by Mark Butler

Created on: September 30, 2008   Last Updated: February 15, 2010

Online degrees are the fastest growing segment of higher education!  That could easily be the headline ripped from the top academic journals that deal with higher education.  As more highly respected colleges and universities explore and utilize the online environment to reach students, there is a growing acceptance of the degree obtained via the online method.

 To ensure that the online degree is legitimate, a student should always check for accreditation and only consider attending (via the internet) those schools that are regionally accredited.  To do otherwise is to risk spending your money on an education that may be worthless when it comes to acceptance by some employers and that includes government agencies, not to mention other colleges and universities if you wish to further your educational accomplishments.

So why is there even a question about the legitimacy of online degrees?    The issue comes from those that were not accredited or that were blatant diploma mills. There are others that use accreditation from organizations that are worthless and not respected.  The history of distance education is long and distinguished and many colleges had distance learning options via correspondence courses long before the internet. The issue was never one of legitimacy but rather of acceptance and an understanding that this was really equivalent to a degree earned in a traditional classroom.

 While there are those California State University at Dominguez Hills.

It was only with the explosive growth of the internet that caused many universities to view the internet as a means to reach more students and increase cash flow because virtual students do not require actual desks or rooms. Many universities struggled through this process with regards to teaching, testing and curriculum development until finally the pain and struggle of this process has resulted in programs that have much more acceptance than they had initially.

Today it is possible to pursue a degree of any level up to and including a PhD in addition to many undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates. Many prestigious associations provide training that qualifies the student to take certification examinations via the internet. It is even possible to earn a law degree via Concord University School of Law but you can only take the Bar Exam in California because it is not yet fully accepted by the American Bar Association.

The old days of correspondence courses, video tapes and home study guides have given way to internet chat rooms, asynchronous bulletin boards and sophisticated web sites and software that tracks a student’s progress and alerts the professor when work has been turn in by the student.While an internet degree or training program may not be for everyone, it is available for those who want to use it and enjoy the convenience of distance learning.

 It may not be for everyone but many students who are working adults and active duty military personnel are earning their degree via the internet and the programs are so well accepted that companies, the military services and even the veteran’s administration are accepting online colleges as equal to the traditional brick and mortar collage. 

The great thing distance learning via the internet is that you should never be late to class!

Learn more about this author, Mark Butler.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.