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If you are considering going back to college but aren't in a position to shell out the cash to move and attend school, you might be thinking about getting a fast online college degree. There are loads of programs out there, and many are offered by high-quality, reputable schools. Many offer 'accelerated' degree programs, which pack the whole program into a shorter period of time. If you are thinking about pursuing this route, there are some things you should first consider.
Beware of 'degree mills.'
There are a variety of companies that offer you degrees without doing the coursework. You are basically buying the degree, and you can also purchase add-ons like honors, transcripts and different kinds of certification. These companies are commonly referred to as 'degree mills.'
How does this work?
A degree mill gives you credit for your 'life experience.' Most legitimate universities also offer credit for life experience, but the difference is that these companies give you whole degrees based on life experience. In this way, they get out of making you actually do the coursework required for a real program.
Real knowledge comes from life experience anyway, right?
You may have been in a position where you are more skilled than your more qualified co-workers. So, what's the point of getting official degrees anyway? Do they really help? Well, the problem with these degrees is that they are not recognized by most employers as being equivalent. In some states, such as Oregon, it is illegal. In many fields, it is not considered to be ethical to use these types of degrees. There is a senate investigation underway involving high-level government employees considering the legitimacy of their qualifications. These employees apparently used these companies.
Is there any way to get a legitimate education over the internet? You can do this, but here are some tips to help you figure out which ones are legit:
1. Check out the programs. Look closely at their requirements for graduation. A hint is that almost no legitimate institution will offer you more than two years credit for previous coursework. Look at how much credit is offered for life experience, and if it's a lot, you might want to avoid this one.
2. Check out the school. Do a Google search and see what people have to say about it. A school's reputation is really important here. Do some research and try to find out where their graduates end up going. Oregon has a good website for checking out information such as this: www.osac.state.or.us/oda/unaccredited.
3. Check out the faculty. See what kinds of qualifications the faculty have. The more PhD's the better. Also, check out where they have been published. You might look at the ratio of faculty to students as well.
4. Look at the school's accreditation. This is probably the most important point. Make sure the school is officially accredited. The Council of Higher Education has a website where you can check the schools: www.chea.org/institutions. Also, watch out for the Board of Online Universities Accreditation (BOUA) and the Universal Council for Online Education Accreditation (UCOEA). They are not respected institutions, and their accreditation is unreliable.
It is possible to get your education on the internet in a timely manner, but make sure that the school's program is real and accredited. It may be necessary to go ahead and pay the big bucks to get the quality education you need. Just get on the web and check out your options.
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