Online Degree??

Question

I really want to start school, but it's impossible for me to go to classes, are online degrees as good as they say they are, or are there any catches that no one tells you about?? Any opinions or personal experiences would be helpful..

Answer 1

If you get a good school, then you're ok. I did University of Massachusett's online program in information technology, and it was great. It took me 3 years (and they took 18 transfer credits from me), and I learned a lot. I really feel like this program made me a much better person. The instructors are high class, many hold doctorates, and most teach at the UML campus in Mass. The online programs are headed by some of the best in the business.

Answer 2

As a college professor who teaches both on-campus and online, I can honestly say that so long as you're going to a reputable and legitimate school, you can get value from both.

In an actual classroom, I can see firsthand that the student understands and has mastered the material presented. But with online learning, I can't say this. Why not? Because for all I know, you could have someone simply feeding you the answers. In other words, I don't see YOU doing it, but simply that it's being done and submitted under your name.

An online class here and there is OK, but when it comes to doing an entire degree online, I would personally suggest avoiding this. A degree's weight comes from 2 sources: (1) the school's being legit, and (2) the training being good. With online as the only source, it opens the question as to whether you really could have learned how to do it without having an instructor present? And did you really do the work yourself? Now I'm not saying that it won't be helpful, but you simply cannot beat instructor-led, in-class instruction!

I've got plenty of students in my classes who are extremely busy, work long hours, have young children, etc., and yet still find some time for class. And I know plenty of others who only take classes on the weekend or at night, so there's generally a workaround for you. For example, I've got a student who is taking 1 class each quarter. And yes, it'll take a while to complete the degree, and requires a lot of motivation, but in the end, she'll get to where she wants to ultimately be.

My point is that there are plenty of workarounds available to you, and you're not alone in your situation. And online classes here and there are helpful and accepted, but an online degree without any classroom instruction whatsoever is not as widely accepted because there's no way to know you really did the work, or even got the full benefits of that training.

Answer 3

If the school is acredidated then they are acceptable-but WAIT there are two types of acredidation...Regional and National. Both are usually acredidated threough DETC. Now for the sake of argument both of these divisions don't get along and only some regional accredited schools will accept National transfer credits. Below is a list of regional schools that accept National transfer credits. I am currently taking classes at Columbia Southern University (a National accredidated school) and had the same questions and more, due to the fact of reimbursement from my company for finishing up my degree. also is a link to the forum board that has some great information about accredidation, recently there was a Senate bill that would make all DETC accredidated school hours fully transferable, however it was defeted because of some other language it contained. Check out CSU if you want they have up to Doctorates level classes, and you can read the part of acredidation on their home page.
Hope all this helps-G

http://www.columbiasouthern.edu

http://www.columbiasouthern.edu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2708

Adelphi University (Garden City, NY)
Arcadia University (Glenside, PA)
Bloomfield College (Bloomfield, NJ)
Bucks County Community College (Newtown, PA)
California University of Pennsylvania (California, PA)
Capitol College (Laurel, MD)
Cayuga Community College (Auburn, NY)
Central Pennsylvania College (Summerdale, PA)
College of Notre Dame of Maryland (Baltimore, MD)
College of Southern Maryland (La Plata, MD)
Columbia Union College (Takoma Park, MD)
Cumberland County College (Vineland, NJ)
Delaware State University (Dover, DE)
Dowling College (Oakdale, NY)
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (Edinboro, PA)
Felician College (Lodi, NJ)
Harrisburg Area Community College (Harrisburg, PA)
Hilbert College (Hamburg, NY)
Keystone College (La Plume, PA)
Lackawanna College (Scranton, PA)
Lincoln University (Lincoln University, PA)
Marywood University (Scranton, PA)
Medaille College (Buffalo, NY)
Mohawk Valley Community College (Utica, NY)
Mount Saint Mary College (Newburgh, NY)
Neumann College (Aston, PA)
Pennsylvania Highlands Community College (Johnstown, PA)
Saint Peter’s College (Jersey City, NJ)
Salem Community College (Carneys Point, NJ)
Seton Hill University (Greensburg, PA)
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania (Slippery Rock , PA)
Sullivan County Community College (Loch Sheldrake, NY)
Thiel College (Greenville, PA)
Trocaire College (Buffalo, NY)
Universidad Adventista de las Antillas (Mayaguez, PR)
University of the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, VI)
West Chester University (West Chester, PA)
American Indian College of the Assemblies of God (Phoenix, AZ)
Appalachian Bible College (Bradley, WV)
Argosy University (Chicago, IL)
Arkansas Tech University (Russellville, AR)
Ashland University (Ashland, OH)
Bay Mills Community College (Brimley, MI)
Bellevue University (Bellevue, NE)
Bellin College of Nursing (Green Bay, WI)
Capella University (Minneapolis, MN)
College of Lake County (Grayslake, IL)
College of Saint Benedict (Saint Joseph, MN)
College of Saint Benedict / Saint Johns University (Collegeville, MN)
College of the Southwest (Hobbs, NM)
Cornerstone University (Grand Rapids, MI)
Cuyahoga Community College (Cleveland, OH)
Deaconess College of Nursing (St. Louis, MO)
DICKINSON STATE UNIVERSITY (DICKINSON, ND)
Divine Word College (Epworth, IA)
Drake University (Des Moines, IA)
Everest College - Phoenix (Phoenix, AZ)
Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary (Ankeny, IA)
Franklin College (Franklin, IN)
Franklin University (Columbus, OH)
Friends University (Wichita, KS)
Grace University (Omaha, NE)
Grand Rapids Community College (GRAND RAPIDS, MI)
Great Lakes Christian College (Lansing, MI)
Harry S Truman College (Chicago, IL)
Herzing College (Madison, WI)
Indiana University East (Richmond, IN)
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (Indianapolis, IN)
Ivy Tech State College-Central Indiana (Indianapolis, IN)
Jackson Community College (Jackson, MI)
Kankakee Community College (Kankakee, IL)
Kansas City Art Institute (Kansas City, MO)
Kansas Wesleyan University (Salina, KS)
Lake Region State College (Devils Lake, ND)
Lake Superior State University (Sault Ste. Marie, MI)
Laramie County Community College (Cheyenne, WY)
Lexington College (Chicago, IL)
Lincoln Christian College and Seminary (Lincoln, IL)
Lindenwood University (St. Charles, MO)
McKendree College (Lebanon, IL)
Mesalands Community College (Tucumcari, NM)
Midstate College (Peoria, IL)
Millikin University (Decatur, IL)
Mohave Community College (Kingman, AZ)
Morningside College (Sioux City, IA)
Morton College (Cicero, IL)
National Park Community College (Hot Springs National Park, AR)
New Mexico State University (Las Cruces, NM)
North Arkansas College (Harrison, AR)
Northcentral University (Prescott, AZ)
Northeast Iowa Community College (Calmar, IA)
Northwood University (Midland , MI)
Ouachita Baptist University (Arkadelphia, AR)
Regis University (Denver, CO)
Rio Salado College (Tempe, AZ)
Saint Johns University (Collegeville, MN)
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (Saint Mary of the Woods, IN)
Saint Paul College (St. Paul, MN)
San Juan College (Farmington, NM)
Southwest Baptist University (Bolivar, MO)
Southwest Missouri State Univeristy (Springfield, MO)
Southwestern Michigan College (Dowagiac, MI)
Southwestern Oklahoma State University (Weatherford, OK)
St. Louis Community College (St. Louis, MO)
Tabor College (Hillsboro, KS)
The University of South Dakota (Vermillion, SD)
University of Arkansas at Monticello (Monticello, AR)
University of Minnesota Duluth (Duluth, MN)
University of Northern Iowa (Cedar Falls, IA)
University of Phoenix (Phoenix, AZ)
University of Rio Grande (Rio Grande, OH)
University of Southern Indiana (Evansville, IN)
University of Wyoming (Laramie, WY)
Upper Iowa University -- Extended University (Fayette, IA)
Urbana University (Urbana, OH)
Vincennes University (Vincennes, IN)
Viterbo University (La Crosse, WI)
Waldorf College (Forest City, IA)
Walsh College (Troy, MI)
West Suburban College of Nursing (Oak Park, IL)
Winona State University (Winona, MN)
Colby-Sawyer College (New London, NH)
College of the Atlantic (Bar Harbor, ME)
Daniel Webster College (Nashua, NH)
Dean College (Franklin, MA)
Eastern Maine Community College (Bangor, ME)
ICHM Cesar Ritz (Suffield, CT)
Johnson & Wales University (Providence, RI)
Kennebec Valley Community College (Fairfield, ME)
Landmark College (Putney, VT)
Middlesex Community College (Middletown, CT)
Plymouth State University (Plymouth, NH)
Quinnipiac University (Hamden, CT)
Regis College (Weston, MA)
Southern Vermont College (Bennington, VT)
Southern Vermont college (Bennington, VT)
University of Maine at Farmington (Farmington, ME)
Urban College of Boston (Boston, MA)
Concordia University (Portland, OR)
Fort Belknap College (Harlem, MT)
George Fox University (Newberg, OR)
Heritage University (Toppenish, WA)
Olympic College (Bremerton, WA)
The University of Montana (Missoula, MT)
Truckee Meadows Community College (Reno, NV)
Utah State University (Logan, UT)
Western Governors University (Salt Lake City, UT)
Wright State University (Dayton, OH)
Agnes Scott College (Decatur, GA)
American Intercontinental University (Los Angeles, CA)
Asbury Theological Seminary (Wilmore, KY)
Barry University (Miami Shores, FL)
Brevard College (Brevard, NC)
Bryan College (Dayton, TN)
Cabarrus College of Health Sciences (Concord, NC)
Carolinas College of Health Sciences (Charlotte, NC)
Central Florida Community College (Ocala, FL)
Clear Creek Baptist Bible College (Pineville , KY)
College of the Mainland (Texas City, TX)
Community College of the Air Force (Maxwell AFB, AL)
Delta State University (Cleveland, MS)
East Tennessee State University (Johnson City, TN)
Elon University (Elon, NC)
Florida Christian College (Kissimmee, FL)
Florida National College (Hialeah, FL)
Haywood Community College (Clyde, NC)
Hiwassee College (Madisonvile, TN)
Lamar University (Beaumont, TX)
Lee College (Baytown, TX)
Life University (Marietta, GA)
Lincoln Memorial University (Harrogate, TN)
Magnolia Bible College (Kosciusko, MS)
Marymount University (Arlington, VA)
Miami Dade College (Miami, FL)
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (Perkinston, MS)
Motlow State Community College (Lynchburg, TN)
New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (New Orleans, LA)
North Harris Montgomery Community College District
Northeast Texas Community College (Mt. Pleasant, TX)
Parker College of Chiropractic (Dallas, TX)
Pellissippi State Technical Community College (Knoxville, TN)
Pensacola Junior College (Pensacola, FL)
Regent University (Virginia Beach, VA)
Saint Leo University (Saint Leo, FL)
South College (Knoxville, TN)
Southwest Georgia Technical College (Thomasville, GA)
St. Andrews Presbyterian College (Laurinburg, NC)
Sul Ross State University (Alpine, TX)
Sullivan University (Louisville, KY)
Technical College of the Lowcountry (Beaufort, SC)
Thomas University (Thomasville, GA)
Troy University (Troy, AL)
Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, VA)
Virginia Highlands Community College (Abingdon, VA)
Walters State Community College (Morristown, TN)
Warner Southern College (Warner Southern College, FL)
Wayland Baptist University (Plainview , TX)
Wilkes Community College (Wilkesboro, NC)
City College of San Francisco (San Francisco, CA)
Feather River College (Quincy, CA)
Lake Tahoe Community College (South Lake Tahoe , CA)
San Diego City College (San Diego, CA)
Santa Barbara City College (Santa Barbara, CA)
California State University - Bakersfield (Bakersfield, CA)
California State University, Dominguez Hills (Carson, CA)
Hope International University School of Professional Studies
Pacific Christian College of Hope International University
Touro University International (Cypress, CA)
University of Guam (Mangilao, GU)
University of Judaism (Los Angeles, CA)