Monday, July 9, 2012

How to Find the Best Online Universities

By SherRon M.


Online colleges and universities have become the education of the present. No longer are students forced to choose between education and their jobs or families as before the year 2000 and general computer accessibility. The entire style of education has become student-friendly, to create a manner of education that coincides with your busy lifestyle. Often students take online classes after their day is over, and their kids are in bed. This is one of the huge benefits of attending online education.

Once you discover how the online programs work, how they are user-friendly and provide excellent education, the next step is to check your resources and decide what you are interested in. The only requirement for any online course is that you must have a fully functioning, updated computer and Word capabilities to make it very easy to transfer material and to compose assignments. If you have these basics, you can earn your college degree right from your home or office.

The first thing to decide is what area you want to go into. With the explosion of online universities and other colleges, you can earn a certificate in as little as 10 months, or an Associate, Bachelor and Master's degree that will educate you in the field of your choice. There are many popular degrees at online colleges and universities. Some of the most popular are Criminal Justice, Business Administration, Business Management, Health Care Administration, Paralegal, Psychology, Visual Communications, Design and Information Technology, Early Childhood Development, Accounting, and the list goes on.

The only difference in the courses between a traditional university and an online college is the way the courses are delivered. A traditional university may have a few classes available to take online, bit typically the student physically goes into a classroom for their education. By going to an online university, you can be anywhere in the world and still be involved in your class. This is a huge convenience for most students, in the fast-paced world of the 21st century.

With the quantity of online programs and degrees that have developed over the past few years, it is necessary to check their credentials if you want to find an accredited college with high marks. In order to find the best online universities there are typically three avenues to check: accreditation by the US Department of Education, reviews and rankings.

Accreditation may be the most important for students. Go to the Department of Education Database where you can enter the college or university that you are contemplating in the search box. When the name of the online university comes up, it should also pull up a physical address. You can check the Council for Higher Education (CHEA) database, too. Either one should pull up a physical address. Also if you go to the college's website that you have chosen, you can also look for an accrediting agency that is listed and verify by that agency too.

When you have decided on the degree that you are interested in, you will want to take a look at some reviews on the online colleges' websites. Look for classes schedules that you can compare and see what type of plan they have for you in your area. What is the highest degree that they offer in your subject? You might not be thinking about a Masters degree right now, but it could be a future plan. See if the program you desire is one of the signature programs of the school, or simply one they offer.

To examine an online university or college by their ranking is very similar to finding out if the school is accredited. The search will show you where the college stands in relation to all the other online schools. Go to Online Education Database (OEDb) and enter the online college name that you are considering. The higher the school is on the list, chances are the better experience you would have at the college.

These three areas will help you find the best online universities for your needs. Remember that since the program is online, you can select the online college that you want to attend from anywhere in the country. Your course is not dependent to your location.

My Colleges and Careers helps students connect with the best schools to earn their college degree and embark on a rewarding career! A powerful resource for individuals of all walks of life, My Colleges and Careers connects people with the programs that help them earn degrees on campus or online.


ONLINE COLLEGES: The Best Online Colleges Are Accredited Colleges

By Georgia Potter


Have you been considering attending an online school but don't know how to pick the best one? Don't worry you're not alone. There are many students out there that are researching their options. Unfortunately, many of these students aren't aware about the accreditation process or what it means for colleges and universities. If you are looking for a quality online college to invest in then keep this information in mind when you are searching. And don't worry you will find the perfect school eventually!

In today's world there are a lot of scams and diploma mills out there. Ever since the 1950's when all the vets returned home from Vietnam and were going back to get an education there have been problems with phony educational programs. Fake schools and diploma mills will basically sell you a diploma, and this diploma means absolutely nothing. Luckily, scams like this are pretty easy to determine. If the establishment is trying to offer a diploma for sale, or is offering a diploma for little or no coursework, then you better be checking the school's accreditation.

Or, you could take the safe route and by doing your research before you enroll with a scam. The best way to do this is to check the accreditation. There are several accreditation agencies in the US and most online colleges are accredited regionally. Regional accreditation is based on the area where the school is located. The accreditation agency is determined by the region.

So what is accreditation?

Accreditation is a process that a school goes through. Once the accreditation agency determines that the college fits the standards that it has set, then the online college receives accreditation status. Many benefits come with accreditation. If the school is accredited, there is no chance that it is a fake. If the school is accredited there is usually more funding provided for students. (Who doesn't need financial aid these days right?) There are also many other benefits of accreditation.

Most online universities are accredited but it is good to do your research. When you are researching, make sure that it says that it is accredited and lists an accreditation agency. Some scams will still try to confuse students by saying "pending accreditation" or other things to get you to think that the school is accredited. Do your research and make sure the school you invest in is a quality one.

There are many tools out there to help you find a good college. Use the resources that are out there to help you along you way. You are now equipped with plenty of information to determine whether or not an online college is right for you. All you have to do is figure out if the online university offers the program that you are interested in and go for it! And remember the best online colleges are accredited colleges!

Georgia Potter is an author of many educational articles. As a student herself she strives to find quality information to help other students survive college. She writes about Accredited online colleges and Online colleges.

Online Colleges - Information You Must Have to Succeed

By Derek Dexter


Looking for online continued education? While there is always a lot of debate as to whether an online college education is as good as a traditional college education, the answer is really very simple; there are good institutions that offer an online college education and there are bad establishments as well. With so many people today turning to online colleges and universities to get an advanced degree, a mad rush is on to fill the needs of these education consumers.

One of the most convenient ways to further your education while keeping a job and home is registering for an online degree. While schools are not keeping up with the resources to fully help their students, online tutoring and education is able to fill the gap.

If, however, you find that the institution has been refused accreditation, then they are likely to try to tell you that accreditation is not important. With almost sixty online courses and approximately thirteen campuses spread throughout the country, the University of Phoenix is the leading site for getting a college education online. Dealing with a nearby college for your online education needs has an additional benefit; you can actually meet with college officials if you want, and do some research on other students in the area who have taken the courses, with the goal of gaging the quality of the course and the student's educational experience.

If you want to go farther afield for your online education, you can do a Google search to find colleges and universities in other locations offering courses over the Internet. If you are interested in learning more about distance learning universities and colleges that offer online post secondary education, search our site for more in-depth information and resources. If you are interested in learning more about online computer education and other programs of study, search our site for more in-depth information and resources.

If you are interested in learning more about Continuing Education, you will find a variety of online colleges, universities and distance learning courses on a site with Online Degrees Reviewed. With the adoption of online learning by universities as an important media for imparting distance education, the quality of the online courses offered has become comparable to traditional classroom courses. Several universities, including the University of Phoenix, Arizona, the pioneer in online education in the US, offer excellent accredited professional courses on the Net.

A number of programs exist for those wishing to pursue teaching in a wide variety of subjects and grade levels. A growing number of colleges and universities are offering online graduate degree programs to compliment those who are already in the work force full time and cannot afford to attend school in the traditional sense to pursue higher certification.

A growing number of physical universities as well as newer online only colleges have begun to offer a select set of academic degree programs via the internet. The internet sites that are linked to accredited universities tend not to offer an affordable education degree online.

Getting an education online allows you to do what you want to do with your life faster, at your own abilities and in your own way. Similar to all other online programs, continuing education online programs have some prerequisites.

There are thousands of universities, regular colleges, and online colleges providing accredited online programs in various disciplines. There are thousands of online programs listed in Internet directories from which one can choose the best and the most appropriate organizations for his requirements. With the proliferation of online distance education, it is becoming increasingly important to select the right college or university.