How-to Find the Perfect Online School for You

By Kristina Jones, published Feb 23, 2007
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Deciding to go back to school is a big step in getting ahead in your career. One of the hardest decisions you will have to make is finding the best school for your degree plan. If you are planning on attending an online school, you have to do your homework. This guide will help you find the perfect school, with the best qualities, for the degree you want to pursuit.

Step 1 - Make a decision between a four-year program and two-year program

The first step you must consider is the timeframe you want to complete your program. There are many reputable universities out there who offer a traditional four-year program on the internet. If you want a degree from a well-known school and do not live near the campus, this may be a great decision for you. The traditional four-year online programs are structured just like their four-year brick and mortar programs. If you want to take your time or just do not want to take courses year-round, this is a great option.

If you want to be challenged and pushed to the limits, a two-year program is perfect. Most of the universities who offer two-year programs use real-world curriculum. By using real-world curriculum, the students are pushed to the limit and are able to directly apply their courses to their current jobs. These schools usually have courses year-round and shorter terms. After you have made your decision on which type of program you want to take part, you can move on to step two.

Step 2 - Finding schools

How-to Find the Perfect Online School for You

Graduation cap and college books.

Credit: Stock.xchng

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Takeaways
  • To find the best program, you need to do your homework and research prospective universities.
  • Accreditation is one of the most crucial forms of information needed to make a decision.
  • Talking to the school is a great way to get a feel for the program and the school's atmosphere.
Did You Know?
There are 117 accredited online schools and 1607 online degree programs.
Comments
Showing Comments 1 - 5 of 5
 
 
Great information. I have been wanting to go back to school but just don't have the time to attend classes on campus. But this is great information for me to use when going to look into online programs. I just may get to go back to school after all.

Posted on 03/05/2007 at 8:03:00 PM

 
Great article Kristina. I dont think I am focused enough to go the online courses though. I would keep putting the work off to take care of everything else in my life first. My brother though could benefit from this read so I'm passing it on.

Posted on 02/27/2007 at 2:02:00 AM

 
Great information Kristina. It's too bad I have a hard time learning unless I see videos or I'm in a classroom setting or I'd take some online courses.

Posted on 02/25/2007 at 11:02:00 PM

 
Zac, I graduated with an online degree program. The school I attended had brick-and-mortar campuses as well. I landed an interview almost instantly and had a job offer. They actually hold the same value (and sometimes more) depending on the employer. The school I went to had real-life applications and tons of papers to write. It all depends on what shool you attend. Right now, I am looking at attending Florida State University or Bowling Green State University online for my master's degree.I enjoyed it because of the flexibility of not having to attend lectures at a set time (some were at 9:00 CST which was 7:00 my time in the morning). I guess it is just a matter of preferences.

Posted on 02/25/2007 at 3:02:00 PM

 
i remember taking online classes. i thought they were too easy and not nearly as good as being in the classroom. i wonder how employers look at those who obtained a degree from one of these schools

Posted on 02/25/2007 at 10:02:00 AM

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