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Are Online Degrees Treated the Same by Employers?
by Gerte Brandley
http://www.hkdegree.com
Today, many people have the opportunity to follow college
courses online because of the proliferation of computers
and email. They can then receive a degree from a college
by following the standard curriculum at the college. Many
who otherwise might not be able to attend college now can
because this system offers the convenience, and flexibility
to allow them to. But there may be drawbacks if you have
to verify your education to prospective employers. Should
you be concerned that an online degree will be accepted?
Before committing yourself to a particular online degree
program, check to see what form of accreditation that they
may possess. If you~re dealing with one that doesn~t have
accreditation, your so-called ~degree~ may only be the
worth the paper that it~s printed on. Unless you~re simply
taking courses for personal enjoyment, it~s important that
the school is accredited by the proper agencies. If the
accreditation is in order, then your online degree will be
accepted by most employers.
Accreditation is also important if you~re considering
transferring to a different institution, either now or in
the future. In order to qualify for transfer credits, the
online school through which you~re earning your degree must
be properly accredited, or any credits that you~ve earned
will be lost. If those requirements are met, then you can
not only transfer to a different school, but will have a
degree that~s the equivalent to that which you~d earn in a
traditional brick and mortar environment.
An accreditation agency that grants accreditation to online
schools is the Distance Education and Training Council. If
the school you are considering has been approved and
accredited by this organization, your online degree should
be accepted by most employers and other schools. Each
employer or school has their own policies concerning the
acceptance of accreditation of this organization. Attitudes
regarding online degrees have changed over recent years
and many employers, but not all, now recognize them.For the
most part, the stigma of "mail order" degrees is a thing of
the past, and about two thirds of colleges now accept them.
In the case where your online school is accredited by a
professional organization ~ e.g., the American Library
Association ~ then the degree will only be accepted by
those in your profession. In other words, if you~ve earned
a degree in the area of Library Sciences, then you~ll be
accepted by only those types of facilities, and may not be
accepted by a public or private school sector that~s
advertising for someone to work in their institution~s
library department.
Schools that are not accredited at all probably won~t be
accepted by any employers or other schools. Especially
large employers, who probably have their own policies
regarding educational requirements would not consider them
valid. If you apply with a smaller employer, however, you
may have the opportunity to prove that the course content
will qualify you for the job. It may hinder you if an
accredited degree is required by an employer later in your
career or if you intend to go on for more education.
It is encumbent upon you to make sure that the online
college of your choice is either accredited or that you
are prepared to defend your degree to employers who
question its validity. There are many valid online schools
from which to choose your degree. But, the sense of
inferiority of online degrees still exists in many cases,
so make sure you are not wasting your time and your money.
Do your research and make sure that your inline degree is
going to be of value in your career search, or your further
education.
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