Choosing an Online Degree Program

By: Kadence Buchanan

College degrees have long been available by correspondence but with the growth of the internet, students can now pursue college degrees online. There are hundreds of schools offering online programs for everything from Masters Degrees in Business Administration to advanced degrees in the fine arts. Because of the large number of schools offering online programs, it can be difficult to know what to look for in a quality program.

There are two basic types of institutions offering online degrees: Colleges and universities with physical campuses and online-only institutions. Online-only institutions do offer single courses, but tend to focus on degree programs. Colleges and universities with physical campuses offer both complete degree programs and single courses, which are often taken by on-campus students as well as online-only students.

Many of the same questions students ask when investigating regular colleges also apply to online degree programs. For example, a prospective student might ask how many courses are taught by graduate assistants rather than professors. In assessing an online degree, it is equally as important to determine how many of the courses are taught by full professors and how much experience those professors have with teaching online courses.

However, there are questions that are specific to online degree programs. One of the most important, particularly for graduate-level degrees, is how much contact you will have with other students. There are two basic types of online degree programs, those where you work at your own pace and those where you are admitted with a cohort, or group of peers, and proceed through the degree program with them. One is not necessarily better than the other. The learning style of the individual student will determine which type of program fits their needs best.

Accreditation is also an important thing to look for. All colleges and universities are required to be accredited by a regional governing body in order for the degrees they issue to be considered valid. If an online degree program doesn't give accreditation information, prospective students should move on to the next program.

After determining the credentials and structure of an online degree program, prospective students should research the details. How can books be purchased? What equipment, software and hardware is required to access the courses? How much time should a student expect to spend per course? Is financial aid available? Typically these questions are addressed on the degree program's website.

Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including Education, Science, and Employment.

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A New Age In Nursing Education: College Degrees Online

By: Tabatha Evans

It can be difficult for anyone who works to obtain a college degree or to increase upon their current level of education. This can be especially difficult for those people who are pursing a degree in a nursing field. The attempt to juggle work, classes, family and clinical hours can be overwhelming and discouraging. Advances in technology have now made it a little easier to obtain your degree and reach your goals.

Numerous colleges now offer degrees online, including nursing degrees. The advantages of taking nursing courses over the internet are numerous. With online courses a student can continue to work while attending college, without having to adjust a work schedule around a class schedule. Students no longer have to commute to a campus only to waste more time searching for a place to park. No more paying for a parking permit to park on the campus that you are paying to attend. No more sitting in a classroom for hours each day only to listen to an instructor lecture on the topics that you have already read about. Imagine being able to log onto your class when it’s convenient for you. These are just a few benefits of obtaining your degree online.

Online nursing courses are not as difficult as one may think. Once classes begin the student will log into their internet classroom. Most college sites will have a list of courses that you are registered in. Clicking on the course name will take you to more information about that particular course. You can locate your syllabus, assignment schedule, contact info for your instructor and classmates, forums and chat rooms to talk to other students, and detailed instructions on how to submit assignments and complete your course. Help is always available from either the instructor or other classmates.

Online college students qualify for the same financial aid as the traditional campus based student. Federal Student Aid, State Student Aid, student loans, scholarships, and grants are all available for application. Federal and State Aid have financial requirements for qualification, but anyone, regardless of income or credit history, qualifies for student loans. Make sure you apply by the due dates for student aid so you don’t miss any assistance you might qualify for.

People who are already working in the medical field as a nurses aid, LPN or RN who would like to increase their education and certification usually have even more advantages available to help them succeed. Many healthcare employers now provide tuition reimbursement and/or scholarships to employees who want to expand their education. If you can’t afford to pay the tuition and await the reimbursement then consider a student loan than you can repay once you receive your tuition. Contact your human resource department to find out what is available. Another advantage is that many hospitals have set up study groups for online nursing students. This provides nursing students with the advantage of personal interaction with other nursing students of varying education.

To obtain a nursing degree, you may be required to complete clinical hours within a medical and/or hospital setting. You may wonder how you can do this if the college you are taking online courses through is across the country from where you reside. Your instructors will help you set up these clinical hours at a medical facility near your home.

The demand for nurses has risen dramatically and shortages in the nursing field continue to be a problem. With the advent of online nursing classes, more people are able to obtain their degree and provide much needed medical care to the people of your community.

Tabatha Evans is a registered nurse, and a staff writer for http://www.lpn-to-rn.net. She has worked in the healthcare industry for several years, and continues to work while introducing others to a career in nursing. To view more work by Tabatha, you can visit http://www.lpn-to-rn.net/knowledge-center.php.

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The Answer to Retraining in Today's Busy Workforce: Accredited Online College Degrees

By: Ian Henman

Many of us dream of one day earning our college degree, how ever it can seem a long ways away to many of us for many reasons. With so many of us have a career, family and personal life to tend to it doesn't seem possible that we could ever find the time to go back to college or university. It's obvious that most universities and community colleges don't plan their class schedules around the working world, making it darn near impossible for you to juggle your current life and commitments while attending classes. Now there is an upside to all this negativity on the topic. Schools are starting to take notice that there is a growing need for retraining and college degree programs that are workable for adults, and full time working individuals.

So what is this great alternative to attending a brick and mortar college in your local area? Accredited online degree programs. What the heck is that I suppose you're wondering, it's a degree that's offering from a university or college that has been accredited and meets the states guidelines and rules to provide a degree program recognized the same as one taken at a college or university off line.

There is a wide variety of programs available as online degrees. For anyone considering enrolling for secondary education you should take time to research the different classes, programs, and schools offering accredited degrees. There is more then enough information available from websites and the schools themselves. Take the time to request some free information from a few schools that offer the program you're interested in. You'll find that almost every degree level is available from an associates degree right up to earning your PhD.

The obvious advantage of earning your accredited degree online is that you will not need to commute to lectures of campuses, nor will you need to reschedule you're current lifestyle. While you will need to find a new level of discipline to ensure you get the work done the benefits far out weigh the sacrifices that need to be made.

Now just to re-iterate the most important thing we've covered here, it's of utmost importance that when you're considering a degree to enroll in that the program is accredited. Otherwise you are wasting your time and money towards something that will be worth nothing at the end of your program. A class that is no accredited is worth nothing other then the time spent doing the course work.

Now is the time to take action, the online education market is growing approximately 40% each year. If you ever wanted to get that edge in your job for the next big promotion, or possibly improve your odds of landing that dream career take action now. Online accredited college degrees give you the edge on other employees and potential employees you will compete against for jobs. The ease of handling course work, and doing all activities when and where is convenient for you should be enough to make you take the plunge to enroll. There's no new computer skills needed if you found this article you handle the course work. Programs often start at the beginning of each month, so don't procrastinate life won't wait. Start your research today, and begin requesting information about the programs that interest you.

Accredited online college degrees are the ideal solution to today's busy working professional. Visit our website to recieve more information about how to start researching your online college degree program today.

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