Reputation and convenience - deciding factors!
Posted by Jennifer Buchholz on December 19th, 2008
When I decided to return to school and pursue the degree in an online learning environment, I had 2 key requirements: get the degree from a reputable school and do it in a way that was convenient for my lifestyle.
Getting a degree from a school with a good reputation is important. Accreditation is the first factor in the review - regional accreditation is a step up from national accreditation. Either of these accreditations give credibility to the school, the curriculum, the faculty and in turn, the degree. Without these factors, the degree is not necessarily transferrable and it may not be recognized. I also asked for reviews of the schools - getting personal and professional referrals was important. Finding someone who had successfully completed a degree from that school was helpful as well. Make sure the reputation of the school you choose is one that you can trust for the long term.
The other major factor was convenience. We all have different lifestyles and demands on our time. I wanted to attend a school that was fully asynchronous - so I could be online at any time. I also wanted a program that had structure - rather than an independent study. I needed to be held accountable for the work on a regular basis.
It can be hard to know what you’re looking for in a school until you try it. But ask questions, get feedback from others who have been in classes at those schools, and find out about their experiences.
Tags: accreditation, convenience, school reputation, work
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This entry was posted on Friday, December 19th, 2008 at 6:00 am and is filed under Student Voices, What I was Looking for in an Online Program. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
