The Pros/Cons of an Online Masters Degree

Ten years removed from college, and for the first time in a decade, I'm flirting with the idea of continuing my education. I'm honestly not sure where this newfound idea is rooted. Boredom? Ego? A challenge? Thirst for knowledge? The truth will shake out over the next few weeks as I begin to familiarize myself with the GMAT, online university programs, and the positive/negatives of the endeavor. (My sneaking suspicion is that the MATH will ultimately keep me away.)

Here are some questions that need to be answered before I move forward:

* What will I study and how will it help my career from University?
* Will an advanced university degree help me at my current job or is a company/career switch necessary?
* How will I pay for my degree? What's the ROI?
* Even though my job doesn't outwardly offer tuition reimbursement, is there a way I can convince them to foot the bill?
* Do I have the time to commit?
* Are there other alternatives that can satisfy my list of pros? Perhaps a certificate program?
* How important is the name of the university attended? What if they only have an online degree presence? (Stay away from diploma mills and understand the differences between nationally and regionally accredited universitys.)

Here's a quick hit of pros/cons on obtaining an online masters degree.

PROS:

* Expanded base of knowledge
* Resume enhancer
* Ego booster

CONS:

* Studying for test
* The expense
* Time required to choose a university

What's on your list of pros/cons? And what other questions do you think should be asked?

Gosh, it sure would be nice for an online school to approach me and have me blog about the entire experience in exchange for an education in university...

In the meantime, I'm making it a mission to uncover some answers before I move forward.

After holding down various media jobs, including stops at MTV Networks and Fox News, Andrew G.R. was completely discouraged—not only about his own career but about the lack of job resources that truly spoke to him.

U.S. Dept. of Education Finds Online & Blended Education More Effective than Residential Method Alone

Is online education as effective as face-to-face learning at the college level?

The U.S. Department of Education analyzed research studies undertaken from 1996 to 2008 that address this topic and has concluded the following:

1) Online education is more effective than face-to-face learning;

2) Online learning combined with some face-to-face learning (blended learning) is the most effective;

3) Face-to-face learning alone is the least effective method among the three types studied.

The government report analyzed 51 factors that seem to influence learning efficacy and concluded that what appears to make online learning more effective is not what many academics have believed. For example, the study found that adding video and online quizzes or other forms of razzle-dazzle does not increase educational efficacy. What seems to give online and blended education their significant power boost is time spent on learning combined with the additional communication opportunities that online delivery afford.

These findings are specific to college-level learning as the researchers found that not enough studies exist to merit a valid comparison at the K-12 level.

Distance Learning, College Accreditation & Online Degrees: The Facts

What Is College Accreditation?

Accreditation provides for the independent review of education programs for the purpose of determining if that education is of uniform and sound quality.
Why Is Accreditation Important?
College accreditation is important if you want to have a public record of your learning that will be widely accepted by employers, professional associations and other colleges and universities.
Types of Institutional Accreditation – Regional
In the United States the most widely recognized form of university accreditation comes from the regional accreditation boards. Harvard University is regionally accredited. Ohio University is regionally accredited. Stanford University is regionally accredited ... and so on.
When people ask if you have attended an "accredited university" in the United States, they most commonly mean a regionally accredited university.
The Six Regional Accreditation Boards
Each of the six geographic regions of the United States has a non-governmental, regional agency that oversees and accredits degree-granting institutions headquartered in their territories.
The six regional accreditation boards are:

* MSA—Middle States Association
* NASC—Northwest Association of Schools & Colleges
* NCA—North Central Association of Colleges & Schools
* NEASC—New England Association of Schools & Colleges
* SACS—Southern Association of Colleges & Schools
* WASC—Western Association of Schools & Colleges.

There is no better or worse agency among these six agencies. Regionally accredited colleges recognize degrees and credits earned at other regionally accredited institutions as equal to their own.
For example, if you earn an undergraduate or bachelor’s degree at one regionally accredited online college, such as the University of Maryland, it will be recognized as a valid degree for entering a graduate program later at the University of Illinois Online or any other regionally accredited university.
Types of Institutional Accreditation - National
The most common type of accreditation other than regional accreditation is national accreditation.
The three most common types of national accreditation agencies:

* Distance Education & Training Council (DETC)
* Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges & Schools (ACICS)
* Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT)

The DETC, founded in 1926, and first recognized as an accreditor by the U.S. Department of Education in 1955, accredits about 60 degree-granting home study institutions, as well as many schools that provide career and vocational training.
Colleges that offer theology training programs for the ministry may be accredited by these specialized national agencies:

* Association of Theological Schools in the US & Canada (ATS)
* Association of Advanced Rabbinical & Talmudic Schools (AARTS)
* Transnational Association of Christian Colleges & Schools (TRACS)

All of the above agencies are sometimes referred to as “national accrediting agencies” because they can accredit colleges located anywhere in the USA.
National Accreditation - Limits
Be forewarned that the majority of regionally accredited colleges (greater than 80 percent) do not accept courses and degrees earned at nationally accredited colleges as the equivalent of their own.
If you earn your bachelor’s degree at a DETC-accredited college, for example, the majority of regionally accredited colleges may not accept this bachelor’s degree as sufficient for entering their graduate level program of study.
Careers that are governed by state licensing boards—such as teaching, accounting and engineering—may not accept academic degrees unless these degrees are earned at regionally accredited universities.
What Is Programmatic Accreditation: Do I Need It?
Academic departments within universities often seek specialized accreditation for individual degree programs. Careers regulated by state licensing may require degrees that carry special programmatic accreditation.
Teacher licensing boards may require degrees earned from colleges whose education schools are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). State bar or lawyer licensing regulatory boards often require law degrees from schools accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA). If you hope to become a licensed engineer you may have to attend an engineering degree program that is accredited by the Accrediting Board for Engineering Technology (ABET).
Three different agencies in the United States specialize in accrediting business schools. Among these agencies, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools Business International (AACSB) is considered, by academics themselves, the most prestigious type of business school accreditation. If you intend to pursue a career in teaching or research in a university environment, then an AACSB-accredited business degree may be a wise investment.
Unrecognized & Bogus Online College Accreditors
In order for accreditation to have any meaning, it is important that your online college’s accrediting agency be recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the U.S. Department of Accreditation.
As online education has increased in popularity so have the number of unrecognized, fake and bogus online college accreditors. Be very careful when searching for college degrees online. Hundreds of fake online colleges—also known as degree mills—advertise heavily online. These fake colleges are usually accredited by fake accrediting agencies with very official-sounding names.
To determine if your online college is properly accredited consult GetEducated’s free consumer protection service, The Diploma Mill Police (SM).
State Approved Online Universities
There has been a big boom in "state approved" schools offering degrees via distance learning, especially from Alabama and California. Many states regulate private trade schools by putting them through a state approval process. State approval or state licensing of an online college is not the same as accreditation. Sometimes “state approval” simply means that a license to do business has been granted.
A "state approved" distance learning college may provide sound training, but degrees earned from state approved online colleges are unaccredited degrees; and degrees earned from unaccredited universities are not widely accepted in the academic or corporate world.
A degree earned at a "state approved" college may not be acceptable for transfer to or admission to a regionally accredited college should you later decide to attend such an institution.

University: Online College Degrees and College Courses Online

Should you get an online college degree? Are you considering online college courses or earning an accredited online college degree? How recognized are online college degrees and courses from online colleges? These online colleges specialize in offering college courses online. You do not have to leave home or neighborhood while earning your online degree from these online colleges. There is no easier way to obtain a top-notch online college education. Click on as many of the online colleges as you want and fill-up the form to learn more about getting your online degree. Your online education begins here!


Advantages of Online Colleges, Online College Degrees, and Online College Courses:
A significant advantage is that online colleges allow you to get your education online and earn your college degree online at your own pace.

Many online colleges offer top-notch education online and college degrees online that are recognized the world over.

The choice of online degree courses and online education courses offered by online colleges is extremely broad. You can get an online college degree in hundreds of majors offered.

You can stay employed while earning an online degree from an online college.

You can earn a recognized online college degree from an accredited online college without having to relocate.

Your online college courses are made easier using technology such as e-mail, online texts, online course material, online video, etc.

Most online colleges offer the same quality of online college courses and education as a regular campus.

Online colleges facilitate efficient communication with professors who are very accessible.

You can earn an online college degree at various levels: associate degrees online, bachelor's degrees online, master's degrees online, even a PhD degree online.

A major advantage of online college courses and an online college degree is that the cost to attend an online college is extremely competitive and affordable.

You can earn your online college degree from an online college in as little as 18 months.

Getting your degree online from an online college offers the advantage of never being late or absent from a class ever again.

Cheapest Online MBA Degree?

Brace yourself. The cost range of an online MBA degree is truly staggering. According to University Survey of Online MBAs, you can pay as little as $7,000 or as much as $107,000 for an accredited distance MBA degree.

With a $100,000 price difference between the least expensive and most expensive option, you’re smart to compare costs carefully before you enroll into University.

Accreditation, geographic region and the funding structure of your online college, whether it is a non-profit or a for-profit University.