myUsearch blog

So you’ve decided to go online to earn your degree and now the only thing left to do is to make your college choice. It may seem like a straightforward decision, but there are many aspects to consider before you sign up with an online school. Assuming you know what major you want to pursue and which degree you want to earn, your college choice must be based on the following factors:

Photo by Ed Yourdon 

1. Accreditation: When you choose to study at a college that’s not accredited by the right agencies, you’re not doing yourself any favors. Before you enroll, check if the college of your choice has regional vs. national accreditation. This is the only way to get employers to accept your degree, to become eligible for scholarships and grants, and to transfer credits to another school if the need arises.
2. Reputation: When choosing to study online, you must take a closer look at the reputation of the school that is offering your degree. It may have fantastic and popular on-campus programs, but its online courses may not be up to par. The teachers may be sub-standard or they may be newcomers to this way of imparting education. So look for colleges that are veterans in the business of online education to ensure that you get the most bang for your buck.
3. Connectivity and communication: Online education is all about virtual interaction, so you must check if your college choice has a good student support system in place. Ask about the availability of live online support, frequency of classes and discussions, and ways and means you can connect with other students of the course. Your school must also offer an orientation program to introduce you to the world of online education.
4. Acceptability: Your college choice may be accredited and reputable, but if it’s not recognized and accepted by your current or potential employer, your degree becomes worth less than the paper it is printed on. So before you set the admissions process in motion, check with your employer to see if they will acknowledge a degree from the list of colleges you’ve drawn up.
5. Prerequisites: Some online schools don’t accept students unless they meet certain prerequisites; for example, you may need to have a certain GPA or a minimum score on your GRE or MAT exams. Check if you meet these requirements before investing any additional effort in securing admission to these schools.College choice is a very important factor in the acceptability of your online degree, so be sure to make the right decision. This guest post is contributed by Mark Davies, he writes on the topic of Online Masters Degree. He welcomes your comments at his email id: markdavies247 at gmail dot com.