Earn Your College Degree Online

Before enrolling in a program, figure out what academic credential or degree is necessary for your end goal. For example, is an associate degree required or will a certificate or diploma suffice?

The greatest benefit of online learning is the flexibility it offers. However, each program is structured differently; some include on-campus coursework assignments, or specific online scheduling requirements, such as for lectures or class participation.

With your goals and requirements serving as guideposts, research different online programs and identify several potential candidates.

Before completing the application, identify what you have to do to apply, such as take entrance exams, obtain letters of recommendation, and write personal essays. Allow sufficient time to register, study, and complete exams such as the SAT or GRE, and give your references ample warning to write letters on your behalf.

Get your application materials in order, and apply to schools. If admission standards are competitive, plan to apply to more than one school to increase your chances.

If you will need monetary assistance to help pay for school, collect your financial information. The first step is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It’s also a good idea to research individual scholarships or grants offered directly through the school or a private organization.

Once the acceptance letters start arriving, you’ll need to choose one school. If you’re a highly sought-after student, you might even be able to negotiate additional financial aid to ease the financial burden.

From an academic perspective, an online degree is exactly the same as a traditional degree, with students following the same curriculum as their on-campus counterparts. Since so many on-campus courses include technology learning elements, such as online discussion forums or digital assignments, sometimes the only difference between an online and on-campus course is the form of the class lecture. Online courses usually deliver lectures through video or audio streams that are either transmitted to students in real time, or recorded for viewing at a later time.

Completing homework, turning in assignments and communicating with teachers are often done through an online learning management system, such as Blackboard, Moodle or Canvas. These systems can also deliver class materials and content, and students can communicate directly with professors through these systems. Professors are also usually available by telephone, email, or online chat.

To some extent, online courses or programs allow students to choose the location from which they attend, but students should not expect full control. Many programs require at least some in-person participation. Courses labeled “fully online” or “100% online” do offer wholly remote learning, and because students aren’t required to ever set foot on campus, schools offering these programs will explicitly tout this benefit. Programs with some on-campus or in-person curriculum requirements may be referred to as a “blended” or “hybrid” program, and are common in study areas that require intensive hands-on learning, such as nursing.

Assuming a course is available online, classes will be either synchronous or asynchronous. Synchronous learning, also referred to as “fixed time” learning, means that students must abide by a particular schedule for some portion of the class. This can include live lectures and real-time class discussions among students. Asynchronous is the opposite; as long as students meet their assignment deadlines, they can work at their own pace, with no scheduling obligations. Asynchronous learning may sometimes be referred to as “open schedule” learning. While synchronous learning limits flexibility, it also allows greater interaction with the professor and among fellow students.

The flexibility of online courses means students set their own pace, which might be faster or slower than the traditional timeline. The exact amount of time will depend on the course load and field of study; however, a rough estimate of the time it takes, along with credits required, is listed here.

• Associate:

  Two years; 60 to 65 credits

• Bachelor’s:

  Four years; 120 to 130 credits

• Master’s:

  Eighteen months to two years; 30 to 60 credits

• Doctorate:

  Three or more years; 60 to 80 credits (The time needed to complete a dissertation may extend this.)

Several online programs offer accelerated curricula for students who want to fast-track their education. For example, a traditional MBA takes two years to complete, but some online MBA programs allow students to complete their degree in 18 months. Even if this is not a formal option, students can manage their academic schedules to complete self-paced coursework as quickly as possible.

As online degrees gain a level of maturity, they have largely overcome the skepticism surrounding them in their early days. In most schools, all students receive the same transcript and diploma regardless of whether they obtain an online or on-campus degree.

Accreditation can put the credibility issue to rest. Accreditation is the process of an independent organization reviewing a school’s academic programs to ensure they meet a basic level of instruction and are properly preparing students to enter their fields. Students interested in enrolling in an online college or university should confirm the school (and individual program, if applicable) is accredited. Getting a degree from any unaccredited school, online or not, is not worth it.