16:09 Nov 21, 2009 

pour les définitions, sans passer par un "gros machin" :
http://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires
Bonne fin de journée à tous ;-)

15:59 Nov 21, 2009 

Thanks a lot for clarifying. I think I'll stick with "Certification" and I'll ask the agency if we can change the term appearing in the UI. As far as I understood, you can obtain credentials from a external board (such as an academic institution) or from the software itself (that says pretty much that you completed the course).

15:45 Nov 21, 2009 

au sens de "l'attestation"
Credential peut également se traduire par "référence" ...
Comme de nombreux mots, il y a souvent des traductions différentes, à choisir selon le contexte.

15:36 Nov 21, 2009 

In EN, besides the general meaning (which AKAIK is indeed pretty much synonymous), there is also a more specialized meaning, where there is 'accreditation' by, for example, some national controlling body; to some extent, this meaning is in line with the FR 'agrément' when used in this sense. But I freely admit, I don't always follow the fine distinction supposedly being made... ;-)

15:33 Nov 21, 2009 

accréditation
nom féminin
Action d'accréditer un agent diplomatique auprès d'un gouvernement étranger, généralement par la présentation des lettres de créance.

15:30 Nov 21, 2009 

certification
nom féminin
(latin médiéval certificatio)
Assurance donnée par écrit.
Procédure d'authentification d'un acte.
Attestation par les responsables de l'aviation civile internationale de la conformité des caractéristiques d'un appareil aux normes en vigueur.
Garantie donnée par le banquier que la provision d'un compte sur lequel est tiré un chèque est suffisante pour assurer le paiement de celui-ci.
Contrôle de la qualité du support magnétique d'une bande afin de garantir ses possibilités d'enregistrement.

Accréditation suit (un problème de fenêtres).

15:21 Nov 21, 2009 

Yes you understood the context correctly, and IMO, "qualification" would be more adequate. As I don't want to introduce a third term (!), I think I will stick with "certification" although I am not sure I understand the difference between "certification" and "accréditation"...

07:24 Nov 21, 2009 

It's a little hard to see exactly what is going on here, but it sounds to me as if they are using it in a way that is slightly skewed from its commonest sense as described by rir, but rather in the broader sense of 'a qualfication'; if I have understood the context correctly, they are explaining which courses you can take that will count towards some given qualification.

Perhaps this will help you to decide which term is most apt in FR.