American College of Education is a regionally accredited, for-profit college based in Indianapolis, Indiana, delivering online master's, doctorate and specialist degree programs, and graduate-level certificates in Education.

Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met.

If standards are met, accredited status is granted by the appropriate agency.

An academic degree is a qualification awarded on successful completion of a course of study in higher education, normally at a college or university.

These institutions commonly offer degrees at various levels, typically including bachelor's, master’s and doctorates, often alongside other academic certificates, and professional degrees.

The most common undergraduate degree is the bachelor's degree, although in some countries lower qualifications are titled degrees (e.g. associate degrees in the US or foundation degrees in the UK) while in others a higher-level first degree is more usual.

Professional certification, trade certification, or professional designation, often called simply certification or qualification, is a designation earned by a person to assure qualification to perform a job or task.

Not all certifications that use post-nominal letters are an acknowledgement of educational achievement, or an agency appointed to safeguard the public interest.

Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life.

Nurses may be differentiated from other health care providers by their approach to patient care, training, and scope of practice.

Nurses practice in many specialisms with differing levels of prescriber authority.

Many nurses provide care within the ordering scope of physicians, and this traditional role has shaped the public image of nurses as care providers.

However, nurses are permitted by most jurisdictions to practice independently in a variety of settings depending on training level.

In the postwar period, nurse education has undergone a process of diversification towards advanced and specialized credentials, and many of the traditional regulations and provider roles are changing.