Most of us are used to the traditional concept of education. You search forthe right program, or at least the closest program that offers something closeto what you need. You stand in line for hours waiting to register, fight forparking places to rush to class, and stay up all night trying to cram for thenext big exam. Now that you are “all grown up” the idea of going back to schooland trying to juggle all of your responsibilities of a family and some howmanaging to keep your job so that you do not starve to death while you pursuethe means to that next big promotion, is well…a bit overwhelming. And it seemsthat every where you go online you are seeing another ad about some new onlinedegree program which, given the importance of continuing education in the jobmarket today, sounds rather tempting. However, what can you expect from anonline program? Are they legitimate degrees from accredited universities?
The simple answer to those questions is…yes, you can obtain a legitimatedegree from a regionally accredited university right from the comfort andconvenience of your own home. Understanding the high demand for continuingeducation, professional development, and advanced degrees in the ever changingand increasingly complexed job market today and given the challenges for manyworking adults that would prevent them from obtaining further traditionaleducation, many universities and academic institutions have started offeringprograms online. Distance education providers includes colleges, universities,and other schools from all over the country including some top rankeduniversities like The University of Florida, The University of Cincinnati,Eastern Kentucky University, Mountain State University, and the University ofSaint Mary just to name but a handful.
The types of degrees that you can earn online vary from professionalcertifications that can be obtained over a short period of time to moretraditional bachelor’s degrees. Online degree seeking students are not limitedto only undergraduate work either, many universities offer graduatecertificates, Master’s degrees and even doctorates all online. Once suchexample is The University of Florida’s Doctor of Pharmacy online degree programwhich has been “ranked as one of the top 10 in the nation by US News and WorldReport”.
The different fields in which online degrees are being offered also leavesstudents with a lot of options. With online programs being offered in fieldsuch as Education, Criminal Justice, Management, Health Care, and Fire andSafety just to list a few, you have almost as many educational options onlineas you have had with traditional, on campus education in the past. The cost ofonline degree programs are fairly comparable to that of more traditional degreeofferings. Most universities have kept the tuition costs for the onlineprograms of study at around the same amount that on campus students are paying.And since a lot of the course material is all online or maybe included in thecost of tuition, you may actually end up paying less in the long run for yourdegree.
So if you have been debating on furthering your education but were worriedabout finding a “real” degree program, do not worry- there are plenty out thereto choose from.
Bailey Smith writes about masters in educational leadership. Visithttp://mastersed.uc.edu to more aboutmasters in educational leadership