Home › Education & Pedagogy › Vocational & Technical Training › accreditation

accreditation

uh-kred-uh-TAY-shuhn /əˌkred.əˈteɪ.ʃən/

nounC1IELTSTOEFLGREGMAT

formalofficial

Official authorization or recognition that an educational institution or program meets specific standards of quality.

Applies to entire institutions or educational programs, whereas 'certification' usually applies to individual workers.

The story behind the word. Built from Latin 'ad-' (to) and 'credere' (to trust or believe). To grant accreditation is literally to state that an institution is trustworthy and believable in its educational promises.

Word relationships

endorsement: Endorsement is a general backing or praise, whereas accreditation is a formal, regulatory audit process.
sanction: Sanction means official permission, but lacks the specific connotation of rigorous educational quality review.

disqualification: The act of rendering an institution ineligible due to failure to meet standards.

Commonly confused with

certification: Accreditation validates an institution or program; certification validates an individual practitioner's skill.

Word family

accredit (verb): To give official recognition to an institution.
accredited (adjective): Officially recognized as meeting standards.

Collocations

gain accreditation
regional accreditation
accreditation agency
educational accreditation

Example sentences

"The vocational college sought regional accreditation to ensure its diplomas were recognized nationwide." Institutional Review
"Loss of accreditation meant the institute could no longer award official professional degrees." Education Quality Assurance

Memory hook

ACCREDITATION gives CREDIT to an institution's quality. Giving official trust to an institution.

When not to use

Do not use when referring to an individual person earning a license or passing an exam.

Fun facts

In many countries, students attending non-accredited institutions cannot qualify for government student loans or professional licensing.