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Article Series: Online Degrees
Is An Online
Degree Program For Me?
Getting
an Online Degree: Top FAQ's
Obtaining an online degree may be easier than
you think. Here is some information to help you get started.
• Make sure that the school you are considering is accredited.
If a school is not accredited by a U.S. Department of Education
recognized body, then you are just wasting your time and money
on a meaningless piece of paper.
• It is also helpful to see how
many degrees and courses a
school offers, as a general rule, the more that is offered
the more experienced a school is. Also look into how many teachers
work with the online courses and how long they have been working
there. Teachers with more experience will have worked out any
problems with the curriculum.
• Consider yourself before applying. Are you self-motivated
and disciplined enough to follow through with online education?
You will be the one responsible for ensuring that you get all
of the information and complete all of the assignments. You
should also not expect online courses to be any easier than
if you were actually attending lectures in a classroom. You
must also have access to, and enjoy using, a computer.
• Look into class
sizes. If the student to professor ratio
is too high, it may be difficult to get personalized attention
or may slow log in for group projects. If the classes are only
sparsely attended it may be difficult to find other students
with whom to discuss projects.
• Tuition varies between schools and degree programs, but
it is often comparable to those of standard classes. Ask about
all tuition costs, as well as any additional fees or items
you will need to purchase in order to complete the class. You
might also look into the possibility of a refund if you decide
not to finish your degree.
• Financial
aid, scholarships, and loans are often available
for students who qualify. If you have not planned how you are
going to pay for your coursework, now is the time to do so.
Look into what assistance is available and what you have to
do to qualify.
• You will more than likely need to meet certain technical
requirements in order to take classes. This will include a
compatible operating system, fast enough computer, enough memory,
good Internet connection, access to email, a word processing
program, and the ability to receive sounds and view videos.
Your chosen school will be able to inform you of the exact
technical requirements needed.
• Language
and geography are also important to consider. Most
skills require the ability to speak, write, and understand
English. Others are only available to students within the U.S.
• You will have to submit an application, same as if you were
applying for a traditional college. This may involve an application
fee, essay, resume, letters of recommendation, and official
transcripts.
• If you have attended college before, find out if your credits
are transferable. This will prevent you from having to retake
courses that you had previously finished.
• You will also need to take some standardized
tests, and
most of these are only available at a school location. These
might include: the College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
which allows you to earn credits for courses with passing scores,
the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) which is generally required
for students entering college, the American College Testing
Assessment (ACT) which is also generally required, and the
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) if you are planning to enter
a non-business field or the Graduate Management Admission Test
(GMAT) if you are entering business. Check with your desired
school for which tests are required to apply. Additional tests
may be required for specific fields.
• Plan ahead. Once you have gotten accepted, plan out everything
that you need to do to finish your coursework in the allotted
amount of time. Schedule in study hours into your day. Decide
where you are going to work and when. If you are going to be
using the library, look into the times of day that it is open
and find out when the best time to get work done will be.
Now you are well on your way to earning the degree of your
dreams and reaching your goals! # # # # #
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: 2007
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