What is accreditation, and why is it important
In this blog post, we explain what accreditation is and how it benefits postgraduate programmes.
Several of the University of Edinburgh’s postgraduate programmes are accredited by professional bodies and organisations. But what does this mean?
What is accreditation?
Accreditation is when a programme is officially verified by an external body. The verification process can be lengthy and involves assessment of the programme’s structure and content by a board of experts from the external institution in question.
Once an institution verifies a particular programme, it will be able to declare itself as officially accredited and enjoy all of the benefits that come with such an award.
Why is accreditation significant?
It’s extremely hard for a programme to earn an accreditation. Gaining an endorsement like this means that the programme has been recognised by an independent body for its outstanding course design and content, as well as the continued relevance of the programme within a professional setting.
Accreditation means that programmes can boast of increased employability among their graduates, as well as recognition on the global academic stage.
It also helps to convince potential applicants that they will be equipped with relevant skills that will easily transfer from the virtual classroom to the workplace.
The accreditation process can also help programme staff to identify any weaknesses in their existing offering while further building on their strengths – a significant advantage for staff, students and other stakeholders.
Accredited online programmes
Many of our programmes in medicine and veterinary medicine are accredited by professional bodies and organisations.
- Eight masters programmes are delivered in partnership with the Royal College of Surgeons, while two are delivered with the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
- The Master of Public Health degree has been validated by the Agency for Public Health Education Accreditation (APHEA).
- The online MSc in Clinical Animal Behaviour has been accredited by the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB).
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