Programmatic Accreditation: Absolutely Critical to Launch your Career

Programmatic Accreditation:

There are  67 recognized programmatic accrediting organizations accredit programs or free-standing institutions that enrolled more than 3.9 million students in 2012-2013 according to Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). This figure includes all programmatic accreditors that are or have been recognized by CHEA or the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and are currently engaged in accreditation activities.

Consequence to students attending an institution without Programmatic Accreditation:

Colleges sometimes offer programs that do not carry the industry-standard accreditation that allows graduates to obtain employment in the field. Graduates from these programs are often surprised to learn that, although they went to an institutionally accredited school, they cannot practice the professions for which they purportedly trained. Some fields, mostly in the health care occupations, require program-specific accreditation. If a college offers a program that does not carry programmatic accreditation, then students often cannot find work because employers only hire graduates from accredited programs, or because State laws prohibit graduates from non-accredited programs from practicing their specialty. In spite of these serious consequences, for-profit schools that offer unaccredited programs seldom provide a meaningful warning to their students about this issue. As a result, many students first learn about their program’s accreditation after accumulating debt, attending school, and attempting to enter the workforce.

What Is Programmatic Accreditation?

There are two broad types of accreditation for institutions of higher education. The first type is institutional accreditation, which indicates that a membership organization approved by the Department of Education has conducted a peer review of the institution and certified that the college or university meets specified school-wide standards of quality. Institutional accreditation is critical for all colleges and universities because it is required for any school to be eligible to receive financial aid funds from the U.S. Department of Education. In contrast, rather than certifying an entire school or institution, programmatic accreditation certifies that a specific degree or certificate program meets standards expected within a particular field or profession. Different professions and different States place a different emphasis on programmatic accreditation.

For instance, here is a video (click the link below) who is considering a career in Radiologic Technology.

http://www.jrcert.org/students/what-is-accreditation/

Students Are Not Informed About Programmatic Accreditation:

Institutions that offer programs that lack programmatic accreditation are highly inconsistent in how they disclose this lack of programmatic accreditation. Some make a note on the programs’ Web pages, albeit rarely in a prominent location. Others post the disclosure deep in their Web sites or in the fine print within pages of enrollment agreements, while framing the disclosure in terms that prevent students from recognizing the gravity of this issue. Few people would enroll in a program if they knew they would be unable to use their degree or diploma to qualify for a job in their field after graduation. Unfortunately, the investigation has documented multiple examples of students who have been recruited into non-accredited programs under the mistaken belief that their investment of time and money would lead to a valuable credential and access to a job in the field.

Below is the link for the directory of Programmatic Accreditation:

http://www.chea.org/4DCGI/cms/review.html?Action=CMS_Document&DocID=200&MenuKey=main

Here are more information for few on demand programs:

Nursing:

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)

Marsal P. Stoll, Chief Executive Officer

3343 Peachtree Road, NE, Suite 850

Atlanta, GA 30326

Phone: 404-975-5000

Fax: 404-975-5020

E-mail: info@acenursing.org

Web: www.acenursing.org

Recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, September 2011

CHEA-Recognized Scope of Accreditation

Accreditation of nursing education programs and schools, both postsecondary and higher degree, which offer either a certificate, diploma, or recognized professional degree (clinical doctorate, master's, baccalaureate, associate, diploma, and practical nursing) in the United States, its territories and internationally, including those offered via distance education. (2011)

Physical Therapy:

American Physical Therapy Association (APTA-CAPTE)

Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education

Sandra L. Wise, Senior Director of Accreditation

1111 North Fairfax Street

Alexandria, VA 22314

Phone: 703-706-3245

Fax: 703-706-3387

E-mail: sandrawise@apta.org

Web: www.capteonline.org

Recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, September 2012

CHEA-Recognized Scope of Accreditation

CAPTE accredits physical therapist professional education programs offered at the master’s and clinical doctoral degree levels by higher education institutions in the United States and internationally. CAPTE also accredits paraprofessional physical therapist assistant technical education programs offered at the associate degree level by higher education institutions in the United States only. (2012)

Radiology

Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT)

Leslie Winter, Chief Executive Officer

20 North Wacker Drive, Suite 2850

Chicago, IL 60606-3182

Phone: 312-704-5300

Fax: 312-704-5304

E-mail: mail@jrcert.org

Web: www.jrcert.org

Recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, April 2004

CHEA-Recognized Scope of Accreditation

The Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) currently accredits educational programs in radiography, radiation therapy, magnetic resonance, and medical dosimetry that can be offered at the certificate, associate, baccalaureate, and master’s degree levels in both traditional and distance education settings. These programs are housed in institutionally accredited, degree granting institutions and hospitals/medical centers that only award certificates. The geographic boundaries of JRCERT accreditation activities are within the United States and its territories, commonwealths, and possessions. (2013)

American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)

Council on Education (COE)

Dr. Karen Brandt, Director of Education and Research

1931 North Meacham Road, Suite 100

Schaumburg, IL 60173-4360

Phone: 847-925-8070

Fax: 847-285-5732

E-mail: kbrandt@avma.org

Web: www.avma.org

Recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, January 2012

CHEA-Recognized Scope of Accreditation

Schools and programs that offer the professional Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, or its equivalent, in the United States and Canada. The Council may also accredit foreign veterinary colleges. (2015)

Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC)

Thomas Smalling, Executive Director

1248 Harwood Road

Bedford, TX 76021-4244

Phone: 817-283-2835

Fax: 817-354-8519

Email: tom@coarc.com

Web: www.coarc.com

Recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, September 2012

CHEA-Recognized Scope of Accreditation

The CoARC accredits entry into professional practice programs in respiratory care at the Associate, Baccalaureate, and Master's Degree level in the United States. The CoARC also accredits polysomnography programs offered by professional respiratory care degree programs in the United States. (2015)

How to become a Radiologic Technologist / MRI Tech - Don't just choose any school:

Why RAD Tech in Demand:

As the baby boomer population (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_boomers) of USA grows older, there will be more medical conditions, such as breaks and fractures caused by osteoporosis, which mostly require imaging to diagnose them. Radiologic and MRI technologists will be needed to maintain and use the diagnostic equipment. Employment of radiologic technologists is projected to grow 21 percent from 2012 to 2022, faster than the average for all occupations. Employment of MRI technologists is projected to grow 24 percent from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations. (According to the bureau of labor statistics, the median annual wage for radiologic technologists was $54,620 in May 2012. The median annual wage for MRI technologists was $65,360 in May 2012. Ref: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/radiologic-technologists.htm

Step 1: Why JRCRT Accredited Program:

Ever since the demand for these two occupations grew significantly, many schools started offering these programs. There are many post-secondary education programs in radiography and MRI that lead to graduate certificates, associate’s degrees, or bachelor’s degrees. Associate’s degree programs are the most common. Education programs typically include both classroom training and clinical training. Coursework includes anatomy, pathology, patient care, radiation physics and protection, and image evaluation. The Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) accredits programs in radiography. High school students who are interested in radiologic or MRI technology should take courses that focus on science and math. Suggested courses include anatomy, biology, chemistry, physiology, mathematics, and physics.   

Why does JRCERT accreditation matter?

The JRCERT is the only organization recognized by United Stated Department of Education (www.ed.gov) and Council for Higher Education Accreditation (www.chea.org) to accredit traditional and distance delivery educational programs in radiography, radiation therapy, magnetic resonance, and medical dosimetry. (You should review the JRCERT module that focuses on the benefits of programmatic accreditation prior to beginning your educational endeavor. It is located under the Students link on main webpage, www.jrcert.org). Graduation from a JRCERT - Accredited program assures:

• Your chosen program has met a standard of excellence established by the profession to provide the knowledge, skills, and professional values required to deliver safe, high quality diagnostic or therapeutic radiologic services to patients.

• You will be eligible for employment in all 50 states – in some states, only graduates of JRCERT - accredited programs are eligible for state licensure and employment. Additionally, most Veterans Administration (VA) facilities and many other facilities will only employ graduates of JRCERT - accredited programs. To become licensed, technologists must graduate from an accredited program and must pass a certification exam from the state or from the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT).

• You will enhance your eligibility for admission into modality - specific (i.e., computed tomography, radiation therapy, nuclear medicine, ultrasound, etc.) and/or higher degree programs in the radiologic sciences.

       

Many MRI technologists are first licensed or certified radiologic technologists who have the required amount of work experience in magnetic resonance imaging to meet certification standards, which includes a set number of documented imaging examinations. Those who are not radiologic technologists need to complete a formal education program before taking the certification exam. MRI certification is available from the ARRT and is accepted by most states for licensure.

•  Here is a link to search for JRCRT accredited programs in your state:

https://portal.jrcertaccreditation.org/summary/accreditedprogramsearch.aspx

Be aware of Diploma mill:

Diploma or degree mills come in many guises. Some degree mills blatantly offer to sell a degree and perhaps a transcript from a legitimate school. Others can be easily recognized by promising that an applicant can receive a degree in a very short period of time, sometimes as little as five days. Another type of degree mill will purport to look at an applicant’s life experience and award a degree based solely on a description of this experience. Others may require the student to submit papers or other assignments, but still will provide the degree in a short period of time with much less work than would be required by legitimate institutions. An advertisement that claims a student can “earn” a degree in much less time than it would take at a legitimate institution is likely evidence that the school is a degree mill.

Step 2: Check the Program Effectiveness Data for your desired school:

The JRCERT collects data using current information provided by accredited programs.

Completion Rate:  This is the number of students that begin the program divided by the number of students that actually complete the program.  The JRCERT measures this annually. Credentialing Examination Pass Rate:  This is the number of students that pass the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) certification examination on the first attempt.   Job Placement Rate:  JRCRT collect data on the number of students that gain employment within six months of graduation versus the number that graduate.  JRCRT look at this data over a five-year span and average the data. Here is an example of a school’s program effectiveness data.

Program Completion Rate (%) Credential Examination Pass Rate (%) Job Placement Rate (%) Adventist University of Health Sciences - Radiography 66 96 83

• Here is the link for complete list for program effectiveness:

https://portal.jrcertaccreditation.org/summary/programannualreportlist.aspx

• Here is the link for list of programs who are under probation:

http://www.jrcert.org/accreditation-actions/accredited-programs-on-probation/

Step 3: Why pay more, check the affordability of the program:

Congratulations! You are at the last step to find the right program for you. As we all know that college education requires investment of your time and money. It is very important to find out the college which has reasonable tuition and also has great completion and placement rate. Once you make a list of colleges (JRCRT accredited) that you are considering, you click the link below to find out each college’ net tuition and graduation rate. This will help you to find out the right college that saves you thousands of dollars in tuition and fees.

•   Here is the link to find out college’s net tuition:

http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/