Online Degrees are available from a wide variety of internet sources to include
accredited Universities to fake Diploma Mills that churn out diplomas without
any requirements other than payment.
The Internet evolution has
drastically changed the
education landscape. What was
once considered “Distance
Education†is now deemed
“Online Education†where the
method of teaching and learning
has become virtual for students
across the world.
Receiving an Online Degree provides numerous advantages to education seekers who
are restricted by time, resources or transportation but can still advance their
career through education.
Advancing Your Career Through
Online Education
Online universities and colleges and campus Universities have begun to
aggressively pursue students pursuing an education. It is important to take the
time to identify which of these institutions are a good fit for you. Some
factors to consider include cost, degrees provided, pass/fail requirements (ie,
number of exams, theses required to get your degree), attendance, book
purchases, and personal attention you may need in order to maximize your
education experience. If you are simply “degree shopping†for the quickest
and easiest way to get an online degree to put on your resume’, you will
probably look for a school that has minimal attendance requirements and is cost
effective. However, if learning a skill or trait is critical, then it’s
important to look deeper in to the professors, books, itinerary and other online
resources that will be available so that you can effectively advance your career
after you receive your online diplomas. Regardless of which school you choose,
be sure to select a school that is accredited to provide an online degree, such
as University of Phoenix or Capella University, as any qualified employer will
do research on your internet degree to determine if it’s worth the paper
it’s written on.
After you conduct your research on the various online degree colleges and
universities, and choose the website that is the best fit for you, prepare
yourself to buckle down, read, study and write just as you would for any school.
The qualifications to be accepted are generally not as stringent as a campus
college such as Penn State University, or University of Florida, but the
education is certainly valuable.
There is some debate, however, about how these degrees are viewed by employers.
Certainly, having internet or online degrees is better than having no degree at
all, but some employers may look down upon them or confuse them with the fake
diploma mills that currently exist on the internet. Be prepared in an interview
to discuss what you learned in your online education, the challenges you faced
and the online coursework you completed that will make you more qualified for
your new career.
Vault.com, a career information website, reports that “77 percent of hiring
managers say that an online degree received through an established university
such as Duke or Stanford is more acceptable than a degree earned through an
Internet only university like Capella or Jones International." This is a reality
in the online degree landscape, but with aggressive pursuit of the fake diploma
industry, online educations will soon become widely accepted and seen as a great
way to move you career forward.
