Are Thai universities and colleges accredited? Will my degree be accepted in other countries?

These two questions are probably the ones most often asked by foreign applicants. Even today, Thai universities are so surprised about these questions that nobody is easily able to give you a satisfying answer. That might the same, however, if you ask the same questions to a German university. This uncertainty comes from very different supervision and quality control instruments in the US on the one hand, and in almost all other countries on the other. Let's begin with a short overview of what accreditation is, and end with a tip how to find out best whether the university of your choice is real or a fake.

What is accreditation?

According to Wikipedia, accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented.

Organizations that issue credentials or certify third parties against official standards are themselves formally accredited by the standards bodies; hence they are sometimes known as "accredited certification bodies". The accreditation process ensures that their certification practices are acceptable, typically meaning that they are competent to test and certify third parties, behave ethically, and employ suitable quality assurance. (read more at Wikipedia.)

What is education accreditation?

Again according to Wikipedia, educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which a facility's or institution's services and operations are examined by a third-party accrediting agency to determine if applicable standards are met. Should the facility meet the accrediting agency's standards, the facility receives accredited status from the accrediting agency.

In most countries in the world, the function of accreditation for educational institutions is conducted by a government ministry of education. In the United States, however, educational accreditation is performed by private nonprofit membership associations. (Read more at Wikipedia.)

What about Thai universities?

In order to name itself a university and to issue internationally recognized academic degrees, independent of public or private university, it needs the accreditation of the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand. Being just accredited by a U.S. accreditation organization, but not by the national government, would make this university a 'degree mill' with fake degrees.

As Wikipedia correctly explains, government accreditation is the normal case in far the most countries of the world. Since countries, and with them, their national governments, are mutually recognized by international contracts, so are their actions. If a national government rules quality and curricula itself, additional accreditation by a foreign organization might be obtained, but that is clearly not the rule.

As a public university in Europe would be, most Thai universities are therefore very surprised
if somebody assumes they might issue fake degrees.

A Thai university will only then apply for an accreditation issued by a U.S. accreditation organization, if this university plans to get active in the United States, for example with an own graduate school, or if it identifies U.S. students as a major target group (...and is tired of being asked for accreditation again and again :-)

Anyway, there are quality problems at many universities in Thailand as published by the Ministry of Education and its quality assurance bodies. To avoid any difficulties for yourself until these problems are solved, you may want to read All that glitters is not gold...

Further information sources

US Government about accreditation in the United States: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html

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