Further education has very different accreditation arrangements than the higher education sector. There are no convincing rationales for these differences; they stem from history, and have often arisen as a result of other decisions on the organization and funding of the two sectors. The overlapping territory between further and higher education is examined, and a gradual shift to HE modes of accreditation is noted. It is suggested that this may be a result of a tendency to put a higher premium on lateral stratifications between levels of education, and less on vertical organizations by discipline, styles of education or occupational sector. However, there are some countervailing tendencies in both sectors. (Contains 13 notes.)