Posted by admin on July 9th, 2008
What is the difference between a Diploma Mill and an accredited Online College Degree program? The simple fact is that a Diploma Mill makes you pay between $300-$1000 and they will send you a “diploma/degree” based on your work and life experiences. They boast on their sites you can earn a degree in 5-7 days but beware of these sites that boast online diplomas but offer nothing but your name on an expensive piece of paper. Their main selling point is “convert your knowledge into a college degree.”
Diploma Mills to look out for:
Bedford University
Rochville University
Affordable Degrees.com
Glendale University
Suffield University
Redding University
The best way to protect yourself from being duped into paying tons of money for a non-accredited degree or diploma is to follow the following check list and follow this simple rule, “if its sounds too good to be true, it is!”
Accredited Online Degree Checklist:
1- Is that school accredited? All accredited colleges must be reviewed by an accreditation company and this information should be posted on the schools website.
2- Are you required to actually do any school work? If you aren’t writing papers, doing projects or taking exams, your not earning degree, your paying for it.
3- How long did it take you to get your degree/diploma? Undergraduate degree programs take 12-24 months to complete based on your class load with Masters and PHD programs lasting 8-16 months.
4- How much did the degree cost? Diploma mills can cost you between $299-$1000 per degree/diploma compared to accredited online colleges that will cost you on between $200 and $800 per credit hour. On average, online degree programs range in cost based on their program and degree level this information can be found on the universities website.
Top Accredited Online College Degree Programs
University of Phoenix
AIU Online
Virginia College Online
Complete List of Online Degree Programs
Posted by Jen Zeman on June 29th, 2008
Online degrees from accredited colleges and universities offer higher education opportunities for those who might otherwise miss out. The classes are extremely convenient since you can complete the coursework based on your schedule; there is no commute to a classroom for a three-hour sit-down lecture at a specific time each week. However, do not fall into the trap of confusing convenient with “easyâ€. Online courses are very challenging as you will have specific requirements due usually daily and weekly.  For example, you may be required to post responses daily to a specific forum your professor posts in addition to lengthy written assignments that are due that week. So, while you may not be “sitting†in a classroom three hours a week, you more than make up for that with work assignments scheduled with online courses.
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With that said, online degrees don’t appear to be for everyone out there. Online degrees are ideal if you are disciplined, hard-working, and very organized. If you have a difficult time completing work without the structure of physically meeting in a classroom (to be accountable for your work) or are easily distracted by other responsibilities going on outside of work and school, you will struggle. But it’s not hopeless! Work on your time management skills and prioritize your responsibilities and you can be quite successful with an online degree.
My next post will discuss the appropriate time management skills and responsibilities prioritization needed to help you succeed in achieving your online degree. Â
Posted by admin on June 24th, 2008
Earning your degree online takes anywhere from 12-36 months based on the degree and program you are pursuing, but for people that want to make a quick career change or garner expertise in a few months in another industry, an online diploma or certificate program can be a great alternative.
Online diploma and certificate programs can range from one month to six months in length and be significantly cheaper than a full online degree program. Penn Foster is the premier online school where you can earn a diploma in 2-8 weeks in fields such as appliance repair, bookkeeping, medical assistant, floral design, programming, IT, plumber, locksmith, teacher aid, web design and more.
Online certificates can be earned in business, health care, IT, accounting, project management, and automotive technician. These programs are offered at University of Phoenix, Keller School of Management, Universal Technical Institute, and Kaplan University.
When looking to change careers or get ahead in your current career, an online diploma or certificate is a great alternative to a taking a complete degree program.
