The online education market is increasing by "33% a year" according
to Salary.com . This expansion is due to the many opportunities that the
Internet affords. Earning a degree was once a pipe dream for the stay
at home mom with 3 kids or the rural farm worker, but a degree is now
available to anyone with an Internet connection. With this increased
access also comes increased risk, with so many colleges offering online
degree programs there are also just as many crooks offering you quick
and easy programs that take your money and leave you with nothing of
value. Choosing the right degree program can open new doors, increase
your income or just allow you to fulfill a lifelong dream. How do you
avoid the crooks and what will an online degree be worth when you have
completed it?
If
it seems to good to be true it probably is. Most of the scams can be
broken in to two categories; the "Degree Mills" and "This is way to easy
to be college". The Degree Mill is very simple, you send them some
exorbitant amount of money and they mail you a very nice official
looking piece of paper with your name on it that say you have a degree.
Degree mills are worthless. You receive no education from them. Do not
go looking to just buy a degree, you need to earn it. The other scam is
what I call "This is way to easy to be college". You may have seen spam
email from these so called colleges. They generally advertise earning a
degree in some radically quick time frame (6 months) or only taking a
small number of classes. If you were to go to one of these schools they
still require some exorbitant fee for what you learn and the classes
require little or no work/study. In the end your degree may still be
worthless. So how do you choose a degree program that will be worth
something?
When choosing an online degree program make sure it is
accredited by a sanctioned agency. Accreditation helps ensure that the
curriculum and the instructors are of high caliber and afford you the
best learning opportunity. Accreditation also add more vale to your
degree in the eyes of employers and if you wanted to use that degree as a
stepping stone you next degree. You still need to be cautious all
Accreditations are not equal you should make sure accreditation agency
is recognized. Who are the recognizers? "Washington, D.C.-based Council
for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), a private nonprofit national
organization, and the U.S. Department of Education (USDE)" From
jobs.aol.com
When researching about an online program U.S News & World Report suggest the following :
Don't limit your research to classified ads or survey the Web in search of the right course or program.
See
if the online school is accredited and by whom. Check to see if the
accrediting agency is officially sanctioned. Lists are available from
several accrediting organizations.
Check with licensing boards and professional associations to see if the program delivers an acceptable level of training.
Call
or write the Better Business Bureau and the attorney general's office
to make sure the school is operating legally in a state and to see if
anyone has filed a complaint.
Find out if the school is connected to an established, reputable parent company.
If
you intend to transfer any online credits earned to another college or
university, early on check with that institution to see if they accept
those credits.
Ask about the faculty? Who teaches the courses? What degrees do they have? What is their area of expertise?
Refer to the published guides of online, correspondence and other distance delivered courses.
What
value will your online degree have? The value of an online degree
depends on a person's particular situation. The greatest value will
depends on how you will use the degree. According to Howstuffoworks.com
industries like Internet/New Media, Technology, and High Tech are the
highest supporters of an online degree. While an online degree holds the
least value in Medicine, Law, and Health Care/Bio Tech industries. Even
tho "Thomas L. Russell of North Carolina State University, did studies
that revealed that there is little if any difference in the quality of
education received through online distance learning versus traditional
classrooms." - Howstuffworks.com
With this mixed result; an online
degree is still a great option for those that have little other choices
or those who just don't like traditional classrooms.
For example:
"The cost benefit of online programs lies mainly in the opportunity
costs saved, as most students are able to keep their jobs while taking
online classes." - Salary.com
"Tonya Gordon ended up with her
dream job, doubled her salary, and feels challenged and fulfilled every
day. This all happened within a few months of receiving her MBA online
through Texas Woman's University (Denton, Texas)" - jobs.aol.com
Without
a doubt the popularity of online degrees is exploding. The mass
adoption of this form of learning will cause the less accepting
industries to value the online degree equal to a traditional degree. The
online degree requires the student to be more aware of the school and
degree they choose to ensure that it will have value to them. Online
accredited degrees have value and will improve your marketability in the
job market and can increase your salary range.