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[O179]Online Degrees From Accredited

by Laura Laguardia, Lau

The success of online education has grown significantly and receiving a degree via the Internet has becoming increasingly more acceptable. Once an idea that was regarded as highly unusual has come to the forefront of education. Most major colleges have an established online program in place that is easily accessible and carries a variety of accredited degrees. According to last year's Sloan Survey of Online Learning there was a 22.9% overall increase in the number of students taking one or more online courses, growing from 1.60 to 1.98 million students. The overall percent of schools identifying online education as a critical long-term strategy grew from 49% in 2003 to 56% in 2005.

This shift from teacher-centered learning to student-centered learning has provided a world of educational opportunities. Adult students can now enroll in a learning center that once was too far or whose schedules did not allow for on-site schooling. The current online technology can provide an effective, personalized education for non-traditional students around the world. Online courses offer the opportunity to customize the learning experience to best meet personal and educational needs in the most flexible way possible. A person can change their life with the benefits of online learning.

Although the rewards are easily recognizable there are some aspects that should be explored. The online student in many cases is coach, teacher and pupil at the same time. The student must be self-motivated, disciplined and able to multi-task every day life, family and work responsibilities with coursework, homework and exams.

Common sense must be applied before joining any online degree program. The Council of Higher Education Accreditation warns about diploma- and accreditation mills that offer certificates and degrees that are considered completely bogus. Contact the organization to find out what is really legitimate and confirm the quality of the online training courses. Those institutions who went through the process and are approved will always have their program's accreditation status visibly posted on their Web site and online course catalogs.

Interestingly, some studies indicate that students learn more in online study, and other studies conclude that the opposite is true.

Thus, it seems likely that broad generalizations about the quality or perceived value of online degree programs will not be useful to people considering them. What might prove more valuable is an analysis of their individual situation, with particular emphasis on their educational and/or vocational goals. Of course, students should always limit their choices to fully accredited institutions, whether they plan to pursue a degree online or attend a traditional college or university.

In choosing a degree program...any degree program...it is important to be clear about your goals. Are you primarily interested in personal development or do you hope to pursue a new career or move forward in a current one? Is it important to accelerate the rate at which you earn a degree or can you move forward at a more leisurely pace? Do you seek licensure or certification, and if so, what is required and by what agencies or organizations? In addition to institutional accreditation, is professional accreditation an issue? Only after these and related questions are answered can you begin to determine which institutions and degree programs make sense for you.

Convenience, especially for working adults, tends to be a primary consideration. Of course, if you will have trouble finding time to commute to a college in your area, or if family and/or other responsibilities make it difficult for you to attend classes offered at fixed times, an online degree may be your only option. And, because online degree programs are designed to accommodate adults, they often are more willing to allow credit for life experience, shortening your "time to degree".

For most people, finances are a major factor in choosing a college or university, online or otherwise. Initially, few online degree programs were able to offer significant need based financial aid or loans, and even fewer offered scholarships. Today, however, many students in distance education program receive financial aid, including loans and scholarships.

There is no question that online degree programs offer optimal convenience, and most now also offer tuition installment programs, grants, loans and tuition costs which make them within the reach of the vast majority of working adults. And, in almost every career and profession, you can find people who have moved up the ladder after completing an online degree program. Are online degrees well regarded by employers? That's the million dollar question.

Perhaps your best bet is to do some informal research. You can call or email people in charge of hiring in the professions and or individual organizations of interest to you and ask them if they differentiate between candidates with classroom-based and online degrees. And, ask the admissions representatives at the colleges you are considering to provide you with a list of the organizations in which they have placed graduates (and the titles of the positions in which they were placed). Of course, if certification or licensure is an issue for you, be certain the program you choose meets all the requirements for the credential you seek.

Don't forget to consider your learning style, academic skill levels, and motivation when deciding if enrolling in an online degree program would be a good step for you. A great way to be sure is to take a single course online before seeing if online education is your best choice.

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Both Laura Laguardia & Daniel Z. Kane are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Laura Laguardia has sinced written about articles on various topics from Online College. For more information on , please visit the site at http://www.online-degrees-learn.com/. This article may be freely reprinted as long as this reso. Laura Laguardia's top article generates over 1900 views. to your Favourites.

Daniel Z. Kane has sinced written about articles on various topics from Small Business, College Education and Education. Daniel Z. Kane has worked at schools and colleges for 30+ years. He has created nearly a dozen educational websites on and. Daniel Z. Kane's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.