Accreditation is an important quality indicator for students who are considering university enrollment, and aspiring human resource managers look for accredited human resources degree programs to help them achieve their academic goals.
Most human resources degree programs can claim to be accredited because most schools have a regional accreditation credential that covers all of its academic programs. There are discipline specific accreditation credentials that schools can earn separately for their programs, but there is no separate accreditation body for human resources management programs.
Here are some ways that students can identify human resource management degree program accreditation and other quality indicators that show the value of their chosen program.
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) is an internationally recognized accreditation organization for business and accounting degree granting programs. Human resources management is usually deemed a sub-discipline of business, and it is often offered as a specialization option for business administration majors. Subsequently, human resources management programs that come under AACSB accredited business programs are accredited. Program accreditation through AACSB offers students the most flexibility since even international graduate schools and employers recognize and respect the designation.
Accreditation Council for Collegiate Business Schools and Programs
Reputable business schools that do not gain accreditation through AACSB often apply for the nationally recognized Accreditation Council for Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). This organization usually confers accreditation upon small universities that meet their rigorous standards for quality teaching methods and measurable continuous improvement. A student who wants to pursue a human resources management degree at a small private university may find that the program is accredited through ACBSP.
Distance Education Accrediting Commission
Many people used to forego the convenience of distance learning degree programs because many of the programs were thought to be of inferior quality in comparison with traditional programs. Today, many universities offer online programs that have the same quality courses and excellent teaching staff as their traditional academic offerings. Also, universities that provide its students with only online programs have stepped up their offerings and are eager to demonstrate their programs’ quality through accreditation with the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). Online human resources management degree programs that have been operating for two years or more can gain accreditation through DEAC. This accreditation body uses an external peer review system to determine online program quality and to offer constructive feedback for continuous improvement.
Society for Human Resource Management
Although the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is not an accreditation authority for human resources management degree programs, it is recognized as an industry leader for quality human resources degree program curricula. SHRM is a professional association for human resources practitioners, but it also works with universities to ensure that their curricula aligns with the latest industry requirements. Finding an SHRM student chapter on campus is also a good indicator that the university’s human resources management program is top notch.
See: Society for Human Resource Management Aligned HR Degrees
Conclusion
There are many ways that a human resource degree program can be accredited even though the career field is considered a sub-discipline of business administration and management. The most convenient way to find out if a school has an accredited human resources degree program is to visit the above listed accreditation organizations’ websites that usually contain listings of the academic programs that have been accredited by them.
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