These days, one can get a degree without going to college. Online education is the latest concept that has taken the world of education by storm.
Though online education is still in its initial stages in many parts of the world, it has become a superlative option, particularly in the western world. It has certain advantages over traditional education, which makes it so popular.
Online education is not just advantageous to the teachers; it has its advantages for the students too. While teachers can make a decent living by teaching online, students can also get online degrees in a simple manner.
This article addresses the first question asked about online degrees – why earn an online degree?
Should you opt for an Online Degree?
There are several reasons why a person would opt for an online education.
Let us address these key initial queries:
- Why do you need a degree?
- Why an online degree program and not a traditional one?
- Are online degrees worth the same as traditional degrees?
- What are the choices for an online degree?
- Time-to-Degree – The time it takes to earn a degree
- Costs
1. Why get a degree
The first questions asked by many who are just starting, are: Why do I need a degree? What should I get a degree in?
No degree means limited employment options and thus minimal earnings. Employers take it as the first selection criteria.
2. Why online?
Why an online degree and not the traditional degree?
If you are wondering whether you should get an online degree, you would be surprised to know that many people have no other choice but to opt for an online degree.
There are several reasons why one needs to get an online degree, but the most common are:
- In many cases, people need extra degrees to pursue a career in a profession that they are interested in.
- Many people do not continue their education for a number of reasons, and by the time they are ready to pursue their education, they are working or have a family. An online program makes education simpler for such people.
3. Is an online degree worth the same as a traditional one?
An online degree is absolutely not less qualitative than a traditional one. There is no difference between the values of either degree. However, this is subject to the accreditation of the online educational institution. Check this very carefully before taking a degree program online.
4. What are the choices?
Online education provides almost the entire scope of education, starting from an associate degree to a PhD. There are various streams of education, and even some professional, specialized courses. For example:
- You can complete your school or college education via the online universities.
- You can also get other, professional degrees online, such as a degree for managers (MBA – Master of Business Administration).
- Professional online courses. You can complete computer courses online and get a diploma. These courses are best fit for people who want to advance their professionalism with a specific online degree of their industry for elevating their career.
Therefore, if you are thinking about getting a degree at home, first decide which degree interests you.
5. How long does it take? Time-to-Degree
If you are wondering how long it takes to get a degree online, the answer would basically depend on what kind of education you are planning to get.
Although online education has a stigma of being the fastest way to get a degree, it isn’t necessarily true. It depends on the type and value of the online degree you are looking for.
For example:
- If you want to opt for a business degree, you would need to study for two or three years.
- If you wish to go for any professional software degree online, you would need a study time of several months.
It all depends on what kind of online degree program you are pursuing, as well as the degree level you wish to achieve.
6. How much does an online degree cost?
Many people believe that online educational programs are much cheaper than the traditional ones, but they are mistaken. There is not much difference in cost of either method.
Although there are many fake sites that provide cheap online degrees, if you want a credible one, then you would have to shell out an amount equal to what you have spent at a traditional college.
Cost comparison
A three hour credit online course costs in the range of $700-$900. Thus, an online semester including study material and text material would essentially cost approximately $8000. This cost is quite similar to that of a traditional college. Though the fee structure is similar, traditional colleges attract additional costs pertaining to boarding and lodging at the campus. These expenses range in the thousands. An online course does not call for such expenses as students can learn from home via the internet.
Moreover, there are quite a few ways by which an individual can reduce the cost of an online course:
- Many states provide rebates or subsidies for distance education programs. A student can furnish details and avail the benefits.
- If you are working, you can obtain a cost rebate for an online course by requesting your employer to fund part of it.
Cost of online programs:
- Baker College provides online courses across various fields such as arts, humanities, science, healthcare, etc. Each credit costs about $200 and a 120 credit course costs about $24,000.
- American Sentinel University provides online bachelor degrees in the range of $10,000-$20,000.
What are the Advantages of Online Education?
This section outlines some of the advantages of distance education. However, there are many other things that online education makes possible which traditional education could never offer.
1. Convenience for Employed Adults
For people with jobs, family, or both, distance education is often the only plausible way to enhance their education.
People who would otherwise have no practical possibility to enrich their education are able to access courses and scholarly materials from anywhere in the world. They thereby improve the quality of their own lives and careers, as well as the quality of society to which an educated individual contributes so much more.
Distance learning allows students to be as flexible with their studies as their personal lives allow, particularly in terms of time management and work load distribution.
2. Online Academic Regulations
Another advantage of distant education is that it allows greater flexibility regarding its academic regulations. Because it is still an emerging industry, competition is not as fierce and many students have ready access to quality refresher courses and advanced education. Conversely, acceptance requirements in traditional institutions are often very stringent, simply because they cannot accommodate the entire population willing to study.
Online education even makes it possible for persons of advanced age to pursue higher education. There is no maximum age limit and eager octogenarians can acquire degrees from the comfort of their rocking chairs.
3. Course Variety
In terms of the variety of courses on offer in a traditional or an online institution, it should simply be checked by the student in advance. Whether online or traditional, some institutions offer more courses than others.
Online/distance education does allow certain unique opportunities that traditional education might have difficulty realizing in a classroom setup. To give just one example, guest lectures by distinguished scholars are much easier to organize with online technology.
4. Attendance in courses
For many students the attendance requirements are one limitation of traditional education. Most students live far from the campus and need to spend much time and money on travel to attend classes at strictly fixed hours.
Distance education allows more freedom-oriented minds to organize their own days and does not require being in class on the campus just to take a one-hour lecture.
5. Course Completion Regulations
Traditional institutions cannot afford to be flexible with completion requirements. Very few circumstances count as valid reasons to fail deadlines.
Online education, on the other hand, is more considerate of attenuating circumstances and offers more opportunities to complete requirements, which is a significant plus for anyone who works full time or has a family.
6. Accessibility
One outstanding benefit of online education is the accessibility. Online classes are easily accessible from any personal computer anywhere in the world. This revolutionizes study abroad. Students from any country with internet access can study in any foreign (online) institution of their choice.
As for domestic students, online access eliminates the need to spend hours traveling.
Online courses and materials can be accessed from anywhere: your home, the train to work, a restaurant or the street.
7. Career – Advancement Opportunities
Full-time employees can enhance their knowledge and skill, increasing promotional opportunities and improving or changing their careers.
Because distance education is so accessible, and because more and more employers recognize online diplomas, full-time employees can find the time to study. For some people this may even mean the lifetime opportunity to radically change their career by finally studying something they love.