IOP® provides online photography courses to over 20,000 students worldwide. What does this mean for you, as an IOP® student? We often get asked questions about accreditation and thought it would be useful to write a short FAQ surrounding this hot topic.
Q. Which accrediting body officially accredits online courses?
A. There is no official accrediting body for online courses.
IOP® is officially recognised as an Approved CPD Provider, carefully chosen to provide real value to students and deliver tangible benefits to our student body.
If you are considering a course and the company states that its accreditation makes the courses ‘recognised worldwide’ or similar statements, approach with caution.
Q. Are IOP® courses equivalent to degrees?
A. No, the only course you can take that is equivalent to a degree is, well, a degree. If you want to put letters after your name and a formal educational qualification is important to you, we suggest you take a degree in photography from a recognised University. A photography degree can cost thousands of pounds and take at least three years.
Q. Why is accreditation important, then?
A. We don’t think it is that important in itself. Most professional photographers don’t have degrees in photography. Remember, photography is an art form, and you are judged on the quality of your work, not on whether you have studied at University. Our aim as a course provider is to make you a better photographer and help you reach your goals, whether a professional career or improvement for your own enjoyment.
Q. Why have you chosen to become accredited?
A. IOP® has been helping people take better photos for over 10 years, and we have thought very carefully about which accreditation route to take. We wanted the accreditation we provided to give our students some tangible value to their CVs, which is why we have chosen CPD Accreditation.
Q. What is CPD Accreditation?
A. We are accredited by the CPD Group (membership number 785010). Many employers use the CPD point system as part of their training, which is why we have chosen this route. This accreditation clearly benefits your employability, whether in the photography market or otherwise.
Q. OK, so why does all this matter to me?
A. Simply put, a professional and recognised outside body has officially recognised IOP as an Approved CPD Provider, which means that you can be confident when choosing IOP® that the company are reputable.
Want to know more? Contact us now or enrol in an online photography course today.
