Online Degrees Versus Traditional Degrees

While most employers will value a degree from an established campus college without question, there is a different response from employers reviewing applications for those that list a degree earned from an online college. Should a degree from a virtual college be valued the same as a campus college degree? The times are quickly changing and while the question is valid now, as online education continues to grow and improvements enhance the presentation of course delivery, in the near future there may be no question at all to consider.

Frequently, online students encounter questions about the validity of their degree. However, if you avoid the "degree mills" that give you an official sounding degree but offer no accreditation, you should end up with a legitimate degree. Consider taking virtual courses from an established school, like George Washington University, or register for a recognized online classroom course.

Unfortunately, un-accredited universities and degree mills are besmirching the reputation of distance learning. It may be worth your time to perform a quick search online for the name of the college you are considering with the word "unaccredited" or "fraud". The results can either bring you peace of mind or reasons to investigate further.

However, there are still dozens of schools with quality reputations; just make sure to research your online college before you enroll. Employers have expectations about the quality of worker hired when his credentials list Harvard University, Boston College or UC Berkeley, but there is less known about distance learning institutions.

As a consequence, completing a degree program with very little history or reputation as a credible establishment can have an effect on how your education is perceived. Those who attend more recognized online schools like University of Phoenix or Walden University will see that human resource managers have less questions about the validity of those types of colleges as they are well-known across the country.

In terms of what kinds of degrees you should be considering for an online curriculum, master's degrees are considered more credible than bachelor's degrees, although neither have the prestige of a traditional degree. 26% of human resource professionals accept an online degree as the equivalent of a campus degree, while they accept 37% of masters degrees as a brick and mortar equal.

Some online certifications and degrees may be acceptable and even encouraged, based on the industry that you are in. Those in technology, interior design or culinary arts fields can expect employers to be more open to interviewing applicants with degrees from an online institution, whereas those seeking employment at law firms or in specialized fields of medicine will have a more of a challenge competing with other applicants who have traditional campus degrees. This is due to the face-to-face interaction of standard classroom format. Degrees that are based on computers allow you a day-by-day interaction through the class, whereas a Biology major from an online program would not have been given the same materials as a traditional student.

In the end, the credibility and validity of your degree truly depends on the person that is hiring you and your ability to sell yourself based on the knowledge you gained through your online education. Some may favor work experience; others will place more emphasis on the name and history of the school from which you graduated. Additionally, choosing a college with a broad alumni base will help you network in the future, as it increases the potential that one of the employees already hired will be from the same college as you. Nonetheless, as the number of students enrolling online continues to increase exponentially, companies are being forced into the 21st century and are incorporating ways to seriously consider virtual degree applicants evenly with campus degree applicants.

A lot of companies these days are even adding continuing education to employee benefits and support those that want to advance their career through online training. Many employers offer financial assistance or paid leave for employees to participate in these programs, just like they would for someone heading back to a campus for traditional schooling.

My Nursing Degree Online provides articles and resources for nurses looking for continuing education online. Find more information about earning your nursing degree online at http://www.MyNursingDegree.com

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Acceptance of Online Degrees

With the Internet opening up an array of opportunities and possibilities in every sphere of our lives, it is no surprise that education has also benefited from the World Wide Web. Colleges and universities have introduced and multiplied the number of online degree programs and courses available; while distance learning has become on a whole new arena. The advantages of an online education are numerous. When you have responsibilities like children at home or elderly parents to care of, when you can't meet the costs of a traditional degree at a regular college, when you need to work to make ends meet but still don't want to give up your dreams of an education, an online degree program can let you do it all.

As the numbers of students enrolling in online programs is steadily rising, the number of colleges and universities providing these options continues to increase. Many recognized and accredited universities now offer full programs through the Internet with a quality of education and faculty that is on par, if not at times higher than those found in traditional courses and programs. Nowadays, there is no discrepancy observed in the earning of a degree either online or by attending a traditional class. As a result, employers are seeing more and more applicants with online degrees. According to Eduventures, an education market research company, nearly 1.2 million students have conducted their course of study completely over the Internet. And with the recent legislation eliminating limits on federal aid for online students, the numbers will now only rise.

But what happens to all these graduates when they finally make their way into the job market and face potential employers? Will the time and effort put into juggling a host of commitments along with an education pay off in the long run? The answer is a resounding, YES! Despite concerns and reservations, there has been an acceptance of online graduate degree more or less across the board. Many corporations don't hesitate to employ applicants with online degrees and some companies even provide tuition reimbursement at times. This, in turn only serves to make online degrees more common and widely accepted and as a result increase the number of colleges offering online degrees.

Online degree programs allow you to major in certain subjects and research shows that employers are more likely to favor online degrees that specialize in areas like business, the media, marketing, accounting, technology and other knowledge-based subjects where the practical aspects can be tested online. It is, thus, vital that students interested in online degrees research their career options before selecting a program.

Most employers concede that it takes a great deal of commitment and determination to succeed at an online degree. The common belief being that students who opt for such courses are disciplined and able to multi-task and balance work, school and other responsibilities - all necessary traits to excel in most careers. Since online education also offers equal opportunity benefits, many students feel that they perform much better as well. Learning online also allows for time to work and to rack up work experience and additional qualifications if necessary. This is always a plus point where employers are concerned and can only work in a student's favor.

The only major point that employers are concerned about is whether the online degree was earned from a reputed school.

Due to the proliferation of institutions that offer 'illegal' degrees or 'diploma mills' that market paper degrees that count for nothing in the real world, it is no wonder that employers have to be cautious. Most demand that the institution you have received your online degree from is reputed and is an accredited college online. Therefore, it is of prime importance that you investigate the college of your choice closely and only study with a reputable and well-known institution that offers degrees online.

In conclusion, if you are interested in pursuing an online education but still have reservations about the acceptance of your degree, there is absolutely no reason to worry. Graduating with online degree programs is the next big thing and is soon becoming the chosen option for millions of students every year as a way of completing their education and improving the opportunities in their lives.

Stevens-Henager College was established in 1891 and is distinguished as one of the oldest colleges in Utah. It has trained generations of graduates through its on-campus and online programs for Master's, Bachelor's, and Associate's Degrees. Stevens-Henager College also offers FastFlex online degree programs for working professionals. Stevens-Henager's degree programs help enhance your career and your qualifications, while placement staff helps to find exciting job openings and even setting up interviews as well.

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Online Degrees - What Are Their Costs?

Online degrees have been a popular choice among many students nowadays. This may due in part to the ever pervasive use of technology in learning as well as its relatively lower cost. Some people have not had the opportunity to pursue a college degree. Nevertheless, the increased income that an online degree can bring is very much appealing to them. As for those who have obtained a degree, they still harbour the desire to secure another degree they have interest in. Online degrees can be an attractive option, but just how much does getting one cost?

A Bachelor Degree is considered to be the entry level qualification in most professional fields. Getting an Associate Degree is a great way to start; however, completing your Bachelor will open the doors to many opportunities. Numerous online degrees are available from such institutions as The University of Phoenix, Intercontinental University Online and Kaplan. While some brick-and-mortar institutions do offer online degree, it is noted that the fee charged is considerably higher in comparison to those offered by institutions that specialize in providing online degrees.

The fee charged for obtaining an online degree from the online degree specialists is of great value. For instance, A Bachelor's Degree in Communication (which consists of 60 credits) from The University of Phoenix Online is priced at $515 per credit or $30,900. A Bachelor of Business Administration with a total course requirement of 180 units costs just $30,560. Furthermore, a Bachelor's Degree in Communication from Kaplan University costs approximately $63,000 for the 180 credits required whereby each credit is charged at $336.

The fee for an online degree is comparable to a typical brick-and-mortar education. Nevertheless, online degree has the advantages of providing flexibility to students. Fee for an online degree can range as low as $3,000 to as high as $100,000 or more. It all depends on which institution you are willing to entrust to provide you the education.

Upon obtaining a Bachelor Degree, you may wish to further your study to obtain a Master Degree for the area you want to specialise. For those who are working, Master Degree can boost your earning capacity and bring you upward mobility in the corporate world. Albeit typical cost per credit is higher in online Master programs as compared to that of online Bachelor programs, the number of credits required is substantially lesser. As such, the overall cost can be the same, if not lesser than that of a Bachelor program. For instance, Master programs at The University of Phoenix are charged at $625 per credit hour while for Bachelor programs, they are charged at $515 per credit hour.

Consider another example of the MBA offered at Devry's Keller School of Management. This program is charged on a course basis whereby each course costs $2,100 and a total of 10 courses are to be completed alongside 18 credits of electives. The total cost is approximately $30,000. In comparison to that offered by brick-and-mortar institutions, this cost can run as high as three times. Even more flabbergasting is that there are some online Doctorate programs which have the price comparable to those of Master programs.

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