Online Bachelor Degree Programs Go Mainstream

The Internet has seen an explosion in online bachelor degree programs in the last five to ten years and this trend should continue to expand rapidly in the future. In large part the increasing popularity of online bachelor degree programs is due to the now common acceptance of a bachelor degree from on online university as equivalent to what can be obtained at any bricks and mortar school.

When online classes first began springing up on the Internet in the 1980s, they were primarily focused on certificate programs or technical degrees. Some of the schools were started virtually overnight and did not have proper accreditation and the reputation of online schooling became tarnished as a result.

However, in the last decade there has been a significant turn-around. There are several reasons for this new attitude, due largely to the increasingly exceptional education that can be had through an online university.

Today's online bachelor degree programs rival traditional university classes. Colleges and universities that had already established reputations as traditional schools long before hitting the Internet now offer these online programs. Employers know that the curriculum is identical whether the course is online or in a classroom, so the education is top-notch in either case. In fact, there is often more one-on-one attention with an online bachelor degree program because each student can regularly communicate directly with the professor by email to get feedback and direction.Good online bachelor degree programs are now accredited by the same agencies that accredit more traditional colleges and universities.

Three accreditation organizations that are recognized by the Federal Government as high quality indicators are the U.S. Department of Education, Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), and Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Any online universities accredited by one of these councils offers a program recognized as at least equal to a bachelor's degree program at a traditional post-secondary school. In fact, if you graduate from an online bachelor degree program today you will receive a diploma that is no different from the one that students attending the residential college will receive. You will have completed the same curriculum, including taking core requirement classes, and will graduate with the same knowledge.

When applying for jobs, employers will not know whether you attended traditional classes or online classes because it is no longer acknowledged on official transcripts or diplomas.Employers favor online bachelor degree programs for their employees. Employers have always known the value of allowing employees to pursue a college education. In the past, this was usually done through night and weekend classes and the employer sometimes reimbursed costs. Unfortunately many class schedules aren't flexible and employers began to realize the expense of university classes in both money and time.

An online bachelor degree program has become the ideal solution for employers who encourage an education for employees. They can set their own pace and work schooling around their work schedule. The cost of online classes is generally less than the classroom setting as well, making it attractive for company reimbursement programs. Finally, employers appreciate the additional opportunities that an online bachelor degree program can offer. Because individuals do all of the work online, location is not an issue. If a computer salesman with an associate's degree would like to focus on a Bachelor's Degree in Management Information Systems, for instance, he can look for an online university anywhere in the United States that offers this specialized degree. With everyone from accrediting agencies to employers giving them high marks, online bachelor degree programs have firmly arrived in the educational mainstream.

4 Important Steps in Choosing an Online Bachelor Degree

There are many types of online bachelor degree programs offered by online universities. The same programs offered by different universities may different in term the courses and total credits to complete the bachelor program. If you are deciding to pursue your degree online, it is best for you to take some research and consideration. Here are 4 important steps that you need to go through in selecting an online bachelor degree that best fit your needs.

Step 1: Choose the Type of Degree to Earn

Before you go and search for bachelor degree programs offered by various online schools, you must first understand yourself what type of degree that you intend to earn. What are the purposes of earning the degree? Are you going to use this degree for your career advancement, job promotion or just for your own knowledge improvement? Outlining your subjects of interest will help you narrow down your choices.

Step 2: Ensure The Online School Is Fully Accredited

Once you have chosen the type of degree to earn, the second step is to find an online bachelor degree of your choice. There should have many online schools offering the same program. While short listed out the schools that offer the degree of your choice, it is important to confirm that the schools are fully accredited by the accrediting agency approved by Department of Education. This is to ensure any future employers or schools will know that you have completed a quality education. Once you have the accreditation information confirmed for your listed schools, then you can request these schools to send you the detail information your selected degree.

Step 3: Consider The Tuition Cost

Each degree program that you are interested in will have different requirements for credits, and each school has it fee structure that price the credit accordingly. While choosing the online bachelor degree program that contains the courses which match your requirements, you may want to check the fee charged for each credit to save costs on your tuition bill.Beside the tuition cost, if you are looking for financial aids to support your study, then you need to check with the schools on their financial aids packages which you are qualified for.

Step 4: Learn About the Admission Requirement

The final step of finding the appropriate online bachelor degree program is to understand the admission requirements. You may need to submit the SAT or ACT score and prepare an essay for admission application. Most online schools have online chat available where you can directly chat with the admission officer if you have any question. You can also send your inquiry via email or directly contact the admission officer through the phone. Once you have all the information in hand, then you can prepare the application of the program offered by your selected school.

Summary

You need to take some research and consideration of the online bachelor degree program you are interested in. The 4 important steps will guide you to look into every aspects of consideration during the process of selecting your degree of choice.

What Is School Accreditation?

In general terms, accreditation is the means by which a school is officially recognized as a provider of a satisfactory education that public institutions (i.e. employers) can trust. It is a voluntary process that requires the school to meet minimum requirements that are established by various regional accrediting agencies.

The lack of one official accrediting agency creates an opportunity for sub par online schools that are trying to obtain students through any means possible. In other words, just about any organization can say that they are an accrediting agency, so potential online school enrollers should do their research before signing up for classes at a particular online school.

Sadly, a number of online schools create false accrediting agencies in order to make candidates think that they are trustworthy and established. To avoid this conflict, be sure to check whether or not an online school is accredited by one of the six major regional accrediting agencies. These include the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), North Central Association of Schools and Colleges (NCA), Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges (MSA), Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS), Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), and the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges (NWCCU).

If your online school is accredited by one of the above agencies, your degree will be seen as legitimate by most employers. However, if your online school is not accredited by one of the above agencies but by a false accrediting agency, your degree may not be acceptable to most employers.