Getting an Online Education – Some Fundamentals You Need to Know
With the many benefits that online educations offer as compared with traditional brick-and-mortar educations, it is no wonder that many are lured into jumping on this online education bandwagon. Sure enough, online education is indeed advantageous in many aspects. But you need to investigate thoroughly so as to prevent yourself from being cheated by promises such as a quick online degree and an excellent teaching faculty. Below are some essential points you need to know when it comes to online education.
The prospect of offering online education is bright. Therefore, many institutions have mushroomed over the years claiming to offer online degrees. Some institutions, commonly called degree mills, pride themselves on offering good online degrees but are illegitimate in nature. It is easy to spot such institutions. There are no course works included in the curriculum. In addition, the credits granted are solely on the basis of life experience. Even more astounding is that with additional fees paid, one can obtain a degree that comes with honors, transcripts and employer verification.
Getting an online degree from such institutions is considered illegal in some states. A person may be plagued by legal issues if he or she uses such unearned degree to get a job or promotion. Consider the case of Laura Callahan, the former deputy chief information officer of the Department of Homeland Security. She is one of the many government employees under investigation for using such degree in job application.
After finding one institution that offers your desired online degree, check whether it is accredited by a proper body. It should be noted that both Universal Council for online education Accreditation (UCOEA) and Board of Online Universities Accreditation (BOUA) are not legitimate accreditation bodies. To verify, visit the website of the Council for Higher Education. Moreover, you should evaluate the school's teaching faculty by checking what percentage of the teaching staff has doctorate degrees or master degrees. You should also check how credits will be granted to you as you do not want an institution that grants credits solely based on your experience.
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