|
Music Accreditation |
Accreditation is a form of independent, professional certification that focuses on schools and programs in a particular field. Accreditation of music schools and programs therefore assures you and your parents that the school adheres to high quality standards. Which means the programs are delivered by qualified faculty and are constantly updated to follow the changes and meet the needs of the relevant industry. Attending an accredited school or program is often thought to make you more competitive on the job market. Accreditation in the US takes place at different levels. First you have governmental and other agencies that govern and recognize the accrediting bodies. The US Department of Education, the Council for Higher Education Association (CHEA) and the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA) grant power to associations that oversee accreditation at the regional, institutional or program level. When assessing quality, you can also look at whether a school or program has any memberships in, or endorsements by, discipline-specific professional associations which reflect certain standards of quality, but this is not the same as official accreditation. Accrediting Agencies National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) Established: 1924 Location: Reston, Virginia Web: http://nasm.arts-accredit.org Scope: A member of the Council of Arts Accrediting Associations (CAAA), NASM accredits US institutions and colleges/ schools within institutions offering degree-granting and non-degree-granting programs in music and music-related disciplines. Why Accreditation? The goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meets acceptable levels of quality. Accrediting agencies have no legal control over institutions or programs; they promote certain standards and approve or renew membership of institutions that apply and meet the accreditation standards or criteria. Certain licensing programs may require that you've been through a course of study with specialized accreditation, because it ensures that you have been taught by faculty qualified to teach in that field. The US Secretary of Education and CHEA each maintain and publish a list of nationally recognized accrediting agencies, and most institutions attain eligibility for Federal funds by holding accredited or pre-accredited status with one of the recognized accrediting agencies.
|
