What reputable colleges offer distance learning and how can I find what courses are offered?

Question

I already have my bachelor of science but still want to take some extra undergrad courses.

Answer 1

The state universities and community colleges will be the best and least expensive way to further your education online. Usually degrees obtained online from state universities and colleges will be no different than a degree granted to a student sitting in class. You probably won't get a scholarship, but financial aid is possible.

Stay away from the for-profits because of high cost. Some will be reasonable, but most, like University of Phoenix, overcharge.

If you are just starting your college education or have less than 60 semester credit hours, try your local community college first. They may have an online AA degree program. If they don't, try other community colleges in your state. You can also try Clovis Community College in New Mexico. Clovis has very reasonable tuition rates at close to $40 per semester credit hour.

Once you have an AA degree, you can enroll in an online bachelor's degree completion program at one of the state universities. Many state universities now have online degrees. The following are some websites to get you started.

http://www.fhsu.edu/virtualcollege/
http://www.peru.edu/offuttafb/degreeprograms/onlinelearning.htm
http://outreach.uwyo.edu/ocp/
http://www.distance.msstate.edu/
http://www.distancelearning.ufl.edu/degrees.aspx (only if you are in Florida)
http://www.apu.apus.edu/index.htm
http://www.online.uillinois.edu/
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/ode/CollegeOverview.asp

When you choose a school, make sure it is at least regionally accredited. You can check accreditation at http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/search.asp You can learn more about accreditation at http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html

Finally, there are a couple of forums online with members who have obtained their degrees online. Some have gone pretty far with their online degrees. The forums are free to join but you can read the forum without joining. You just won't be able to post. http://forums.degreeinfo.com and http://www.instantcertonline.com/forums

Good luck

Answer 2

The University of California at Davis has some courses offered. If the lower division classes are okay for you, you can also try the Los Rios Community College District for the on-line classes it offers.
There are many universities which are offering on-line distance education, so if you don't find what you want in one, keep trying.

Answer 3

Make sure the college is accredited by one of the agencies recognized by the US Dept of Education. Depending one which subject you want to study, there are several good distance learning colleges offering bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. Some, in no particular order are Univ. of Phoenix , Capella Univ., Waldon Univ., or more specialized (my area of interest) Saybrook Graduate School, Fielding Graduate School or Northcentral Univ. You can Yahoo or Google search these names for the web sites and check out the programs, curriculum, tuition, etc.
Hope this helps - Michael