| Many programs in higher education are faced with the decision of whether or not to seek specialized accreditation. Proponents argue that it is needed to assure stakeholders that specific academic programs have upheld quality standards. Others take the view that it is redundant and not needed when the academic programs are already part of a regionally accredited institution. They often claim that the costs are excessive and that the time and effort required of faculty to achieve and maintain specialized accreditation outweigh the benefits.;The purpose of this study was to examine if students' perceptions of quality differ between Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI) accredited and non-accredited aviation degree programs. Quality was defined through measurements of curriculum, faculty, environment, facilities and equipment, student outcomes, and overall satisfaction. This study further investigated how accreditation status, gender, class level, GPA, cost, location of institution, program reputation, internship opportunities and extracurricular activities impacted students' overall level of satisfaction.;A survey was developed and made available nationwide to students currently enrolled in 4-year Bachelor of Science non-engineering aviation degree programs. Surveys were submitted by students from 22 institutions and the data were quantitatively analyzed using SPSS. The results indicated that significant differences in quality exist in favor of accredited programs for curriculum and facilities and equipment, as well as for several measures of quality in faculty. Students in accredited programs perceived that their degree was preparing them well for their intended career to a significantly greater extent than students in non-accredited programs.;Students' level of satisfaction was found to be related to their perceptions of faculty, student outcomes, facilities and equipment and program environment. Internship opportunities, extracurricular activities and program reputation were also related to level of satisfaction, and students' class level (freshmen, sophomore, junior, senior) was found to be inversely related. No relationships with satisfaction were found to exist for program accreditation status, gender, GPA, location of institution or cost. Using regression analysis, faculty, student outcomes, facilities and equipment, environment and class level were found to be the predictors of students' overall level of satisfaction.;Although no relationship was found between the accreditation status of a program and students' overall level of satisfaction, higher quality was found to exist in several key areas for accredited programs. Programs currently not accredited should consider seeking AABI accreditation and should develop curricula based on AABI criteria. Resource allocation should focus on faculty recruitment and development, improving student outcomes, internship opportunities and extracurricular activities in an effort to raise students' level of satisfaction. |
