor degree, then making sure that the institution is regionally accredited is absolutely essential. Having the seal of being accredited means basically that an independent review from a non-governmental agency has ensured that the university degree program provides a solid and reliable level of academic performance. These accrediting agencies conduct on-site evaluation to award (or not) regional accreditation.

Periodically agencies will reevaluate to ensure that the institution is maintaining high standards or they could risk losing their accreditation. The accreditation process can literally take five to ten years to complete. If you are looking for accredited online classes from a recently established online program, it could be perfectly legitimate that they have not been in business long enough to have achieved their accreditation.

Which is Best: National or Regional Accreditation?

One would assume that national accreditation is the best, but that’s not the fact. At the time of writing, there is no national or federal law that requires a college to be accredited by a national recognized agency. Therefore the federal government has not set up a national system. Regional accreditation is the most widely recognized form of university accreditation.

Advantages of Regional Accredited Online Classes

The biggest advantage of seeking out a regionally accredited distance learning bachelor degree program is that credits or degrees earned at a regionally accredited institution are, for the most part, fully transferable to another regionally accredited college.

Another advantage of a regionally accredited distance learning bachelor degree is the flexibility of the schedule. Typically you have deadlines for your work and online lectures which you can take in at your leisure. As long as you turn in your work on time, you can study your course materials or attend your virtual lectures at any point you wish to. This is convenient if you:

• Work a lot
• Work irregular hours
• Lack efficient transportation, or
• Have family matters to attend to.

You can go to your classes whenever you want, and without wasting valuable time commuting. And who doesn't want to have the chance to do all of their lectures in their pajamas!