Classes can help students earn a degree in less time and at less cost
Three Missouri colleges have received national accreditation for the dual-credit classes they provide to high school students.
Dual-credit programs at Jefferson College, Moberly Area Community College and North Central Missouri College recently were accredited by the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships.
Dual-credit courses courses allow students to earn college credit while in high school, which can reduce the amount of time and cost required to earn a degree. Students receive high school and college credit for the courses, which are taught by qualifying high school teachers who have been approved by the sponsoring colleges or universities.
“We are pleased that three more Missouri colleges have received this important designation. NACEP accreditation helps ensure the academic quality of dual-credit classes,” said Rusty Monhollon, assistant commissioner for Academic Affairs at the Missouri Department of Higher Education. “Dual-credit programs are one way we can help students succeed in college while reducing the cost of higher education to families.”
The department’s policy for dual-credit programs recommends that Missouri colleges and universities obtain NACEP accreditation. A total of 10 public and private higher education institutions in the state have been accredited by the organization.
NACEP’s standards call for the course content and expectations for student work in dual-credit classes to match those on the campus of the sponsoring college or university.
To earn accreditation, higher education institutions offering dual-credit programs conduct a self-study, document how their programs adhere to the NACEP’s 17 standards, and undergo a rigorous peer-review process conducted by a team of representatives from NACEP-accredited programs and a review by the accreditation commission.
Other higher education institutions in Missouri that have received NACEP accreditation include: Central Methodist University, Crowder College, Missouri Baptist University, Northwest Missouri State University, Saint Louis University, University of Missouri-Kansas City, University of Missouri-St. Louis.