Facts On Online College Degrees

Online college degree programs provide the same quality of education that is found in traditional college degree programs.  Most accredited online universities offer courses and degree programs that are equal to those offered by four-year universities and colleges, in terms of educational quality.

Kinds of online degrees offered by online universities:

· Associates – upon completion of 60 undergraduate credits, this is an academic degree typically awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, and some bachelor’s degree-granting colleges and universities.
· Bachelor’s Degree – an undergraduate academic degree that typically requires four years of full time study to earn 120 – 128 credits.
· Master’s Degree – a graduate academic degree that typically requires one to three years of study. 
· And a few offer PhDs.  This is an academic degree of the highest level.  The award of a doctorate means recognition of the candidate as an equal by the college or university faculty under which the person studied.

These online degrees are offered in areas such as Health Services, Psychology and Education.  

Online universities offer varying areas of study.  In general, most online college degrees are offered in categories such as:

· Business – Accounting, marketing and Business Management
· Criminal Justice – Homeland Security, Law Enforcement
· Education – Elementary or Secondary Teacher Education
· Engineering – Mechanical, Electrical, or Environmental Engineering
· Graphic Design – Game Art and Design; Web Site Development
· Healthcare – Healthcare Administration, Nursing
· Human Services – Non-Profit Management, Psychology
· Legal – Paralegal Studies
· Liberal Arts – Technical Writing, Communications, English
· Technology – Network Technology, Computer Programming

An online degree is typically earned in 2-3 years.  This is possible because most online students take one course at a time.  By doing so, the student receives assignments and completes the work faster than they would be able to with a traditional in-class course.  Online universities typically allow their students to take up to 27 credits per year compared to 18 credits that is typically allowed by most traditional colleges.  This doesn’t mean though that one needs to complete the degree in 2 – 3 years.  The great convenience of an online college degree is that the student can work according to one’s preference – pace and schedule.  The student can take as much time to complete the degree.

Top reasons for getting an online college degree:

· The student can learn on one’s schedule.
· One doesn’t need to travel to the campus.
· A student can study at his own pace.
· The courses are available anytime (24/7).
· The student can study anywhere – home, work or even on the road.
· Materials can be read online or can be downloaded for future reference.
· There is a wide range of online college degrees to meet a student’s needs.
· There is a wide range of prices to fit one’s budget.
· A lot of online universities to choose from.
· Studying online demonstrates solid grasp of Internet skills to potential employers.

Nowadays, an online college degree from an accredited online university is already acknowledged by most employers the same credibility that they give to four –year college degrees.  Many companies are encouraging their employees to continue their education through online study and some companies even finance an employee’s online education through corporate reimbursement or a third – party billing program.