Are you thinking about pursuing an online
degree programme? But confused about which programme to choose? Well...I can
assure you that you are not alone? Most students I encounter ask me how can
they determine which online degree programme will be right for them.
Apparently there are numerous online programmes
offered by innumerable online colleges and universities from around the world.
Many institutes even offer the same programmes but with different course and
credit structures.
So How Do You Choose the Right One?
The only effective way is to invest some
time and do proper research. In case of brick and mortar colleges, you can
easily visit the campus, read the guidebooks and brochures and even consult
with the alumni. But in case of online degree programmes there is no such established
path that will help you to find and choose the right programme and school.
In fact, it can be even more challenging as
most online schools introduce new courses and programmes almost every week. If
you search the internet for an online advanced diploma in business,
you will find an abundance of websites that will guarantee to offer the best
online courses and programmes.
Assistant Dean (for Graduate and Online
Programs) at the Washington State University College of Business, Cheryl Oliver,
says “There is so much static out there...It's really hard for people to know
what is a legitimate degree and what programs are just going to take their
money and put them through the motions.”
So what do you do? Simply follow these
steps that experts believe will help you to filter information and find the most
appropriate online institute and programme-
Check Individual School Websites and Reliable Sources
It is imperative that you check the
websites of all relevant institutes in order to find the required information.
An official website will provide you with detailed information about the
institute and the programmes they offer. Websites that simply rank different
schools and online programmes cannot provide you with comprehensive
information. In fact, some websites will even ask you to pay money to get the
information. Moreover, as some schools pay different portals to get featured,
they get more online exposure. Hence the reliability of such information
sources becomes doubtful.
Oliver says, “Some schools are paying to be
on every one of those sites and now they are prolific. So students are going to
continue to see that school when maybe the best bet for them is in their own
backyard.”
If you want to get unbiased information and
balanced statistics then simply visit the College Navigator tool of the U.S.
Department of Education. It can provide you information about graduation rates,
tuition fees and other valuable data.
Find Out If Your School is Accredited or Not
According to the Senior Vice President of OnlineSolutions at Pearson, Todd Hitchcock, accreditation is extremely important. The
first thing you need to do is to check if your school is regionally accredited
and recognised. You should also find out if the degree you want to pursue has
programmatic accreditation (if eligible). You can check out the Council for
Higher Education Accreditation which maintains a list of all approved
accrediting organisations.
Executive Director of Online Learning at
Regent University, Todd Marshall, says “Accredited schools tend to mention
their accreditation in a prominent place...If you really have to dig to find
it, or worse yet, can’t find it at all, that is not a good sign.”
Get Advice from Professionals in Your Field
It is often a great idea to speak with
established professionals in your desired field and industry. You can call up
HR professionals in your field and ask for their opinions about the institutes
that you are currently considering. This will add to your initial research as
you will get real-time feedback from industry professionals about your online
programme and school. It will give you confidence about your qualification and
you will be able to plan ahead for your future.
Speak to the Faculty and Students at Your School
The experts believe that after you have
filtered your search to a handful of programs and institutes, you need to
contact the staff, faculty and students at the schools. The officials at the
schools will be pleased to respond to your queries and provide you
clarifications about their services. They can also help you understand if the
programme you are considering will be suitable for you or not. Moreover, you
should also speak with the officials at the student service and find out about remediation
and tutoring services.
Apart from these, the experts also suggest
that you get in touch with the faculty members as this will give you an idea
about the involvement of the teachers in the class. Bobbie Harris, Online
Instructor at West Virginia University, says “You really want to vet the type
of professor they are using because a lot of them are adjunct and the quality
of those professors can range.”
However, the most important part is that
you contact the recent or current students to find out the relevant
information. According to Assistant Clinical Professor at Northern Arizona
University, Corrine Gordon, “I don't think all programs are going to be 100
percent honest. Have that peer-to-peer conversation. That's something we think
is very important.”
Check Tuition Fees of Different Institutes
Apart from the steps mentioned above, you
also need to find out about the tuition fees as it may vary greatly depending
upon the institute and programme. If you want to get enrolled in a reputed
online International Business School,
then find out about the tuition fees charged by different online business
schools for your desired programme. This will not only help you to get a better
idea about the fees, but you will also find the most affordable programme that
will meet your requirements.
These steps will guide to find the most
suitable online institute and programme and make the selection process simple
and more effective.
