Beware of Online MBA and MPA Degrees

The fact that an institution has regional accreditation means little when it comes to graduate courses. Case in point: a private, for-profit university supposedly in Wash DC (but actually in northern Virginia) brags about its MBA and MPA programs, but on closer examination cracks are revealed. The MBA degree is not accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which means that AACSB-certified schools will not accept graduate business transfer credits from the non-accredited school, regardless of whether or not the school is “regionally” accredited. This particular institution also offers an MPA degree that is not accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA).

>>> Lesson for students: Insist on AACSB and NASPAA accreditation.
>>> Lesson for employers: Don’t pay for courses from schools that lack AACSB and NASPAA accreditation.