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 Jeff Davis on December 18th, 2008
I believe that there are many reasons that people exert the effort to pursue an online degree and my reasons are probably no different. My main motivation behind looking for an online degree was probably the fact that I wanted to obtain a better job. A job with more prestige, more responsibility, and hopefully more money!
However, there were also other important factors involved. The right online degree would help me advance in my career so I was pretty choosy when looking over all of the different degrees offered and considering the many online schools which offered them. I wanted my online degree to be something that I could be proud of with a sense of accomplishment and I wanted it to be considered as respectable as a traditional college degree.
I can tell you that one factor which I was not as concerned with was cost. Cost was not a major contributive factor for me in my pursuit of an online degree, especially since I knew that I could qualify for financial aid. More important than cost to me was the quality of the degree program and the educational institution from which it came.
Convenience is probably what originally drove me to seeking an online degree versus taking a more traditional approach. Since I am a busy working adult, I truly appreciated the ability to take courses from home. This allowed me to fit college into my hectic lifestyle with a more flexible advantage.
The first thing I looked for once I found an online degree program that I was interested in was making certain that the institution carried an official recognition. Making sure that the school was accredited almost guaranteed me that I would be getting the best education possible and the best value for my tuition.
Not everyone has career related reasons for wanting an online degree. An education is always beneficial, even if it is only meant to meet a personal goal in life. Getting your degree online can be a rewarding and memorable life experience, so be sure to take the time to research your online degree in order to be certain of getting exactly the college degree to help you meet your personal or career goals.
