This is related to two recent posts about U.S.-based/affiliated unaccredited and nationally accredited schools operating in Vietnam. (Stay tuned for a list of regionally accredited colleges and universities and their Vietnam-related activities.)
Incredibly, the acronym “CHEA” and its website have begun appearing in online articles and education-related forums in Vietnam. This growing interest in the accreditation status of U.S. colleges and universities will ultimately result in more “educated consumers” of foreign degree programs.
To determine if an institution is officially accredited in the U.S., regionally or nationally, check out the Database of Institutions and Programs Accredited By Recognized U.S. Accrediting Organizations on the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) website.
The CHEA database lists more than 7,700 degree-granting and non-degree-granting institutions and more than 18,700 programs that are accredited by United States accrediting organizations that have been recognized either by CHEA or by the United States Department of Education (USDE) or both.
CHEA is a self-described “national advocate and institutional voice for self-regulation of academic quality through accreditation, CHEA is an association of 3,000 degree-granting colleges and universities and recognizes 60 institutional and programmatic accrediting organizations.”
One fee-based service that can be used by employers and others in the U.S. for “student degree and enrollment verification” is offered by the National Student Clearinghouse: http://www.studentclearinghouse.org. Do I really have a Ph.D., as I state on my CV and in my bio here, and is it from a regionally accredited university? This service will provide the answer.
MAA