Before you Enroll
If you are thinking of studying locally, ensure that the institution is registered with the Barbados Accreditation Council. Registration with the Council guarantees that the institution has certain standards for example, the teaching staff has the required subject specific qualifications and experience at the appropriate level.
If you are thinking of studying overseas, for example, in the USA, it is vital that you check the accreditation status of your potential college/university with the Council of Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) at www.chea.org
In addition, you might want to visit the United States Department of Education website at http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation (Also click here for additional information on Accredited and Non-accredited Institutions in other countries).
Be aware of Diploma Mills and Accreditation Mills
Be sure you know whether the institution at which you have chosen to study is a legitimate provider of diplomas, certificates or degrees.
To find out more about the global problem of diploma mills, check out the links below:
Some other useful degree/diploma mills reference sources:
Degree Mills: The Billion-dollar industry that has sold over a million fake diplomas (2005) – by Allen Ezell and John Bear
Fraud and Education: The Worm in the Apple (2001) – by H. J. Noah & M. A. Eckstein
Diploma Mills – Degrees of Fraud (1988) – by D. W. Stewart & H. A. Spille
Bear’s Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning (2003) – by J. Bear & M. Bear
Click here for more information on websites providing information on selected accredited and non-credited institutions and programmes of study. You may also visit our Frequently Asked Questions section and our glossary of terms use in this site for answers to your questions.