Online Degree

Secrets

An E-book Prepared for

OnlineDegreeReviews.org by
Tom Trzyna, Ph.D.,
University Design Consultants

With the assistance of

Steve Rawlinson
Copyright ©2009 by OnlineDegreeReviews.org

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form

or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying and
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permission in writing from OnlineDegreeReviews.org.

While all attempts have been made to verify information provided,

OnlineDegreeReviews.org assumes no responsibility for errors,
omissions, or contrary interpretation on the subject matter herein. The
purchaser or reader of this publication assumes responsibility for the use
of these materials and information. OnlineDegreeReviews.org reserves
the right to make changes to this eBook at any time.
Online Degree Secrets

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION 3
WHAT’S YOUR MOTIVATION? 4
How To Choose A Program 5
Completion Rates 6
WHAT ABOUT THE QUALITY OF ONLINE EDUCATION? WILL EMPLOYERS
RESPECT MY DEGREE? 7
Reputation 8
Canadian Colleges 8
European Universities 9
American Accreditation 10
Looking At Two Examples 13
Specialized Accreditation 14
State Licensing 15
Candidacy For Accreditation 16
Unaccredited Colleges 16
SPECIAL ADVICE TO CITIZENS OF OTHER NATIONS WHO WISH TO WORK IN
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA OR CANADA 17
WHAT SHOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT THE PROCESS OF ONLINE EDUCATION? 19
How Does It Differ From Traditional Classroom Education 19
Costs: Tuition, Fees And Learning Materials 20
Entrance Requirements 20
The Technological Platform: What Gear Will You Need? 21
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Online Study 22
The Paradox Of Online Education 22
Quality And Marketing 23
WHAT CAN YOU STUDY ONLINE? 24
REACHING YOUR CONCLUSIONS 25
WHAT THE REVIEWS ON THIS SITE WILL TELL YOU 27
A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT 28

www.OnlineDegreeReviews.org

The Authors

Tom Trzyna has taught at American private and public universities for
over 35 years. He has served as a senior administrator at two colleges, has
created distance-learning classes, and has worked as an evaluator for two US
accrediting associations. He is President of University Design Consultants, LLC,
which provides college development services in the US and many other nations.
He earned his degrees from the University of California, Berkeley and the
University of Washington. He lives in Seattle, Washington, USA. He is one of the
authors of Toward a Global Ph.D.? Forces and Forms of Doctoral Education
Worldwide, University of Washington Press, 2008, edited by Maresi Nerad and
Mimi Heggelund.

Steve Rawlinson, President of OnlineDegreeReviews.org, offered advice

and counsel on the development of this e-book, drawing on his extensive
experience working with the website and listening to the comments of you—the
reviewers and students who have given invaluable advice about online learning
around the world.

You can make comments about this e-book online at OnlineDegreeReviews.

org/ebook to improve the advice offered, especially as new degrees and types
of learning experiences are launched on the web and as online colleges improve
their already extensive offerings.

Online Degree Secrets

INTRODUCTION

If you are reading this booklet, you are probably thinking about investing
a lot of money in job training. Our purpose—the whole purpose of
OnlineDegreeReviews.org—is to help you make good choices. After all, you
are contemplating spending enough money to buy a new car, so you want to
choose wisely.

• What is your motivation?

• What should you know about how online education works?

• Are you the kind of self-motivated student who will thrive in this system?

• What questions should you ask yourself and the schools about the quality
of what they offer?

• If you are a student from outside the US or Canada, what extra questions
should you ask about the role that degrees play in getting visas to work in
North America?

This booklet helps you answer these questions. We will also help you to
evaluate the kinds of degrees that you can get online. Some subjects cannot be
easily studied online, and you should consider that fact as well when you make
decisions about your future education.

Throughout the booklet we will reveal insider secrets about online degrees.
These are important facts that you won’t easily find anywhere else.

At the end of Online Degree Secrets, we help you sum up what you have
learned. Is online education right for you—now? Would you be better served
by attending a local community college or four year university? Which school
should you choose?

www.OnlineDegreeReviews.org

Our advice here is general. While this booklet is based on years of study
and lots of examination of online university programs, we do not name or
recommend any specific programs here. That’s the job of the independent
reviewers and bloggers who participate in the site.

At the same time, we believe that reading this book will repay you because you
will learn a lot about how to be an intelligent and informed consumer of online
education.

WHAT’S YOUR MOTIVATION?

Students choose online education for many

reasons. A qualified teacher may want to
complete a Master’s in Education online
because that’s a convenient way to get new
skills—as well as a raise. Someone out of
work may look at an online degree as a way
to qualify for a new career, or to increase the odds of getting a job in the current
market. Universities also believe there is a segment of the population that wants
additional degrees either for the sake of more education, or to satisfy personal
needs for more credentials.

If you are motivated by a need to improve your employment prospects, ask

yourself whether another degree or certificate is your best investment. Research
has shown that people who are out of work spend only a few hours each day
looking for a new position, and sometimes less. It’s easier to send out resumes
than to build a network through interviews and meetings. It’s easier, too, to sign
up for a degree than to face the hard and often disappointing work of looking
for a job. That’s true in a good economy as well as a struggling economy.

Online Degree Secrets

It’s therefore important for you to decide whether what you need right now is
more study or some help assessing your existing skills and looking for work.
If further education is the right choice, then ask whether you need formal
education or whether you can learn what you need on a new job. Afternoon
television shows feature many advertisements from vocational schools that
offer to train people in basic skills. These schools market formal courses in
such fields as medical reception and auto mechanics. While these programs
may have a lot to offer, many people get their start in hospital jobs, auto shops,
bookkeeping and other good positions by learning on the job, as well as by
taking advantage of free training courses offered by their employers. Ask
around.

How To Choose A Program

OK, so you have decided that you have done the necessary research, and you
want to enroll in an online degree or certificate program. What criteria should
you use to choose a program?

Government publications, state unemployment offices, the popular press, and

other sources can help you determine where there are likely to be jobs in the
future. A look at your own skills and credentials will reveal to you some of the
options you have for further education. What do you like to do? Are you sure
that you want to do more of the same kind of work, only at a higher level?
Should you challenge yourself to try something entirely new?

Do you learn effectively working by yourself, or do you need the support of

other students and from faculty members?

How much time can you spend on this degree or certificate? Can you move at
the same pace as a cohort of students working together toward a degree, or do
you need to complete the work faster or slower?

www.OnlineDegreeReviews.org

These are just a few of the questions you need to consider as you begin to look
at the programs marketed on this and other sites, and as you compare what is
available online to traditional offerings at local community colleges and public
and private universities.

Completion Rates

Finally, are you the kind of person who can finish a program online? Can you
give yourself enough motivation, month after month, to complete the work?
You can test your will to complete a new degree in many ways. You can take a
class at a local community college. Or you can go to a bookstore or the library
and pick up copy of one of the For Dummies books that teach math, science,
programming and other skills. These books have titles
like Chemistry for Dummies and Algebra for Dummies.
SECRET: Typically,
Your local bookstore will have similar books from other
students who start
publishers that teach the principles of any field you may
online programs have
choose to study. See if you can work your way through
lower completion rates
a whole textbook and enjoy the experience. Many
than students who go
people find that kind of study positively enjoyable, even
to traditional classroom
if they were not great students in the past. Find out if
schools. Completion rates
you enjoy studying, too.
at traditional schools are
not what most colleges
Typically, students who start online programs have lower
would like, either.
completion rates than students who go to traditional
classroom schools. Completion rates at traditional
schools are not what most colleges would like, either. Years ago, the standard rule
of thumb was that about half of the students who started a distance-learning class
would complete the course. National organizations concerned about completion
rates collect data on this issue. We do not recommend a particular source of such
information here. We do think you need to know that many students who start online

Online Degree Secrets

programs do not finish, which makes it very important for you to consider what you
would do with part of a degree. Would the credits transfer? Would you have learned
enough to help with a new job?

Returning to school is hard work. Online education allows you to do that

work at your own pace and in the comfort of your own home, which is often
less intimidating than going back to school to sit in a classroom with people
half your age. Older adults often learn differently from younger people. Older
students ask different kinds of questions. They bring their life experience to the
classroom, and sometimes it is hard for an older student to adjust to a room full
of younger students.

WHAT ABOUT THE QUALITY OF ONLINE EDUCATION?

WILL EMPLOYERS RESPECT MY DEGREE?

This is the bottom line. Will your employer or your future employer respect the
degree or certificate you earn online?

This section covers the topic of college quality in depth. You may want to
skim some paragraphs if the information is more than you need. The issue is
complex, however, so we are trying to cover the subject thoroughly.

Individual listings on the OnlineDegreeReviews.org site contain some

information about university accreditation, but it’s not possible to list all of the
accreditations. Therefore it is important for you to understand how universities
are evaluated and accredited. Then you need to do some web research to
check out the accreditations that are most important to the degree and the
profession you are investigating. Before we look at accreditation, what about
the reputations of various schools?

www.OnlineDegreeReviews.org

Reputation

Many different organizations attempt to measure the quality of educational

institutions. Three of the most famous ratings are those of the magazine US
News and World Report, the London Times newspaper, and the annual report
issued by Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The US News rating places emphasis
on such characteristics as existing reputation among scholars and alumni
donations. The London Times ratings highlight British institutions. The Shanghai
ratings, unlike the others, are based on one major factor: research productivity
as measured by publications in leading journals, awards given to faculty
members, patents, and other measurable evidence of impact on the growth of
knowledge.

Schools that specialize in online education

are too new to figure in the reputational
rankings. Moreover, online colleges do not
specialize in research. You will, however,
find major research institutions that offer
some online programs. Further, wherever
you live, there are regional institutions
whose local reputations are very high,
even if those schools are not widely known
outside the region.

Schools with high national reputations are likely to be fully accredited, but you
still need to understand the details of basic and specialized accreditation.

Canadian Colleges

First a word about Canadian universities. Canada makes this relatively simple,
because all colleges and universities operate under provincial government
charters, including a small number of religious colleges. Canada has three

Online Degree Secrets

universities that specialize exclusively in distance learning. Canadian tuition is

reasonable for foreign students, including students from the United States. In
fact, Canadian universities are one of the great secrets of North American higher
education: They offer high quality, have strong international
reputations and charge reasonable fees. Canadian
SECRET: Canadian
degrees are fully respected south of the border in the
universities are one of
United States.
the great secrets of
North American higher
European Universities education: They offer
high quality, have strong
Next a word about European universities. Great Britain
international reputations
has pioneered distance education, so you may wish to
and charge reasonable
explore the offerings of British online and correspondence
fees. Canadian degrees
programs. Through most of Europe, higher education is
are fully respected south
free to citizens, though there are a few private colleges
of the border in the United
that specialize in serving students from the US and other
States.
nations. You will not find many online programs in Europe
because with education available for free, there is no
market for the kinds of online schools that have proliferated in the US. Web
searches for such programs sometimes turn up degree mills, meaning schools
without any government approval that are selling degrees.

If you want to try something really radical, you can explore the University of
South Africa extension programs, which offer many levels of degrees through
self-directed study and exams administered in Canada. This is the one time
we’ll break our rule against naming schools. You can get a BA from the
University of South Africa for about $4000, though we cannot guarantee that
all employers will respect this British style baccalaureate, which like all British
baccalaureates consists entirely of studying the major. These degrees have
nothing like American or Canadian general education requirements.

www.OnlineDegreeReviews.org

If you take a bachelor’s degree from a nation that has a British system, you may
be offered a choice between a three-year degree and a four year “honours”
degree. The four-year degree is considered the equivalent of an American
degree, even though students in the British system start college later and with
more education. This rule does not apply to British
universities, however, where the three-year degree
SECRET: You will not find
is the equivalent of an American four-year degree.
many online programs
Confusing? Yes. But as you will see, this is important if
in Europe because with
you happen to be a resident of another nation and you
education available for
want to come to the US on a work visa.
free, there is no market for

the kinds of online schools
that have proliferated in American Accreditation
the US.
The picture is far more complex in the United States.
Remember that the US is a federation of states with
a strong tradition of allowing private agencies to regulate industries. So it
should be no surprise that the regulation of university quality in the United
States is done by a patchwork of federal agencies, state agencies, and private
accrediting organizations. It’s complicated, but trust us, you really need to
understand this to be a good consumer of online education today! You’ll be
grateful for this information when we discuss trade schools, degree mills, and
unaccredited colleges.

The United States Department of Education (USDOE), a federal agency,

administers general guidelines for the accreditation of universities. USDOE
directly approves certain specialized accrediting agencies, such as those that
approve law and business schools. The general accreditation of universities
in the US, however, is administered by the Council for Higher Education
Accreditation (CHEA), a private agency that operates with USDOE approval.
CHEA, in turn, has approved a group of accrediting agencies that you need to
know about.

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Online Degree Secrets

American Higher Education Accreditation US

Department Of Education

Council For Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)

Specialized Regional Accrediting Career and Distance Religious

Accrediting Commissions Accreditation Accreditation
Commissions Commissions Organizations
• Law Northwest • DETC
• Business • ACCSCT
• Education Middle
• Psychology
South
States
Sometimes
North New Recognized
Central England

Western
Commisssion

The gold standard of accreditation in the US is regional

SECRET: The gold
accreditation, which is conferred by full membership
standard of accreditation
in one of six regional associations: the Northwest,
in the US is regional
Southern, North Central, Middle States, New England,
accreditation, which
and Western Commissions. Schools approved by these
is conferred by full
six agencies accept each other’s credits and respect
membership in one of six
each other’s degrees for admission to graduate school.
regional associations:
In most professions, you can take licensing exams only
the Northwest, Southern,
if you have graduated from a school approved by one of
North Central, Middle
these six associations. In other words, you are safe and
States, New England, and
home free if you take a distance learning degree or online
Western Commissions.
degree from a regionally accredited university.

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CHEA has approved three religious accrediting

American Higher Educa- organizations that review undergraduate and graduate
tion Accreditation Us De-
institutions: the Association for Biblical Higher
partment Of Education
Education, the Association of Advanced Rabbinical and
Recognizes Talmudic Schools, and the Transnational Association of
Council For Higher Edu- Christian Colleges and Universities. (The US has many
cation Accreditation religious colleges, such as Catholic and Protestant
(CHEA) universities, however, that are accredited by the regional

Which approves
commissions.) Graduate seminaries are accredited
by the CHEA-approved Association of Theological
• Six Regional Accrediting
Schools. There are many other approved agencies for
Commissions
special fields such as midwifery, health education and
• Three Religious cosmetology, so it’s worth your time to visit the CHEA
Accrediting Commissions website.

• Career And Distance

Accrediting Commissions CHEA has also approved DETC, the Distance Education
and Training Council and the Accreditation Commission
• Many Specialized
of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology, which
Accrediting Commissions
For Specific Professions
accredit what used to be called trade schools, as
opposed to traditional liberal arts colleges. Some
Which accredit colleges
of these approved career schools are now offering
Or baccalaureates and advanced degrees. In my own
Accredit specific programs experience as a university evaluator, credits from these
such as education, law and approved career and religious colleges may be accepted
business by regionally accredited schools, but not always.

So if you choose to take a degree from a DETC approved school, or from a

religious college approved by a CHEA-recognized accrediting agency other than
a regional, you will need to do some homework to determine exactly where and
for what purposes that degree will be accepted. Will you be permitted to take a

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Online Degree Secrets

state-administered licensing exam in your state with

SECRET: If you choose to
one of these degrees? Or get a teaching certificate?
take a degree from a DETC
We do not mean to challenge the quality of education
approved school, or from a
offered by these schools. We do mean to point out
religious college approved
that before you sign up for a program, you need to
by a CHEA-recognized
ask specific questions, especially if you are entering a
accrediting agency other
field that is licensed by a state agency.
than a regional, you will
need to do some homework
Looking At Two Examples to determine exactly where

Here’s an example. There’s an online law school and for what purposes that

that is regionally accredited, yet not approved by degree will be accepted.

the American Bar Association, one of the important

specialized accrediting agencies. This online law
school honestly points out how it is accredited. The
school also states that graduates may take the California
bar exam, but no others. Historically, California has a
reputation for having one of the more difficult bar exams
in the United States. California is also unique in that it
SECRET: There is a
allows anyone to take the bar exam, though few people
complicated relationship
have actually studied law at home rigorously enough to
among regional accreditation,
pass the test. So when this online school says that its
specialized accreditation (in
graduates can take the California bar exam, the school
this case the American Bar
isn’t saying much. To give this school full credit, it also
Association), state licensing
requires students to take a special exam after one
exams, and the validity of
year of study. Those who do not show promise are not
that license elsewhere in the
allowed to continue in the program. If you complete a
United States.
law degree from this college, you may be able to pass
the California bar exam. If you live in another state, you
need to determine whether that state has any reciprocity
with California. The point of this example is there is a

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complicated relationship among regional accreditation, specialized accreditation

(in this case the American Bar Association), state licensing exams, and the
validity of that license elsewhere in the United States. You need to understand it
all before you sign up with a college.

Consider another case. Suppose you are a teacher and you want to earn either
a Master’s of Education or a Doctorate in Education (Ed.D.). It is now possible
to earn these degrees from schools that have DETC rather than regional
accreditation. It would be in your best interest to contact your state, provincial
or other licensing jurisdiction to determine whether such a degree will be
recognized.

Specialized Accreditation

Just when you thought this was complicated enough, there’s more. Many
programs have specialized accreditations, like the American Bar Association
accreditation of law schools. The best business schools are accredited by both
their regional association and by the AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate
Schools of Business). Good engineering
schools have ABET (Accreditation Board for
Engineering and Technology) accreditation
as well as regional. Education schools are
accredited by NCATE (National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher Education). These
specialized accreditations matter, because
while online MBAs are easy to come by, top
employers will not be impressed by an MBA
unless it is earned at an AACSB-approved
school. Religious denominations look for credentials from schools approved by
the Association of Theological Schools. Counselors should get degrees from

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Online Degree Secrets

schools approved by agencies such as the American Psychological Association

or CACREPS, the Commission for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related
Professional Programs. And so on. If you want to enter a profession that
requires at least a master’s degree and perhaps either a doctorate or a license,
find out the name of the relevant specialized accrediting agency and shop
wisely for a college.

By the way, if you live outside the United States, you may encounter schools
that do not have American regional accreditation but that have been granted
one of the American specialized accreditations. Within the US, this would be
unusual, because regional accreditation is the foundation of the system. We do
not have space here to explain the complexities of international accreditation
agencies and the participation of some US agencies in the accreditation of
universities outside the United States.

State Licensing

What about state licensing? Unaccredited schools often point out that they are
licensed by state governments. Sorry, that doesn’t substitute for accreditation.
In Washington State, for example, any school must be approved by the
Higher Education Coordinating Board (HEC Board), which in fact assures
that the school is offering real courses. Brand new colleges start with HEC
Board approval and then seek accreditation as quickly as they can meet the
standards—a process that takes three to five years or
more. Keep this in mind, however: a state license is not a
SECRET: A state licence
substitute for accreditation.
is not a substitute for
accreditation.

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Candidacy For Accreditation

What about candidacy for accreditation? When new schools first apply for
accreditation, they are granted candidacy status after an initial review. Not
all candidates make the grade, however. Moreover, once a school is fully
accredited, the accreditation does not always cast its glory backwards
and cover the degrees of those who graduated before a school achieved
accreditation. This is a complex area where generalizations are not wise.

Unaccredited Colleges

There are in fact new, unaccredited universities that offer interesting programs. Some
new, unaccredited schools operate with good will and intend to earn full regional
accreditation as fast as they can. You need to ask lots of questions, though, to
understand just what you can do with a degree you earn
SECRET: Unaccredited from a college that has not yet been accredited by a USDOE-
degree mills often target approved agency.
foreign students. They
show pictures of people Degree mills are the other kind of unaccredited university.
in the traditional dress of Sometimes they are “approved” by special accrediting
many nations; they print agencies that are not recognized by CHEA or the USDOE.
testimonials from citizens In other words, these degree mills are approved by special
around the world. degree mill accrediting agencies that are just fronts. Some
of these colleges require actual work; others just sell the
degrees without any work. Some will provide you with the degree, transcripts,
letters of recommendation, and even college rings and sweatshirts. The various US
states are working harder now to shut down these operations. Using these degrees
on resumes is illegal in many US states. Employees who use these degrees for
advancement are often caught, fired, or fined.

Unaccredited degree mills often target foreign students. They show pictures
of people in the traditional dress of many nations; they print testimonials from

16
Online Degree Secrets

citizens around the world. In my work consulting with foreign universities I have
found that foreign university leaders are not fooled for long.

Your safest bet is to enroll with a regionally accredited university. If you choose
a college accredited by a different kind of USDOE and CHEA approved
accrediting agency, you need to ask questions about any issues that may arise
with later transfer of credits, recognition of the degree by a regionally accredited
school, or eligibility for professional licensing exams. It doesn’t take long to find
out the answers. You may decide that the education you need can be provided
by a college that does not have regional accreditation.

SPECIAL ADVICE TO CITIZENS OF OTHER NATIONS WHO

WISH TO WORK IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
OR CANADA

If you are a citizen of another nation who plans to immigrate to the

United States or Canada to work, your educational credentials may play
an important role in your visa application.

The US offers a number of different visas for foreign workers. The best known
of these is the H-1B visa for professionals who have the
equivalent of an American baccalaureate degree. SECRET: Top experts
who evaluate credentials
Canada’s immigration system assigns specific point indicate that it is risky to
values for college degrees and other forms of education. present American degrees
Check out Canadian immigration on the web to see the taken from universities
complete evaluation system. that do not have US
regional accreditation.
The application process for an American H-1B visa
involves an evaluation of your educational credentials by an American

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educational expert. For the purposes of the H1-B visa, you should have a four-
year baccalaureate degree or its equivalent. In some cases work experience
can make up the difference between a three-year British-style BA and the
American four-year degree. This issue arises often in evaluating degrees from
Indian universities, for example. The Indian “honours” degree is equivalent to an
American four-year degree.

If you complete a baccalaureate by distance learning in the United States, that

BA should be from a regionally accredited school. Conversations with top experts
who evaluate credentials indicate that it is risky to present American degrees
taken from universities that do not have US regional accreditation. A number of
companies, law firms and foundations specialize in the evaluation of degrees from
other nations. These firms use more than thirty different reference books and
websites to gather information about equivalencies, so it is not possible in a short
booklet like this to offer more advice.

As we said earlier, some unaccredited American universities focus on recruiting

foreign students into degree mills. Foreign governments and university leaders
are increasingly aware of this problem. In fact, leaders of foreign universities
are sensitive to any degree—from any
nation—that can be earned quickly, because
those shortcuts often mean that the student
has missed something in depth or breadth of
education that is important.

The Canadian government scrutinizes visa and

immigration applications carefully. Prospective
immigrants should present the highest quality
credentials.

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Online Degree Secrets

WHAT SHOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT THE PROCESS OF

ONLINE EDUCATION?

How Does It Differ From Traditional Classroom Education

Online education comes in many forms. It may be best to begin by defining

distance education, which can take place online, through television shows,
videotapes, audio-tapes, CDs, or manuals and course materials sent to you
through the mail.

SECRET: Understand
Sometimes distance education programs combine
that online colleges may
independent work at home with other kinds of
deliberately use very basic
experiences. You may be required to go to a central
presentations of material for
location to take examinations, for example. There
two reasons. First, the most
are also low-residency degree programs in which
sophisticated online teaching
most of the work is done independently, but you are
platforms require students to
required to attend weekend or weeklong seminars
have fairly new equipment,
once or twice a year. Low-residency doctoral and
and online educators want to
master’s programs can provide you with a rich cohort
reach students who cannot
experience that gives you “face time” with faculty
afford new computers.
members and other students.
Second, online educators
are cost sensitive. They want
Some no-residency programs—programs done
to offer good education at a
entirely through media and without any face-to-face
reasonable price.
meetings—still manage to give you the human touch
by organizing students in cohorts who take classes
online together. These programs typically use computer platforms that allow
students and faculty to participate in online dialogues.

As you read the reviews posted at Online Degree Reviews you will gather
a variety of opinions about these various approaches to education. Some

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students are disappointed by computer-based lessons that consist of lots of

online reading without many computerized bells and whistles. Understand that
online colleges may deliberately use very basic presentations of material for two
reasons. First, the most sophisticated online teaching platforms require students
to have fairly new equipment, and online educators want to reach students who
cannot afford new computers. Second, online educators are cost sensitive.
They want to offer good education at a reasonable price.

Costs: Tuition, Fees And Learning Materials

As you begin to explore schools and make a list of the costs, be sure to include
all of the costs. Traditional brick and mortar colleges charge basic tuition plus a
variety of fees such as technology fees, student government fees, and lab fees.
You want to be sure you are looking at the right total. Traditional schools will also
expect you to buy textbooks, which in some fields run to hundreds of dollars per
class. Lately, the big survey textbooks in fields such as
math, science and accounting are costing upwards of
$150 each if you buy them new. Online programs often
include the cost of all learning materials, because what
you get on screen includes the text, the worksheets or
assignments, and any supplemental readings. Online
courses can have textbooks, too, however, so you need
to ask about total costs and how you can obtain all the
necessary materials.

Entrance Requirements

Online private universities are likely to have less

restrictive entrance requirements than some traditional public and private
universities. Maybe that’s a big consideration for you because it has been a long

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Online Degree Secrets

time since you were in school, or you didn’t have great grades when you went
to school, or you don’t want to go through the ordeal of taking one or more
standardized tests. Studying for those standardized tests,
however, is a good way to test your readiness to take on
SECRET: Online programs
a whole degree or certificate.
often include the cost of
textbooks and all learning
And until you apply to a few schools, online and
materials.
traditional, or at least talk to the admissions officers, you
don’t know what obstacles you may face—or how easy
admission will be. University admissions offices understand that people grow
wiser as they age. You are not stuck with the mistakes of your youth. Some
schools may ask you to take a class or two to show your new abilities and
commitment before you are admitted as a regular student. The point is that you
do not want to limit your options because you may fear that your past will hold
you back or restrict you from applying to some schools. You won’t really know
until you ask.

The Technological Platform: What Gear Will You Need?

Assess your own computer equipment and ask about the technological platform
that each school uses, so you are sure that you have compatible hardware and
software. A school’s advisors should be able to explain this to you clearly. Some
schools try to keep up with the latest available platforms, which puts a burden
on students to get up to date computer equipment. Other schools have tended
to operate with relatively primitive systems that rely on lots of simple text.
Reviewers on this site sometimes complain about these simple presentations.
Schools have sometimes made this choice to save money. Schools also choose
simple systems to assure that their classes can be accessible to people who do
not have recent computer systems.

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Advantages And Disadvantages Of Online Study

There are two big advantages to online education: convenience and lower cost.
The cost is lower for a reason. The delivery system allows a school to cut back
on classrooms, though maintaining the technological platform is not cheap.
Schools also save by hiring lots of adjunct faculty members to run classes that
have been organized and presented to the last detail.
SECRET: In many cases,
with online education The cost of online education, however, can be more
you lose two features than what it costs to attend a local community
of traditional education: college or state-funded college or university.
contact with faculty and
contact with other students. In many cases, with online education you lose two
features of traditional education: contact with faculty
and contact with other students. Those contacts are worth a lot because they
give you opportunities to build your oral communication skills—one of the
most important of all job skills. You also lose the chance to build a professional
network when you study alone at home. So ask yourself whether you want that
human touch.

You also will not have access to the physical resources of a traditional college:
science labs, computer labs, libraries, a career services office and other
services.

The Paradox Of Online Education

You will not find many online degrees offered by the most prestigious universities.
Top universities do not need the revenue, and they prefer traditional face-to-face
teaching and learning methods. It’s hard to do supervised research on a thesis
or dissertation through an online program. It’s difficult to find the necessary
resources to support research. Online education is therefore good for certain
kinds of learning, but not for all kinds of subjects and all types of degrees.

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Online Degree Secrets

If online degrees are unlikely to provide the prestige offered by degrees from
the greatest research institutions, then you need to be especially careful when
you choose an online college. You can get good online
degrees, but you need to be a careful consumer. SECRET: If online degrees
are unlikely to provide
You will, however, find some low residency programs the prestige offered by
offered by top research universities, such as one degrees from the greatest
executive MBA offered around the United States through research institutions, then
a joint operation of two famous research universities. you need to be especially
careful when you choose
Quality And Marketing an online college.

Online Degree Reviews is full of comments about high-

pressure marketing. Before you can see the catalog, you must fill out a form
and agree to be called by a marketer. It’s hard to find lists of faculty members
and their qualifications. Policies and fees may be confusing.

You may be offered loans whose terms are not clear. You may find it difficult
to reach administrators or offices to get
answers to your questions.

Universities are complex businesses.

Every university has some communication
problems. But if you can’t get straight
answers and transparent information before
you enroll—think twice about signing up.

Remember how high-pressure marketing

works. The sales rep gets you to agree to a series of propositions. The more
times he or she gets you to say “yes” to something, the more difficult it
becomes to say “no” when it comes to the final sales pitch.

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WHAT CAN YOU STUDY ONLINE?

When you look at the degree and certificate offerings of online colleges, it’s
obvious that online schools do not offer a full range of college programs.

Some online colleges focus on basically one topic: management. You can take
a degree in leadership, management, health care management, personnel
management, and many other kinds of management.

You can also take education degrees, such as programs leading to a master’s
in Education or a master’s or certificate in Teaching English as a Second
Language.

You will not find many programs that teach subjects that contain a high level of
mathematics or statistics, though there are exceptions to this generalization. At
least one college that offers an online math degree, however, requires that before
you begin you must finish at least a full year of calculus at a traditional college.

You will not find courses that require labs, or clinical practice, or intensive oral
work, such as spoken foreign languages. You can take a master’s in education,
but you cannot complete a teaching certificate,
because qualifying for a certificate requires supervised
SECRET: There are some
classroom experience.
limits to the types of
programs that can be
These differences between what is available on line
offered online. What you
compared to what is available in traditional colleges tell
want and need may not be
you something about what online education can teach
available online.
effectively and efficiently. Offerings may change in the
future as new technologies and new teaching methods
are introduced. The fact remains that there are some limits to what you can take
from an online college. Remember how this booklet started? You need to think

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Online Degree Secrets

about the kind of training you really need, the kind of training that will advance
your career. What you want and need may not be available on line. Your
process of choosing a school, therefore, needs to include comparisons to what
you can get at your local brick and mortar colleges and universities.

REACHING YOUR CONCLUSIONS

Online education can offer you accredited education at a low price and in the
convenience of your own home. If you enroll in an online program that organizes
cohorts, or includes some low residency activities, you can also get the benefit of
direct personal contact with faculty members and other students. Online colleges
may not offer the specific training you want, if you are looking for a degree or
certificate that involves labs, clinical experiences, or high levels of math and
science. At this time, online schools tend to focus on
those programs that can be marketed to large numbers
SECRET: Once you have
of students and that can be delivered at a low cost.
found an online program
that appears to fit your
Once you have found an online program that appears to
needs, you should ask one
fit your needs, you should ask one more question. Can
more question. Can I get
I get this education for less—or get a better education
this education for less—or
for roughly the same price—at a traditional college in
get a better education for
my vicinity? If you live outside major urban areas, online
roughly the same price—
education offers you something you cannot get any
at a traditional college in
other way. That’s a big advantage. If you live in a large
my vicinity?
metropolitan area, however, you should compare online
schools to other colleges.

Local community colleges often deliver superb programs, with excellent libraries
and labs, for extraordinarily low prices. State university tuitions are still low in
many states, and some schools offer lower rates for part time students who

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attend in the evening. Even good private universities can be a bargain if you can
get grants or scholarships. The most prestigious universities tend to have large
endowments and good financial aid programs. When you attend a local school,
you may also have an easier time getting answers to questions about policies,
fees, and scholarships, because you can go to the offices and speak to the
administrators face to face.

If you are thinking of taking a graduate degree, especially a doctoral degree,

you will find that excellent universities may pay your way. It’s common for
top universities to waive tuition and to provide fellowships and teaching
assistantships for talented students.

Finally, you need to consider the reputation of schools among your region’s
employers. Suppose, for the sake of argument, that you could get the same
master’s degree at a fine state university, a well-known private university, and
a for-profit national online university that is fully accredited. The state university
might cost $20,000; the online college $25,000 and the private school $30,000.
The private school offers more personal attention. Both the private university
and the state university have good placement offices. The private online college
is more convenient and less expensive, but it does not have the prestige of
the state or private university. Moreover, as you explore the choices, some
programs have extra fees and some require you to buy textbooks that are not
included in the basic fees and tuition.

We can’t tell you how to make the choice. OnlineDegreeReviews.org can

help. Our goal in presenting this information is to show you the research you
need to do before you make your decision.

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Online Degree Secrets

WHAT THE REVIEWS ON THIS SITE WILL TELL YOU

We have presented some basic information about the licensure and

accreditation of schools and how to weigh your decision to enroll. Our advice
has been based on decades of experience with higher education and years
of work with this website. The reviewers on this website have important
observations to make, too.

We have focused on evaluating:

• Motivation

• Types of online and distance education

• Technological requirements

• Institutional transparency—do they tell the truth and make it easy to get
information?

• Accreditation, licensure and specialized accreditation

• Costs and cost/benefit comparisons between online schools and traditional

schools

Make your own list of questions as you explore

schools by reading their websites and calling
admissions officers.

Notice, too, how the reviews and comments

on this site keep returning to the same issues.
You can expect a range of satisfaction from
students at any school. The more reviews that
are posted, the more likely it is that the sampling will be representative. Even
then, the reviews posted here do not constitute a statistically valid sample of the
student population. In spite of their limitations, these reviews and comments are

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helpful guides and thoughtful reflections on the experiences of many students

who represent different age groups and professional needs.

Where issues of licensure and accreditation arise, turn back to this booklet for
help. And be sure to post your questions about this booklet, so we can serve
you better in the future.

A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT

The great advantage of being an adult learner is that you survived your youth.
Of course now you may have lots of bills and children to look after. Still, you
have mastered the basic tasks of living. When you return to learning, therefore,
you should trust that you can also master the topics that will be set before you.

A lot has been written about the number of women who fear mathematics.
A lot has been written about how hard it is to learn when you have come up
from poverty or from homes in which there was
little encouragement to learn and no models of self-
SECRET: You won’t do well
discipline.
as an online learner unless
you can motivate your own
Even the most complicated subjects and skills consist
learning.
of lots of small steps, each of which it is possible for
you to learn. If you don’t like the way one textbook
presents the material, try another. Don’t quit the first time you face an obstacle.
It is truly amazing how much progress you can make if you start with just fifteen
minutes a day of a new activity like learning the guitar, or reading a calculus
textbook, or working through chemical reactions, or learning the parts of a cell,
or using a spreadsheet.

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Online Degree Secrets

Once you discover that you CAN learn, you may even find that it becomes your
entertainment. Instead of watching television, you may pick up another textbook
or try to learn a new skill. You may decide that after all you would like to read
classic literature, like the Great Books of the Western World, or know enough
anatomy and physiology to understand what your doctor is saying.

You won’t do well as an online learner unless you can motivate your own
learning. Paradoxically, your online education will not be worth much unless it
leaves you with an appetite for more learning and the ability to seek out those
next learning experiences.

That last point is worth repeating. If an online education program is merely

training in a specific skill, then it isn’t worth much. If your online education helps
you to be curious, to be a good researcher, to understand the principles behind
skills, to engage in critical discussion and to be a creative thinker yourself—then
you will have spent your education dollars wisely.

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