Do Your Homework Before
Entering
A Distance Learning Program
Contributed by Michael Plontz
Distance education is really not a new concept. Correspondence classes, closed-circuit TV or video lectures and mailing course materials back and forth are a handful of things that traditional “brick and mortar” colleges have been offering for years.
What is fairly new is the fact that you can now get a degree entirely online from a small percentage of accredited online universities. And accreditation is really the key. Certainly online universities who will give you a degree in exchange for a credit card number and a few hundred dollars have scammed you; these are not accredited schools!
When considering an online university–and, subsequently, the validity of your future degree with a prospective employer–you need to do some homework first.
Why Is Accreditation So Important?
College accreditation is an official recognition that an entire school or one of its programs meets certain criteria and provides a quality education.
- It entitles you to the same rights to admissions, registration, orientation, tutoring, counseling, placement, financial aid and a number of other student services–basically all the benefits of attending college the traditional way.
- If your current employer offers tuition reimbursement, they normally will not give this financial assistance unless the school is accredited.
- Government student assistance programs do not exist for those schools that are not accredited so the possibility of receiving federal grant or loan money does not exist.
- If you plan on transferring credits at any point, you will only be able to do so from an accredited school.
How Do You Determine if a School is Accredited?
This is really pretty easy, and requires minimal research on your part. There are two major organizations that recognize accrediting agencies in the U.S.
- Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) (www.chea.org)
Additionally, there are six regional accrediting agencies that are recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education and the CHEA.
- For schools in Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands: Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (www.msache.org).
- For schools in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont: New England Association of Schools and Colleges (www.neasc.org).
- For schools in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Utah, and Washington: North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (www.ncacihe.org)
- For schools in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (www.nwccu.org)
- For schools in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (www.sacscoc.org).
- For schools in California, Hawaii, and Guam: Western Association of Schools and Colleges (www.wascweb.org).
What Does Your Prospective Employer Think?
Ten years ago, you would have been hard-pressed to find an employer who viewed an online degree as valid, but that has changed. Nowadays it is widely acceptable to earn a degree online.
If you are looking to further your education in order to advance with your current employer, the best thing you can do is speak to your boss or an HR representative. They can give you some insight as to how your particular company views online degrees, and can help you determine which degree or course of study would be most beneficial.
For those looking to make the move to another company, it will be up to the discretion of your potential employer to evaluate the validity of your online degree and how it relates to the position. Because bogus online degrees are so plentiful, employers are very strict in screening applicants with online degrees. Some employers may find this tedious and confusing.
It will be up to you to educate your prospective employer. Provide them with the accreditation information and the background of the accrediting bodies. That way you can help prevent them from sidelining your resume/application based on something unclear, and increase your chances of getting the job interview.
Is Distance Learning Right for You?
Online lessons are not for everyone. While the economic advantages are obvious (no dormitory costs, no commuting expenses), it is often perceived that it’s easier to earn a degree online than it is in a university setting. This is simply not true!
If you are the type of person who doesn’t require face time with other students and teachers and you’re self-motivated and organized, you are probably right for online training. You will be required to do more independent reading and more writing as written work takes the place of classroom discussions each week.
The best advice is to start out bytaking one online class. See if it works for you and your lifestyle. You have nothing to lose, and you may gain so much more.
About the Author:
Michael Plontz is a freelance writer residing in Ft. Lauderdale.
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