Is UMass Global Fully Accredited?

UMass Global is a predominantly online university based in California. It offers degrees to busy students with jobs, dependents, and other obligations.

When choosing a college or university, it's important that you choose one that's accredited. Keep reading to learn more about whether or not UMass Global is fully accredited.

What is UMass Global?

UMass Global is a private affiliate of the public University of Massachusetts system. It primarily serves adult, non-traditional, and military students.

The university was founded in 1958 as Brandman University. It started by offering courses on military bases in California.

In 2021, the university entered a partnership with the University of Massachusetts system and rebranded as UMass Global. It's headquartered in Irvine, California.

Today, it enrolls nearly 9,000 students in associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, doctoral degrees, and certificate programs.

Most students at UMass Global learn via online programs, but the university still maintains campuses in Irvine and San Diego, California.

What is Accreditation?

When a college or university is accredited, that means that it has met the standards set by an accreditation agency that has been approved by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education.

An institution as a whole can be either regionally or nationally accredited. Most colleges and universities in the U.S. are regionally accredited.

There are seven regional accreditation agencies that each accredit states within a specific region of the U.S.

These agencies are:

• Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
• Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
• New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)

National accreditation is usually used for for-profit institutions as well as career, vocational, and technical schools. There are dozens of national accreditation agencies.

Typically, regional accreditation is preferred over national accreditation, as it's a stricter and more prestigious accreditation.

Additionally, credits earned at a regional institution will transfer to both regionally accredited and nationally accredited schools, while credits from nationally accredited institutions can only transfer to other nationally accredited institutions.

There are some benefits to nationally accredited schools, though. They are usually less expensive and have lower standards for admission.

Certain programs within a college or university can also be programmatically accredited. This means that the specific program has met educational standards.

For example, the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and the

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) both accredit nursing programs.

A college or university can be institutionally accredited, but that doesn't mean the individual programs are programmatically accredited.

Is UMass Global Accredited?

UMass Global is regionally accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, which accredits schools in California, Hawai'i, and the Hawaiian territories.

This is because UMass Global is based in California. The public UMass campuses are regionally accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

In addition to regional accreditation, UMass Global's education, nursing, and social work programs are regionally accredited.

What Programs Does UMass Global Offer?

UMass Global offers associate through doctoral degrees and certificates in a variety of areas of study.

Programs are offered through five schools within the university:

• School of Arts and Sciences
• School of Business and Professional Studies
• School of Education
• School of Nursing and Health Professions
• School of Extended Education

The most common fields for bachelor's programs are:

• business administration and leadership
• early childhood education
• psychology
• social work

The most common fields for master's programs at UMass Global are:

• business administration and leadership
• education
• marriage and family therapy
• social work

Individual courses and credentials are also available.

Some degrees at UMass Global are available in a self-paced format called MyPath. Students in these programs start by taking a competency exam to determine how much they already know.

Then, students are given a customized curriculum that they can complete at their own pace, allowing them to speed through some concepts and spend more time on others.

How Much Does UMass Global Cost?

Tuition at UMass Global depends on what level of degree you're earning and whether you're studying at a traditional pace or through a MyPath program.

Traditional associate and bachelor's degrees cost $500 per credit. At 120 credits, this means a bachelor's degree at UMass Global will have a total tuition of $60,000, or about $15,000 per year.

Active duty military members and their spouses pay half price at $250 per credit. This means a bachelor's degree costs $30,000 total.

Students in MyPath programs are charged per 24-week term. Undergraduate students pay $3,200 per term, or $6,400 per year. Textbooks are included in MyPath tuition.

Master's degrees and credential programs cost $709 per credit. Active military and spouses pay $400 per credit, and MyPath students pay $3,700 per term.

The Doctor of Education programs cost $1,051 per credit, while the Doctor of Nursing programs cost $1,224 per credit. This price is the same for active military members and spouses.

Doctoral programs at UMass are not available in the MyPath format.

Please note that the above prices are approximate and do not include all additional fees.

Earn a Degree From an Accredited Institution

Whatever college or university you choose, it needs to be accredited. UMass Global is a private university in California that is regionally accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

With the information above, you can determine if an online degree through UMass Global is the right choice for you.