Candidate for Accreditation status is critical for a degree-granting University in that its students are now eligible for tuition reimbursement from corporations, the military, and government entities. Further, it allows WGU students to more easily transfer to other universities. WGU is one of only a few online, virtual universities to achieve candidate for accreditation status and is the only competency-based university to gain that status. Competency-based education awards degrees based on students demonstrating what they know and can do rather than by accumulating a certain number of credit hours. Thus, students can use prior work, academic, or life experience, coupled with the learning of new skills, to earn a college degree.
Competency assessments assure the quality of the educational experience.
This is the validation of competency-based education that industry has been pushing for years. As the first fully competency-based institution to achieve this accreditation status, IRAC has reaffirmed the ongoing viability of WGU as a University. More important, for our students this means that a WGU education is more valuable than ever. About WGU WGU is an online, competency-based university. WGU was founded and is supported by 19 states and governors as well as 22 leading corporations and foundations.