Abstract:

Accreditation of higher education constitutes the means by which government and society regulate the recognition and funding granting of educational programs offered based on its quality certified by an official body. In the case of formal programs that are delivered through virtual environments, the evaluation of its quality is particularly important because of the multiplicity of unregulated offer, the technological evolution of the media used, as well as the globalizing effect of online education. The aim of this work has been to identify the state of accreditation processes for online taught higher education in Mexico, as well as the principal differences with respect to the processes and indicators used in Europe and North America. A quantitative non-experimental descriptive study was carried out with this purpose. Results points to the slow recognition and development of guidelines for such programs, opposed to the growth presented in the use of the modality.

Keywords:

Accreditation, higher education, guidelines.