2012 April

Online College Background Check

April 27, 2012 By EDUPro 2 Comments

Online college is a great alternative to traditional brick-and-mortar schools for students with busy, demanding lives. More popular now than ever before, distance learning programs make higher education possible for everyone from stay-at-home-moms to students working two jobs to pay the bills to learners who do their best with minimal supervision and stringency in scheduling. Before you enroll in any online college program, don’t forget to do a thorough background check of the school to be sure you’re getting the most for your money – and time – and your chosen college will get you to where you plan to go.

Is Your College Accredited?

One of the most important things to be sure of before you do any class selections or pay any tuition bills is that the school you have selected is accredited. This means that your college has been recognized by an accreditation board as a quality school with reputable programs, resources, faculty, and staff. Accredited schools are recognized by the United States Department of Education; those that have not earned accreditation have not been evaluated (or approved) by an accrediting commission and as such, are not guaranteed to have resources and programs available to you that you need to be successful as a student and earn a quality education. Be certain of your school’s status before you enroll so as to waste no time or money on schooling that will not aptly prepare you for you future career. Additionally, employers will be curious of your training and preparation for any position you apply for, and whether or not your online college is accredited will matter.

Does Your College Offer Your Major?

Not all schools, offline or online, offer all programs. Certain schools are restricted to liberal arts, some are best to attend for math and sciences, and many simply do not have the resources or faculty to reach all types of students. In online schools it is especially important to ensure this before enrollment. Though distance learning programs are offered in most fields, many online colleges offer a less varied selection of majors than a traditional school. Save yourself time and tuition by making sure you can study your preferred subject at your school before making any commitments. If it turns out the online college you’re in does not offer your major, you’ll have a tough decision to make down the line: switching schools or switching your major.

Are Students Successful at This School?

When everything else checks out, it’s important to familiarize yourself with certain rates of student success at your online college. Some research on the website may help you find your answers, or you can speak to someone in the college’s administrative offices for the information you need. Your school should be able to identify such things as student retention rates, graduation rates, and the rate of student employment upon graduation. All of these figures can tell you a great deal about the experiences of students similar to you in the school, and may give you an inside look into your prospective future. These figures can also help demonstrate the effectiveness of the school’s academic programs and help you to see if an education from this school will help to set you up for a successful future and career.

GED to PhD: Online Degrees for All

April 20, 2012 By EDUPro 3 Comments

Students of all ages and levels of education are becoming increasingly aware of all the benefits online colleges and distance learning programs have to offer. Particularly for those who must work full-time or manage a family, the accessibility of online schooling offers second – or third, or fourth – chances for students to reach whatever next level of education they set their sights on.

Online education has grown in not only popularity but in possibility as well. Where it used to be favored by graduate students working full time and trying to earn master’s degrees, or busy moms and dads going back to college to complete an unfinished degree, online learning is an option for everyone from high school students to PhD hopefuls.

General Equivalency Diploma (GED) Online

For students who were unable to complete high school for whatever reason, the business world can be unforgiving and unwelcoming. Without a high school diploma or equivalent, there are much, much fewer opportunities available to job applicants. Luckily, obtaining that essential diploma doesn’t have to mean four-hour night classes and impossible exams anymore. Accredited online high schools such as Lincoln Academy and GED Academy offer courses and exams to help students graduate high school, whether it’s been months or years since their last quiz.

Associate’s and Bachelor’s Degrees Online

A large portion of distance learning participants are undergraduate students earning associate’s or bachelor’s degrees. So many various fields are available for online study, ranging from arts to business to science. Studying for your bachelor’s or associate’s degree online can be a great way to balance an otherwise busy life or fast-track your education and, ultimately, your professional career. The business world is catching up with the times as well, and many, if not most, employers report viewing graduates of online colleges and brick-and-mortar schools as being on equal footing. There are a great deal of colleges that are comprised strictly of distance learning, as well as a growing number of traditional colleges offering partially or fully online programs.

Master’s and Doctorate Degrees Online

Accredited master’s and doctorate degree programs are increasing as well in the online learning world. Because of the focused and intensive nature of this level of education, some fields of study will require students to complete an amount of coursework offline, whether in a practical, on-the-job setting or in a traditional classroom. For students juggling jobs, families, fieldwork, and undergraduate debt, attending graduate school online slightly lightens the burden by taking away the time factor of commuting to a campus and increases the scheduling flexibility with home study.

For students looking to advance an their education with a graduate degree, or for those looking to get their educations started, online college may have your perfect accredited program for anything from your GED to your PhD.