subject: Online Degrees: An Alternative to Traditional Education? [print this page] Online Degrees: An Alternative to Traditional Education?
Educational institutions offering online degrees are gaining a wide degree of acceptance and popularity. Modern advances in technology and the internet in particular have made online degrees a better alternative to many because of its flexibility, affordability and convenience. Now a college degree can be earned wherever you are and without sacrificing your job or leaving your family. Online degrees deliver education right to your home.
There are infinite choices for those who want to earn their education online. People who prefer the time honored and conventional type of education are encouraged to take courses in liberal arts or humanities. Some online degrees on the other hand are more of the alternative type and are quite unique, putting emphasis on your special skills like computer graphic and design for example. However, if you want to study conventional courses like literature, a traditional online college is probably hour best choice.
Some online degree colleges offer programs that can be earned entirely online. Others on the other hand require you to attend a number of actual classes on campus. Whatever type of institution you choose to enroll in, it is imperative that the institution is accredited. A degree earned from an unaccredited college is nothing more than an expensive piece of worthless paper. It does not hold sway in the academic world and of little value to prospective employers. Some degrees are more flexible than others. Programs offered by established colleges that have online degrees tend to be more inflexible and might require more of your time and be more taxing academically. They however have the advantage of being more prestigious academically and tend to get better results when applying for a job.
An online degree is designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills associated with traditional college degrees. They are intended to hone your analytical, organizational, observation and communication skills. Completing the requirements of an online degree will take a lot of discipline as it will require much reading and listening to lectures and slideshows, plus the mandatory papers, online discussions, tests and exercises.
An online degree is not for everybody. Most people still prefer to earn their diploma from conventional colleges and universities. The distance of your residence from your college choice, the requirements of your current job and your duty to your family are just some of the factors that might prevent you from pursuing a traditional college degree. For some people, an online degree is their only viable choice in this rapidly changing world.
