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Online Degrees

Today, many people have the opportunity to follow college courses online because of the proliferation of computers and email. They can then receive a degree from a college by following the standard curriculum at the college. Many who otherwise might not be able to attend college now can because this system offers the convenience, and flexibility to allow them to. But there may be drawbacks if you have to verify your education to prospective employers. Should you be concerned that an online degree will be accepted?

The most important thing to do first, before you commit to an online degree program is to confirm the accreditation of the college. If this college is not fully accredited, your degree may be useless in the job market. If you enjoyed the courses, learned a lot for your personal life, that is fine. However, if you expect your degree to be the stepping stone for entry to a good job, and career advancement, you will probably want to make sure you are dealing with a school that is accredited by the proper agencies.

If you want to transfer credits to a different institution, either now or in the future, accreditation is also important. Any credits you earn for these purposes must be from an online school that is accredited, or you will not be able to transfer the to another accredited school. All of the credits from this non-accredited school will be lost. You should be able to transfer these credits toward your degree at a new school, if your online school is accredited. You will then earn a degree as if you attended that school.

One of the accreditation agencies that handle online schools is the Distance Education and Training Council. If this agency has approved and accredited the online school, then your eventual degree will be accepted by some employers and school, but rejected by others, depending upon their specific policies and attitudes toward such learning approaches. Although most employers have ultimately come to accept an online degree, not all do and the same is true for traditional colleges. Statistically speaking, approximately 66-67% - or two-thirds - will accept your degree.

In many cases, the online school is accredited by a professional organization such as the American Library Association. This degree is, of course, only accepted by organizations specifically in that profession. For example, if you have your online degree in Library Sciences, most likely it will be accepted by a library, but perhaps not by a government body or school system to work in the library of that government or school. These types of accreditations are limited, and therefore their acceptance is also.

Schools which aren't accredited won't be accepted by employers or other schools, as the ~degrees~ that are generated by that facility are not seen as valid. You may find that you'll need to provide some form of evidence to back up the legitimacy of your degree, but that can be difficult and often won't make enough of a difference to convince prospective employers that you'd be a valuable asset to their company in the particular position to which you're applying.

It is incumbent upon you to make sure that the online college of your choice is either accredited or that you are prepared to defend your degree to employers who question its validity. There are many valid online schools from which to choose your degree. But, the sense of inferiority of online degrees still exists in many cases, so make sure you are not wasting your time and your money. Do your research and make sure that your inline degree is going to be of value in your career search, or your further education.

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