Posted by Jeff Davis on December 31st, 2008
When I first began my search into selecting an online school and furthering my education, it was important to me that the college I choose have a strong internet presence as well as a local presence. After all, there are many online colleges to choose from but not all offer a quality education. Call it personal preference or what you will but I preferred a more recognized school over a mere local educational institution. Not that a local school would have been a bad experience or anything, but it just would not have fit into my life’s schedule as well.
After much research, I determined that there were quite a few online schools that actually had a good reputation for offering a quality education but not all met my personal criteria. I based my final decision on factors that were important to me at the time such as class sizes, accreditation, cost, available online resources, and the simplicity of being able to get help and/or support if necessary. Most of my ideals leaned me towards selecting the University of Phoenix and so I chose to pursue my degree within this environment. Locating an excellent online school that will meet your educational goals should really be no trouble if you do your research and find out all the answers to your questions beforehand.
Based on the items mentioned above, this has been my personal experience and I found a wealth of resources available on the internet in helping me make to make a final decision. There are numerous guidelines available for further consideration but the college websites were full of pertinent information and staff support is just a phone call away. I found my online college experience to be educational and self-rewarding. I would highly recommend attending an online college to anyone who is considering of returning to school.
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.
Posted by Benae Lambright on September 30th, 2008
Many people have heard horrifying stories about diploma mills that are tarnishing the ideologies that support online education. Distance learning has many benefits by offering courses to those who are not able to commit to a traditional college program. But just as the prospective student must do their homework to find the program that is best for them, it is also their responsibility to confirm the online school’s accreditation.
This is an easy task. Using the United States Department of Education (USDE) website, a person can research any school’s accreditation. The USDE site will offer the college or university’s accreditation, along with a particular department’s specialized accreditation if applicable. This can be attained in seconds by using the Department of Education’s search function to look for the school of choice. The Council of Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) also list individual school’s accreditation. Using their database you can also easily locate the accrediting organization for an identified school.
The accreditation process was established to ensure that colleges and universities assure and improve the quality of higher education, according to the CHEA Talking Points: Accreditation, Students and Society article published this June 2008. Schools in the United Statesare granted accreditation through a regional organization. Most degree granting schools will be accredited by one or more of the seven regional groups. Some online programs will be accredited by the same agency that granted accreditation to their college or university’s traditional program but they might also receive professional, religious or other specialized accreditations. The Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) has become a recognized accreditation program that many online programs seek.
So while you are gearing up to embark on your new experience of beginning or returning to school, keep in mind the importance of enrolling in a validated online program. Using the USDE or CHEA websites, you can learn whether your potential school has the proper accreditation to grant your degree. The school’s website should also have their accreditation posted, if not this is your first warning sign!
To learn more about accreditation agencies and the regions they cover log onto:
www.CHEA.org or www.DOE.gov
