Think back to when you were trying to decide a university to attend. Or maybe you’re going through that process right now.
What are the most important aspects to consider in your mind?
Generally, it narrows down to these:
- Location
- Fees
- Preferred program
- Faculty
- Class size
- Facilities
- Rating/quality of education
But unfortunately, terms like “recognized university”, “approved-courses, “certified program” often distract from one of the most important aspects: Accreditation, and the fact that an accreditation of a university/program plays a huge role in determining the quality of education and thus employability, is often forgotten.
We sat down with the team at the University of Wollongong in Dubai to discuss accreditation: the meaning, the implications, and the benefits. We spoke to Mr. Felix Lanceley (Director of Student Services and Academic Registrar), Dr. Payyazhi Jayashree (acting Dean of the Faculty of Business), Ms. Joice Priya (Manager of the Office of Institutional Research), and Prof. Khalid Hussain (Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences).
What does ‘accredited’ actually mean?
“It’s simply one of the ways that the University of Wollongong in Dubai ensures students succeed in their programs and maintains a high quality of education,” explained Dr. Jayashree.
But isn’t an ‘approval’ by an accredited university the same thing?
Nope!
The UOWD team explained that understanding this difference is one way to avoid being scammed and increase your own knowledge about accreditation.
But not every institution has local and International accreditations. Some accredited institutions abroad have branch campuses which with an approval or recognition at the local level (by the KHDA, for example). This means they become associated with an accreditation (via the mother campus), but the institution itself (the branch campus) remains unaccredited.
For example, at UOWD, all programs are recognized by the KHDA, but are also accredited by the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA). Almost all of the programs also have various international accreditations by professional bodies such as Engineers Australia (EA), Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), and the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).
The accreditation process is a rigorous one, consisting of market research, feasibility studies, site visits and more, and can take anywhere from 9 to 14 months.
Unfortunately, for many students, accreditation only comes into play when they need to get their degree attested, which can cause roadblocks when seeking admission in accredited institutions or applying for jobs in federal sectors.
What’s the point of having an accredited degree?
The value of an accredited degree is getting higher and higher, which means the rules are becoming stricter. So a federal accreditation, which holds a significant amount of weight and credibility due to the stringent approval processes, is definitely something that will grant you attestation. It’ll also help you with applications and access to top graduate schools or employment – especially in the public sector, where it’s a prerequisite.
Receive a locally-relevant and globally-applicable education
As an accredited-provider of accredited-programs, UOWD has to give evidence that it meets the required standards at each level of a program. The CAA has a rigorous process for granting licensing and accreditation based on 11 standards that ensure the institution’s sound governance, its operational and administrative effectiveness, and that the programs are adequately resourced.
In many non-accredited programs, the course content is delivered as-is from the main campus. However, at UOWD, the course is unique in its relevance to the students and localized to include regional, international, and Australian content.
Learn from the best
Accredited programs are required to be taught by the highest qualified professionals. The lecturers at UOWD have to have a PhD in order to teach. These educators bring the research element into teaching; it becomes research and independent learning delivery. The CAA looks at the qualifications of lecturers (academia, research, work experience, industry knowledge/presence, certifications, etc.). Additionally, at UOWD, the mother campus in Australia evaluates the shortlisted candidates as an additional screening.
Grow your professional network
When you have a degree from an accredited program, you become a part of that accreditors’ professional network. You have continuous feedback, updates, and guidance from the organization on career growth, personal/professional development, industry trajectory, job openings etc.
Graduate with qualifications to heighten your employability
If you want to work in a high profile organization or pursue a career that requires additional studies i.e. Masters or PhD degrees, accreditation becomes mandatory. At the end of the day, you can’t actually do certain jobs without an accredited degree (teaching, healthcare, psychotherapy etc.) – it’s a matter that’s black and white, yes or no.
You can’t sign off on a project if you’re not qualified to!
Be prepared for public sector employment
This is especially relevant in the UAE if you’re trying to work for the government or in larger, multinational organizations. In this case, you need to get your degree attested by the Ministry of Education, and if your degree is not from an accredited institution, it will not be attested. Additionally, you’ll end up with lower salaries, less autonomy and less decision-making power.
While you can still opt for a non-accredited program, learn, and gain employment, however we recommend you take time to make that decision after considering all the important things: location, fees, preferred program, professors, class size, facilities, quality/rating of education, and accreditation. And whatever else is important to you of course.
Don’t dwell on how fast you can finish school and get a job, think about how your degree will continue to help you move forward in your career, even years after graduation.