Online Degrees Tips - Your Ultimate Guide to Online Degree Programs

By: Lynne OConnor

Is an Online Business Degree Right for You?

Deciding if an online business degree is right for you is an easy task. With the wide selection of programs, flexibility and personalized formatting, an online business degree is a great choice for any one new to the business world or those that are very experienced but looking to learn more.

These degrees can be obtained in many fields of business, for examples, accounting, general business, leadership and marketing. Many colleges offer these business degrees, but three well know, accredited online colleges are Ashworth College, Kaplan University and Walden University.

To decide which online business degree is right for you, it is best to decide what your career goals are or what your current job calls for. For instance, if you want to start your own small business, then a degree in marketing may be your best bet. But, if you are currently a manager at your place of business then a leadership degree may get you the skills you need to get a promotion and a raise in your current career.

Other individuals may pursue an online business degree in order to change careers. Many nurses, teachers and other non-business career holders seek online degrees while working at their regular job.

Applying is easy. All you need is a high school diploma or G.E.D and a willingness to learn. Depending on your previous college experience and work history, you may be able to obtain your business degree in as little as six months.

Before deciding on a university that you are interested in, make sure that they are accredited and the staff has extensive experience in the field that you are interested in.

Once you have decided to enroll, getting started is easy. Most colleges offer year round enrollment so that individuals can get started on their studies right away. After enrolling, most online programs make the coursework available for immediate download so that you can start that very day itself.

What are the Advantages to Completing an Online Bachelors Degree? An online bachelor’s degree is a four-year college degree that an individual completes and earns through the Internet. The biggest benefit of an online bachelor’s degree is that it usually takes less time to complete.

Most individuals can complete their online bachelor’s degree in as little as three years. If you have prior college credits to transfer or relevant work history to consider, then you can complete your degree in as little as six months.

Another benefit to completing an online bachelor’s degree is that the course work is extremely flexible. Classes can be taken any time throughout the day and you never have to leave your house. All course work is completed via the Internet either through downloadable lessons or virtual class times.

The average online bachelor’s degree program requires at least twenty hours of course work a week. But since the course is completed online, individuals can work faster or slower, depending on their schedule, as long as the course is completed within the allowed time frame.

The standard time frame for the course work of an online bachelor’s degree is one class every five weeks. This schedule allows a student to concentrate solely on one class or module at a time ensuring that they learn all of the information presented in that session. This is an advantage over traditional four year colleges because with an online program you can devote your time to each session without being distracted by other classes and information.

Tuition payment is also easier with an online program. Online degree programs qualify for the same tuition assistance that on-site programs do. Therefore, individuals can apply for student loans, payment plans and employer reimbursement programs. Plus, some online colleges allow the student to pay as they go, cutting down on upfront college costs.

Earning an online bachelors degree is a perfect way for individuals that are currently employed full time to further their careers. By studying online, individuals can keep their regular job and still earn a degree in record time.

To qualify for enrollment, you are only required to have a high school diploma or G.E.D. Since no prior college education is required, online degrees are also the perfect choice for someone that must work full time to pay for.

If you are contemplating earning your bachelors degree, then an online bachelors degree program is definitely worth researching.

Why You Should Choose an Accredited Online Degree?

An accredited online degree is a college degree that is received through Internet studies offered by an accredited college. This means that the school or university that is offering the degree has been approved by a national or state board of education.

In order to offer an accredited online degree a college must offer its course work and lesson requirements to the board of education for approval. The board will then go through that course work and make sure that it adheres to the industry standards for completion.

When contemplating completing any type of degree over the Internet it is best to do so with an accredited online degree provider. Accredited degrees are more reputable and the credits transfer to other schools should you ever decide to further your education again.

Online degrees can come in many forms. You can earn an associate's degree, bachelors or master’s degree or even a course completion certification diploma.

To earn masters accredited degree online, you must first possess a bachelors degree from a regular or online college.

To earn a bachelors accredited online degree, you need to have at least a high school diploma or G.E.D.

With both degrees, you can shorten the amount of time it takes to complete by having prior college credits or related work experience.

It usually takes about three years to complete an accredited online degree. This time frame is based on a curriculum of at least twenty hours of course work a week. Some degrees, like a specialized law degree, can take up to four years to complete.

By choosing an accredited online degree program as opposed to a regular degree program, you are choosing a degree of a higher standard. With an accredited degree, there will be more choices opened up to you and more occasions for advancement.

What are Accredited Online Degree Programs?

Accredited online degree programs are college programs that are offered over the Internet by certified schools and universities. Accredited online degree programs are tested and approved by state or national education review boards.

There are many different types being offered on the Internet. These programs include degrees in many different fields such as accounting, law, business management and healthcare.

A few well-known schools that offer accredited online degree programs are Phoenix University, Concord Law School and Pierce University. Accredited online degree programs usually offer a completely off-site program, meaning that the student can access everything they will need to earn a degree from the comfort of their own home.

Also, these online degree programs usually offer downloadable lessons that can be accessed and completed at any time during the day or night. However, some programs do require the attendance of virtual meetings or classes that are put on at certain times throughout the day via the Internet.

To find out which degree program is right for you, you first need to choose a field of education that interests you. After defining your field of interest, seek out a school that specializes in that field.

Accredited online degree programs are very useful for those individuals seeking to further their education while continuing full-time at their present job. Some even offer credits for work already completed in the same field as the sought after degree. These credits are usually based on work or life experience. Also, some programs accept credits from other colleges.

Applying prior credits toward accredited online degree programs will help to shorten the length of time required to receive your new bachelor's or master's degree. While some programs can take up to four years to complete, prior credits can reduce your education time by up to two years.

How to Get Your Bachelors Degree Online?

Getting a bachelors degree online can be a fast and easy way to further your career. But before you enroll, there are a few important things you need to know.

First, you'll want to make sure that the college that offers the online degree is accredited. School and universities are accredited on a state or national level. This accreditation means that a board of education has researched and approved the schools curriculum and course work.

Next, you will want to make sure that the school is highly recognized and that the bachelor’s degree is transferable. This helps because someday you may want to further your education by completing your master’s degree and you will need to be able to transfer your bachelor’s credits.

Prerequisite to getting a bachelors degree from any university, you must first have at least a high school diploma or a G.E.D. It also helps to have some college or previous work experience under your belt. If you have previous college credits, then they can be applied toward your bachelors degree program and shorten the length of time that you will need to be enrolled in school.

Without previous college credits, most bachelors degree online programs take up to three years to complete. This time frame is based on an individual that takes at least twenty hours of course work a week. With prior college credits, or by spending more time on course work each week, some individuals can complete their bachelor’s degree online program in as little as one year.

To decide which college or university to enroll with, it is best to decide what type of degree program you need. Many colleges offer these programs but some specialize in different fields. For example, a person who wants a bachelors degree in business night want to go with Ashworth College, while a person that wants an education degree would want to go with Penn State University.

Once you have chosen a bachelors degree online program, you need to research its class schedule. Many online programs allow you to download the course work and complete it on your own schedule, but some programs require that you log on to the Internet for virtual class sessions a few times a week at a designated time.

About the Author:

Lynne O'Connor has many years experience of online business and educational resources and provides free advice at http://www.homeworkinguk.com/online-degree

Get That Higher Degree That You Always Wanted Through Online Education

Online opportunities are fast becoming one of the most popular options at the present time in gaining a higher education. It's the cost effective aspects and the user friendly features of online learning appeals to the average working adult. The benefits of online learning go beyond time and cost to offer a sense of accomplishment once the new Associate's, Bachelor's or Master's degree is in hand.

The history of e-learning has evolved and continues to evolve into great legitimacy in the world of education as with technology consistently changing the shape of the landscape of nearly everything. More and more online schools are offering accredited courses at more affordable cost compared to conventional schools. This attracts more people and also the opportunity to have career advancement is also an advantage for online education. The virtual classroom is seeing more and more students each year while conventional classrooms still have their place.

For some students, online education can offer a chance to either broaden horizons or narrow down career options. It is because a student can select the right courses they need in every subject. And these online credits are also considered transferable and help them achieve their respective degree.

Distance learning is now very effective with the help of the internet and collaborative software like chat, discussion boards and audio-conferencing. Now, students can take a few seconds to log on to their virtual campus to get assignments.

These online programs are generally consisting of CBT (computer-based training), WBT (web-based training), interactive media, educational animation and a whole slew of other types of educational technology. These technologies make online learning more efficient and even more efficient as it improves. This can also allows students to take control of their education and organize their career plan with the help of e-portfolios.

Online and distance learning continue to make their appearance at the very top of the list of the usefulness of the internet. New technological enhancement ensures continuing education among people.

If you like this article... you might also like my other must-read articles about Online education at http://online-education-secrets.useful-tips.com/

A Guide To Online Degrees-How To Select A Online Degree Program

By: Julie Harvard

Once your have decided to earn your degree online, selecting a program is usually the first critical decision you make. There are so many types of degrees available online, which one to choose, how to select, sometimes may make you confuse and hard to decide one. This article will gives you some guideline to get you started.

Decide An Area of Interest

There are a few ways to get a start in selecting an online degree program. You could look within a traditional discipline such as history, art, literature or psychology; or within a professional/occupational area such as engineering, nursing, or education; or simply related to an area of general interest like family studies, the culture of Italy, or environmental issues.

Most online degree programs offered by colleges or universities are having their catalogs customarily organized by department, division, or school. Hence, once you have decided an area of interest, you could start looking and asking for the related online degree programs from these colleges.

Type Of Degree To Earn

What is your educational goal? Are you looking for an associate or bachelor degree, a master or doctorate degree? Each type of degree which associate to the online degree program has it own pre-requirement in admission. An online master degree program may require you to have a bachelor degree to qualify for the program and an online doctorate degree may ask for a master degree for qualification. Some universities do give credit for life experience so that you can waive for certain pre-requirement. Whether you are looking for an associate, bachelor, master or PhD, you can check the pre requirement to your selected online degree program from the school's admission department.

Go for Specialization In Your Study

For many people, it may be helpful to think of the specialization and then create an appropriate field of study around it. You should feel free to make contact with academic advisors at the schools you are considering and seek answers to all your questions. For your own benefit, it is important to ensure that your school is committed to explaining these elements completely and the schools understand your need to fully comprehend the curriculum development.

The Ability to Transfer Courses

Another point to consider in your decision in select an online degree program is the ability to transfer courses or larger program segments from one institution to another. Not all universities will allow you to transfer all of your credits into their program. Often there are ceilings-six credits or two courses are typical at the graduate level. For undergraduates the allowances are more liberal and can be as much as 75 percent of a bachelor's degree program. You may want to go for an online degree program that can accept the most on your credits transfer so that you can accelerate or complete you degree faster and save some money because less credits are need to complete the program.

In Summary

Select an online degree program is your most critical decision to make, spend your time to understand your purposes of earning a degree and considering in other factors such as your interest, your career goal and your education budget. These will help you to narrow down your scope and finally choose an online degree program to enroll in.

About the Author:

Jullie Harvard is the author of http://www.studykiosk.com. This site featured over 120 online universities and you can get more information on over 1000 of Accredited Online Degree Program at this site.

The 4 Major Misconceptions About Online Nursing Degrees

Nursing degree programs are among the most popular courses offer through online. The flexibility of learning schedules and taking the courses online from any locations are among the key booster that enabled the growth of the demands in nursing degrees. But, there are still some biases against the validity of online nursing degree programs, out of which the 4 major misconceptions regarding the same is discussed in this article.

1. Online Nursing Degrees Are Not Recognized.

The misconception might be caused by fake online nursing degree program that really damage the reputation of this degree. The fact is online nursing degree programs are recognized and is compatible with the traditional class-based nursing degree program as long as the online colleges or online universities that offer online nursing degree programs are properly accredited by any of the six regional accrediting bodies funded by the US Department of Education or any of the 52 recognized national accrediting bodies. Hence, the key factor is "accreditation". There are no differences at all with other traditional nursing degrees if you get an online nursing degree from a proper "accreditation" online nursing school.

2. Not Lab Work Need To Complete Online Nursing Degree Program.

Most of online nursing degree program required you to complete a certain hours of lab work in order to earn your nursing degree. In order to provide the flexibility to fit the busy working schedule of the online students, many online colleges will arrange their students to practical classes and lab works at their local area. Since practical lab works are very important to ensure the students are applied their knowledge learned from online classes to the actual fields, the lab work does need to be completed and verified by a licensed professional in the related fields.

3. Hospitals or Medical Centers Prefer Traditional Degrees Over Online Degrees

This may be true during the initial phase of online education program but situation is changing very rapidly. The demands of nursing degree programs increased, more and more working nurses or health care personals are looking for knowledge enhancement and qualification upgrades find online nursing degree programs fit their busy schedule.

Hospitals / medical centers find the advantage of online nursing degree programs enabled their stuffs to sharpen their expertise in the related fields without losing their employee headcounts due to the employees quit the job for earning a degree. Many recent surveys have shown that more and more hospitals or medical centers are offering tuition fee reimbursements to their stuffs if they complete their degree through an online nursing degree programs.

4. Hard to Get a Financial Aids If Taking An Online Degree Program

Students enrolled in online nursing degree programs are often eligible for the same types of scholarships and financial aid as students enrolled in traditional nursing degree programs. In fact, many online universities or colleges do offer a certain level of financial aids for their qualified online students. When you search for your online nursing degrees from any of online universities, look for "Financial Aids" button on the school website to find out what are the financial aids provided by the schools. "The American Association of Colleges of Nursing" is another resource for you to look for scholarships or financial aids for your online nursing degree program.

In Summary

While online nursing degree programs have gained their reputation and become equally compatible with traditional nursing degrees, many scams, diploma mill / fake degrees and rumors around are creating many misconceptions on online nursing degree programs. Hopefully this article will help to clear some of the major misconceptions.

If you want more FREE and detailed information on choosing the right online degree programs, accredited online colleges, and other online education information, you can visit http://www.your-online-degree.info

Five Ways to Spot a Diploma Mill

By: Andrew Rodrigues

Adult students have a rich array of schools to choose from when selecting online or distance learning programs. Unfortunately, reputable degree programs stand alongside unaccredited diploma mills — fake schools that exist solely to make money and fleece busy adult students. On the Internet, it’s hard to tell a legitimate institution from a fake one. Here are just a few warning signs that a school is not worth your time or money.

1. Its site lists no names and little or no contact information. At the bare minimum, a legitimate school will list a phone number and physical address on its website. Be wary of “schools” that list only an apartment or a P.O. box. In the same vein, a legitimate school will list the names and contact information of faculty members, deans, and other officials, while a diploma mill will not (usually because they have no teaching faculty whatsoever).

2. A school claims to be small, yet offers a large number of majors. This is a good indication that a school has no teaching faculty, requires little to no work from its students, and is simply trying to net as many victims as possible.

3. The school is vague or ambiguous when speaking about its accreditation, or attempts to downplay the importance of being accredited. The bottom line is that a school needs to be properly accredited if you want your degree to be recognized by employers. Therefore, if a school downplays the importance of being accredited, they are more interested in your money than in supplying quality education. Similarly, don’t take a school at face value if they claim to be “fully,” “nationally,” or “globally” accredited – anyone can claim to be accredited, and anyone can claim to be an accrediting agency. To snare unsuspecting students, some diploma mills even set up fake websites for an accrediting agency. To be absolutely sure a school is properly accredited, check it against a list of known diploma mills (http://www.osac.state.or.us/oda/unaccredited.aspx), and research the school’s accreditation using the database of the U.S. Department of Education (http://www.ope.ed.gov/accreditation/).

4. The school makes outrageous promises. Only a diploma mill will brag that they don’t require studying, essay-writing, or test-taking. Similarly, steer clear if a school claims to award degrees on the sole basis of portfolio assessments of life experience. Though some legitimate schools allow students to earn some credit through portfolio assessments or passing tests based on life experience, they are picky about what they accept and allow students to earn only a limited number of credits amassed using the portfolio system. Lastly, avoid schools that claim to award degrees in mere weeks or months.

5. The school offers degrees for a flat fee, rather than by course or credit hour. This is a good sign that the “school” requires little to no work and is not interested in teaching students anything.

When researching online or distance learning programs, don’t fall for the slick, official-looking websites that diploma mills use to lure students. A little independent research and skepticism can steer you away from diploma mills and toward a reputable program that can help you achieve your goals.

Visit DegreeScout.com for more information about diploma mills and online degree programs!

How To Overcome The Negative Aspects Of An Online Degree

By: Will Robins

There are many positives associated with taking an online bachelors degree. For example, you can fit your college degree education online around your existing commitments, take your education in the direction that you want it to go and access courses anywhere in the world. However, taking an online bachelor degree also has some drawbacks. These negative aspects may be associated with the nature of taking an online degree or they may be associated with general attitudes towards the degree. Either way, you can overcome these negative aspects as long as you are prepared for them in advance.

Overcoming the first negative aspect of an online bachelor degree begins before you select the degree program that you wish to take. Always check out whether a program is accredited before you commit to their brand of college degree education online. Potential employers may question you about the validity of your online bachelor degree. There are schools out there that set up their own agencies to accredit their own courses, which means your college degree education online simply becomes a piece of paper. All your hard work is therefore useless. By researching the online bachelor degree that you choose to take, you can ensure that this will not be the case by opting into an officially accredited program.

Your college degree education online may also be questioned because you did not choose to attend college on a full time basis. This is easy enough to overcome because you could simply explain your decision. If you choose to take an online degree then there are obvious reasons as to why you decided upon that option. You could also point out that it is more demanding to apply yourself to get the online bachelor degree completed with no form of obvious supervision.

The main negative aspects of online bachelor degrees are connected to the way in which the course is administered and how you have to react to that. It can be difficult to apply yourself to a course that is administered over the Internet because you have to be organized in order to get the necessary work done. There is no tutor there reminding you that the work has to be in by a certain date. That is of course left up to you. You have to apply yourself and commit to your college degree education online in order to be successful. Try drawing up a timetable and endeavouring to stick to it. Setting aside a few hours a week will allow you to get into a routine and complete the work necessary to gain your online bachelor degree at the same time.

Online bachelor degrees can be extremely positive for your personal growth and career if you can deal with the negative aspects from the start. You have to demonstrate commitment in order to succeed. Research and preparation are definitely the keys to success.

You can also find more information at University Of Phoenix Online College Degrees and Long Distance Learning. http://www.Onlineuniversitydegreehelp.com is a comprehensive resource to know importance of college degree.

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A Guide To Online Degrees – Types of Online Degrees

By: Jullie Harvard

There are various types of online degrees. As the job market demand increase and more employers are accepting and recognizing the degrees earn through online study these days, more and more universities are opening their degree programs online and they cover nearly every subject taught in traditional face-to-face learning environment.

Let review some of common degree types:

Business Degrees

If you are considering a degree in business field, you could consider degrees in Marketing, Human Resources and Management, E-business, Banking, Acquisition and Contract Management, Business, Finance, Legal Studies, and so forth.

Basically, there are 4 areas of business degrees which you can consider based on your interest.

• Sales - In sales your focus is to connect and build relationships with consumers. You can consider a general business administration degree with concentration in area such as marketing and customer relationship management (CRM); or you can choose the specify degree that related to sales such as marketing degree, travel and hospitality degree, advertising & etc.
• Retailing - refers to the specific act of selling directly to the customer. To be success in this field, you should have knowledge in understanding consumer behavior and needs, communication, problem solving, product evaluation and feedback. Any business degree with specialization in these areas can be your choice.

• Health Care - Business oriented health care reforms handle the new demands of increased costs, human resource logistics, diverse economic considerations for patients, and insurance regulations.

• Nonprofit Organization - Non-profit organizations need qualified business professionals to make the programs work, to service consumers and investors, and to uphold responsible financial management practices.

Arts Degrees

If you are interest in arts fields, you may want to look into arts degrees like professional accounting, acquisition and contract management, database tech, general studies, marketing, information systems, economics, network and security tech in either Internetworking or computers, and business administration. An arts degree open up a variety of career possibilities, almost half of all job vacancies available to new graduates are open to students with arts degrees. Hence, earning an arts degree can lead you to a brighter career future.

Education Degrees

If you are interested in teaching, then an education degree can be your option. The education degrees will provide you the advantage of working in private and public schools. Education degrees have various specializations such as school administration, education leadership, curriculum and instruction. You can select an area of your interest. If you are looking for a degree which can provide you teaching licensure, ensure your selected education degree has this package.

Computer Degrees

Earning a degree in Computer Networking Engineering will help you to use your human skills, including thinking critical and putting things in logical perspective. Whereas, computer networks management enable you to gain knowledge in problem solving and critical thinking patterns and internet technology.

Engineering Degrees

Engineering degrees include electronic & electrical engineering, bioengineering, chemical engineering, software engineering & etc. For example, you can find many options in electrical engineering degree program; those options are more than enough for you to find a job in a field of your choice.

In Summary

Almost all degrees offered in class-based universities are available online. These degrees cover about all the subjects in traditional study fields. Some degrees are offered the program entirely online (100%) whereas others may need some hours of physical classes or lab works.

About the Author:

Jullie Harvard is the author of http://www.studykiosk.com. This site featured over 120 online universities and you can get more information on over 1000 of Accredited Online Degree Program at this site.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julie_Harvard

Has Online Education Reached A Plateau?

Online college courses are more popular than ever, with enrollment reaching a record high in 2006, according to a report released by the Sloan Consortium. The report, entitled "Making the Grade: Online Education in the United States, 2006" gives the results of a recent study based on responses from more than 2,200 colleges and universities across the U.S. You can read the full text of the report at www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/index.asp.

In recent years online enrollment grew at a much faster rate than the general college student body. But last year's Sloan report showed a lower percentage rate of growth, prompting speculation that growth in online courses has started to level off.

Those concerns were proven groundless with the release of this year's report, which shows no indication of a plateau in the growth of online enrollments. More than 3.2 million students took at least one online course in the 2005-2006 school year. This record enrollment is a whopping increase of over 800,000 more than the 2.3 million online students the year before.

The report brings some other interesting facts to light:

• Online students are generally older than the more traditional student, and are often working adults with family responsibilities.
• The majority of online students are undergraduates, although the proportion of online graduate students is a bit higher in comparison to the overall higher education population.
• More than 96 percent of the very largest institutions with 15,000 or more total enrollment offer online courses. This level of enrollment is more than twice the rate of the smallest institutions.
• About 2/3 of the very largest schools have fully online programs versus about 1/6 of the smallest institutions.
• 62 percent of chief academic officers believe that the quality of online instruction is equal to or superior to that of face-to-face learning.
• While a majority of chief academic officers believe online courses are high quality, only 4.6 % of chief academic officers thought there are no significant barriers to widespread adoption of online learning.
• 2/3 of academic leaders believe a lack of discipline on the part of online students is a critical barrier to online learning.
• Barriers to online learning include faculty issues, with the acceptance of online learning and the need for greater time and effort required for teaching online as important barriers. On the other hand neither a perceived lack of demand on the part of potential students nor the acceptance of an online degree by potential employers was seen as a critical barrier.

With a record online enrollment growth on a numeric and percentage basis, any fears that online enrollment levels are leveling off can be laid to rest. Each year, ever increasing numbers of students are finding that online courses are an integral part of their learning experience. And while the rate of increase is sure to eventually slow at some point, it appears that online education is here to stay.

Students considering taking online courses need to be aware of these and other challenges, and be prepared to meet them in order to be successful online. If any challenge seems insurmountable, the student should reconsider the online option and perhaps take a traditional ground-based course instead.

Jesse Whitehead earned his B.S. in Business Administration from an online university in 2005. For more information about online education click here

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