The Value of Accreditation: An Overview of Three Decades of Research Comparing Accredited and Unaccredited Journalism and Mass Communication Programs

Abstract

Several studies have investigated various differences between journalism and mass communication programs accredited and unaccredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism & Mass Communications (ACEJMC), but none discovered evidence that accredited programs are strongly or clearly superior in major ways to unaccredited programs. In fact, studies generally find many more similarities than differences. A review of literature comparing accredited and unaccredited J&MC programs seems to suggest that ACEJMC accreditation is a credential whose reputation exceeds its actual benefit. Although the idea of a formal process by which programs can be evaluated and “certified” as high quality is well intentioned, operationalization of that idea has proved to be difficult. Some accreditation standards ACEJMC has deemed most important (diversity and liberal arts curriculum) have resulted in controversial chapters in accreditation's history.