Sophia’s courses have been accepted for credit at hundreds of colleges and universities, thanks to our ACE recommendation. Yet Sophia’s courses are not accredited.
So what is the difference between an ACE recommendation and accreditation, and how does this affect your ability to transfer credits from Sophia to your college or university?
The Importance of ACE Recommended Courses
The American Council on Education (“ACE”) is the major coordinating body for two- and four-year degree-granting colleges and universities in the United States. Courses and programs that receive an ACE recommendation have been evaluated by a team of subject matter experts and determined to provide a learning outcome at the collegiate level. After this review, ACE makes recommendations about the course subject, level of learning, and number of credit hours to help guide colleges and universities in their acceptance of transfer credits.
ACE may recommend any number of courses and experiences for credit. This could include workforce training, military training, missionary work, and—of course—nontraditional learning online with groups like Sophia.
Why Accreditation Matters
We recommend students consider the accreditation status when seeking a college or university. Institutional accreditation means the school is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Individual programs at institutions may also be programmatically accredited.
Employers, other institutions (such as graduate schools), certification programs, financial lenders, and any other organization with an interest in your undergraduate degree may expect you to have attended an accredited school because this means you have received an education that meets certain quality standards.
You can check the Council for Higher Education Accreditation website for more information on your school’s accreditation status.
So, Will Your College Accept Transfer Credits from Sophia?
Because Sophia does not offer degree programs, we are not accredited. Instead, our focus is on offering convenient, affordable, online courses that accredited colleges and universities may accept as transfer credits to help you earn your degree.
In addition to receiving ACE recommendation, our courses are all also recommended by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), an organization that evaluates distance-learning programs.
We have made every effort to ensure that your college or university may accept your Sophia courses for general education credit. However, before taking a Sophia course, it is important to check with your school registrar or advisor to confirm whether your successfully completed Sophia coursework will transfer to your school.
If your school is one of Sophia’s 40 college and university partners, your Sophia courses will transfer automatically to your school once you’ve completed a course. You can also check to see whether your school has previously reviewed Sophia coursework for transfer on our website, though it doesn’t guarantee that they will accept credit in the future.
Learn more about Sophia and our mission to provide affordable online courses for college-level credit.
